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  • Pan Am GE DASH 8 Locomotives

  • Guilford Rail System changed its name to Pan Am Railways in 2006. Discussion relating to the current operations of the Boston & Maine, the Maine Central, and the Springfield Terminal railroads (as well as the Delaware & Hudson while it was under Guilford control until 1988). Official site can be found here: PANAMRAILWAYS.COM.
Guilford Rail System changed its name to Pan Am Railways in 2006. Discussion relating to the current operations of the Boston & Maine, the Maine Central, and the Springfield Terminal railroads (as well as the Delaware & Hudson while it was under Guilford control until 1988). Official site can be found here: PANAMRAILWAYS.COM.

Moderator: MEC407

 #1409795  by johnpbarlow
 
Engineer Spike wrote:I think this has everything to do with horsepower hours. Pan Am stays is perpetually in arrears. Sending a 3000 horsepower unit in run through service with CSX, or NS just doesn't add up fast enough. Same with sending a 3000 hp unit out to pay off hours. These larger engines can multiply the horsepower hours much faster.

In the long run, the EMD 645 platform is obsolete. A good example was CP running 4 unit sets of SD40s, in the early 2000s, on D&H. They could sometimes reduce a unit if they happened to send 3 SOO SD60s. They could so the same work as 4 SD40s.

Pan Am could easily reduce the roster size with more capable units. FEC did this with the SD70M-2, and also the new GEs. Other regional carriers have even gone with AC power, such as MRL, and IAIS. This would save thousands with less fuel, and less units to repair, and maintain. A secondary savings with a smaller fleet is less mechanical staff.
Interesting point. Pan Am would also be able to incur less NS/CSX horsepower hour debt as well as need fewer Pan Am engines if they would do less train parking and keep trains moving. Would need fewer taxi hours, too.
 #1409811  by F-line to Dudley via Park
 
This sounds entirely rational, efficient, and eminently reasonable. So they will of course keep doing what they're doing with gimp power that breaks down too often and chews up senseless HOS overages while occasionally introducing new Waterville-unqualified engine makes from time to time to keep things interesting. :wink:
 #1409986  by Engineer Spike
 
We all know, and have discussed the company's problems. Keeping the main tracks in good order would certainly improve locomotive, car, and crew costs down. A crew or engine could be used on a run, and turned back on something else.

I'm sure that a component diesel mechanic could learn GE easily enough. A good example is CPR St-Luc. Within a few years they had to adapt between Alco, EMD, and now GE. The real question is about parts. Guilford's usual play is to use the worse shape units for parts, instead of actually buying parts.
 #1410768  by BandA
 
Assuming they are buying them from GE, GE would repair/refurbish anything broken before reselling them. Then PAR wouldn't need any mechanics for a while, lol.
 #1410796  by MEC407
 
I'd replace the word "would" with "could." They could repair/refurbish anything broken before reselling them, OR they could sell them as-is.

There are 100-something units that CSX sold off; many or perhaps most of them were already in running/operable/Blue Carded condition. PAR could easily pick which units they want and choose the ones that are already operable without needing any work.

Another scenario, which might sound weird but it's just as plausible, is that PAR might pick the ones that are in the worst condition and work out a deal with Larry's to cobble them back into running condition, spray a couple of coats of dark blue on them, and set up a lease arrangement.
 #1410799  by BandA
 
I remember my dad shaking his head in the 1970s, telling me that GE no longer tested their small electric motors before shipping them. Customers got to deal with the DOA because it saved GE money.
 #1410893  by Z31SPL
 
BandA wrote:I remember my dad shaking his head in the 1970s, telling me that GE no longer tested their small electric motors before shipping them. Customers got to deal with the DOA because it saved GE money.
Apples to oranges. :wink:
 #1410979  by MEC407
 
And PAR still gets to use CSX's good stuff on SEPO and POSE, yes? :-)
 #1411007  by CPF363
 
MEC407 wrote:And PAR still gets to use CSX's good stuff on SEPO and POSE, yes? :-)
Some of these units might be used to pay horsepower hours to CSX. They could also could begin to turn back the CSX units en route instead of running to Rigby, incurring more horsepower hours owed to CSX by using these units on POSE between Rigby and where ever they meet SEPO.
 #1411017  by 690
 
johnpbarlow wrote:
newpylong wrote:12 C-40-8's straight from GE supposed to be in really good shape. For EDAY and EDRJ. Next week supposedly.
So these ex-CSX engines are to support primarily CSX-PAS interchange traffic?
Supposedly, but who knows where they will end up in actual practice.
 #1411026  by F-line to Dudley via Park
 
690 wrote:
johnpbarlow wrote:
newpylong wrote:12 C-40-8's straight from GE supposed to be in really good shape. For EDAY and EDRJ. Next week supposedly.
So these ex-CSX engines are to support primarily CSX-PAS interchange traffic?
Supposedly, but who knows where they will end up in actual practice.
The Waterville dead line, waiting 2 months for lube oil and missing a couple numberboard light bulbs? :wink:
 #1411058  by MEC407
 
If they run out of room at Waterville, they can park them at Rigby and leave a few more freights on the to-be-built Downeaster-funded passing tracks. :wink:
 #1411302  by gokeefe
 
newpylong wrote:12 C-40-8's straight from GE supposed to be in really good shape. For EDAY and EDRJ. Next week supposedly.
"straight from GE" meaning repaired, refurbished and serviced? ... wow
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