PAR SD40-2s (MEC 600 series and 3400 series)

[newpylong]

Also keep in mind, SD40-2s will pull pretty much *anything you put behind them, they were used for everything from coal drags to fast intermodals/auto trains.

They will but it's not cost effective. Need 5 or 6 SD40's to pull what they are getting away with with 3 newer GE or EMD's.

[newpylong]

Was the "new" power used west of Deerfield?

yah went west on EDMO.. dunno about back.

[Mikejf]

Also keep in mind, SD40-2s will pull pretty much *anything you put behind them, they were used for everything from coal drags to fast intermodals/auto trains.

Are they picky or something? They have and continue to haul everything on rails. Smart purchase in my book. And at probably 1/10th of the cost of a new locomotive, it only makes sense.

Mike

[MEC407]

Even less than 1/10th. Probably 1/20th to 1/25th.

[Mikejf]

I was thinking that but not knowing the details didn't dare to guess. Pretty cheap if you ask me.

[MEC407]

Yup, they're practically giving them away!

[KSmitty]

Pre-recession an SD40-2 that was RTR could get $200-250K. I seem to remember reading here that PAR picked up their last batch off Helm for about 70K. Helm recently scrapped a bunch of motors, mostly SD40-2's. These, presumably, could be purchased for barely more than their scrap value because as bulletproof a workhorse as an SD40-2 is, there are thousands across the continent in lease fleets or being prepped for retirement. Their just isn't the demand to warrant the 200K price tag anymore.
Figuring 100K for an SD40-2 and 2.5 million for a new AC model would make an SD40-2 1/25 the price of a new unit.
Add to that less tech components, ample parts supply and, again, the bulletproof reliability that new units often can't match and it makes any fuel saving, I would think, relatively minor.

[mbta1051dan]

Also keep in mind, SD40-2s will pull pretty much *anything you put behind them, they were used for everything from coal drags to fast intermodals/auto trains.

Are they picky or something? They have and continue to haul everything on rails. Smart purchase in my book. And at probably 1/10th of the cost of a new locomotive, it only makes sense.

Mike

What I meant was, back in the day, they hauled literally everything. These days, certain locomotive types are sometimes specialized in services. Eg. Newer AC power is best for coal and heavy, slow freights, and DC power is used on faster intermodals and the like. Hope I worded it well.

[ns3010]

HLCX 7860, 8145, and 8147 were on Q410-25 though West Trenton, NJ yesterday, 1/28. Should definitely be in Selkirk by now.

[Mikejf]

Also keep in mind, SD40-2s will pull pretty much *anything you put behind them, they were used for everything from coal drags to fast intermodals/auto trains.

Are they picky or something? They have and continue to haul everything on rails. Smart purchase in my book. And at probably 1/10th of the cost of a new locomotive, it only makes sense.

Mike

What I meant was, back in the day, they hauled literally everything. These days, certain locomotive types are sometimes specialized in services. Eg. Newer AC power is best for coal and heavy, slow freights, and DC power is used on faster intermodals and the like. Hope I worded it well.

Yes. Thanks for clearing up your thoughts. They didn't have the luxury of the choice back when they were new.

Mike

[MaineCentral252]

How many SD40-2s and variants is this now? I've lost count. Regardless, they have certainly been adding a substantial amount of power the past couple of years! Too bad they've all been 40 series

[MEC407]

As of this moment, there are 20 SD40-2s officially on the roster (MEC 600-619), plus there at at least five or six Helm SD40-2s on the property, with a few more on the way. It looks like there will be a total of 30 once the rest of the Helms arrive.

[drcrf93]

I wonder if the acquiring of these SD40-2's will end the CSX run through power to and from Rigby on SEPO / POSE. I had noticed Pan Am power being used on SEPO / POSE for the past two weeks now, and a memeber on the Guilford Rail Sightings Yahoo group had stated the power swapping had been taking place in Lowell recently.

[gokeefe]

I wonder if the acquiring of these SD40-2's will end the CSX run through power to and from Rigby on SEPO / POSE. I had noticed Pan Am power being used on SEPO / POSE for the past two weeks now, and a memeber on the Guilford Rail Sightings Yahoo group had stated the power swapping had been taking place in Lowell recently.

That's an interesting shift as we had recently had so much discussion regarding the relative advantages to PAR of using the more modern power. Perhaps for manifest freight movements it isn't necessarily all that useful to them.

[MEC407]

STB recordation for the 10 SD40-2s currently being leased from Helm:

http://www.stb.dot.gov/recordations.nsf ... /30619.pdf