Lease power on Guilford??!

[NellsChoo]

Today, for the first time, we saw leas power on Guilford! Yup, Ayer switcher AY-4 had one GRS engine and one HLCX lease engine. They did some work down at the Spagna joint by NEMCO.

Is this due to a rumor we heard about Guilford engines dropping left and right? Anyone have info?

Jonelle

[wolfmom69]

Gen.George S. Patton once said that if he'd had to use German equipment in his advance across Europe in 1944-45,he wouldn't have made it due to breakdowns! But that was due to the overcomplexity of some of the German equipment,especially tanks 7 self propelled artillery. I wouldn't want to bet on GRS equipment,but that is due to a lot of miles,horsepower hours,and next to no money spent on maintaining them.But new & rebuilt units can be unreliable too. They are "short"on power,especially here in Maine. I think the unit you saw in Ayer was not being leased,but "borrowed"! Bud

[NellsChoo]

That makes sense, as I can't see Guilford paying money for anything. Maybe they borrowed it from CSX?

EDIT: Here is a photo of the engine

[MEC407]

I think that if Guilford did decide to lease some motive power, either short term or long term, they would probably lease four-axle locomotives, rather than six-axle units as seen in your photo.

Guilford's preference, historically, has always been to purchase old, cheap locos outright, rather than buy new or lease.

[CSX Conductor]

Also, I have noticed many of the HLCX SD40-2's that have been on CSX road trains are usually "stripped, not equipped". I have also seen "Trailing unit only" stenciled in the cab of some of these "Rent-a-wrecks".