BNSF Ordering 30 Switch Locomotives- Your thoughts?

[Amtrak31]

I just got news today that BNSF will be ordering 30 Switch Locomotives. Your thoughts?

[AmtrakFan]

Nick,
Where were your sources?

[Amtrak31]

John:

Now I hear they're ordering 30 switch locomotives. I got the information off of Railpictures.net.

http://www.railpictures.net/forums/show ... #post13467 is where I heard about it. At first it said they were ordering 30 SD70ACe's or SD70M-2's but the person who started the topic edited the post.

[natethegreat]

Does anyone know what model yet?

[Joe]

I would have to assume the only one on their website...
http://www.gmemd.com/en/locomotive/switcher/gp20d/

[Joe]

Well, now I have heard for a 2nd time that they are to be SD70ACes, 30 of them.
They may get some switchers too, but 30 ACes is the word for March 2006.

[AmtrakFan]

Heard the same thing for the ACE's as well there is an option to get 100 more.

[route_rock]

Hmmm I havent heard any of this. But I wonder if we will get one of them switchers here at my job.

[freshmeat]

Worked in and out of Barstow last spring. Saw several of what appear to the EMD GP20D sitting on a spur track near diesel services. However I am the first one to admit that excpet for knowing the difference between GM and GE road power, I cannot tellyou waht they were. They were small switchers with the side windows covered in sheet metal and all the remote decals applied.

[GN 599]

Probably one of those former Santa Fe GP-7's or 9's with the windows blanked out for RCO use only. What we need right now is road power.

[MEC407]

Could the switchers be GreenGoat hybrids, like the ones Union Pacific and several other roads have purchased? They look extremely similar to the GP20D, especially the cab/nose.

[EJ&ESDM809]

I hope all of these thing I've heard about BNSF ACes are true. I wonder how one would look with the new logo on it. I'd guess they would be for coal trains with the SD70MACs and SD75Ms. I wouldn't mind new switchers either.

[trainiac]

Type "BNSF SD70ACe" in Google and you'll get all sorts of results. Looks like BNSF will be getting 30 SD70ACe's.

[GN 599]

As an engineer for BNSF I hope we dont get them. My friend who is an engineer for the UP who works just as hard of territory as I said they are not impressed with them. They have had a number of problems, hopefully just teething problems. Even the old heads who like EMD's arent impressed with them. I guess we'll see what happens.....

[AmtrakFan]

The GEVO's are having problems reportley as well.