SD80MAC's

[MR77100]

Did NS really get the SD80MAC widecabs from the Conrail breakup? I thought they didn't like AC units.

[NsNscalerailfaN]

They acquired 17 of Conrails 30 SD80MACS (CSX got the other 13)...NS isn't a big AC fan, but since CSX got so many SD70MACS (all 30 from big blue), NS had to get a good amount of these despite their non-AC preference. These are used almost strictly on coal trains and in centralPa. They go to Altoona if I'm not mistaken and I think Puxatawny. They wander to Harrisburg sometimes and even down Delmarva. (Once used on a Delmarva manifest)... I suspect they may sometimes wander over here to Hagerstown or over to Philly as well on coal trains. No evidence though yet....

[NsNscalerailfaN]

The SD80MACS are #7200-7216 ..........

[ns engineer]

The 7213 was in Roanoke about two weeks ago,the same day one of the CSX SD80MACs was in Linwood.A conductor I work with has a picture of 7202 in Linwood NC.

[OCtrainguy]

I have been told that you can see some of the SD80MACs at Cresson, PA with coal trains. I am going to Altoona & Cresson at the end of May and hope to see some of them.

[nsco]

check at conway yard.... there are usually two units at east park near the back of the fuel pad

[rrhobo]

In most cases, the Macs seen at Cresson are being used on the South Fork Secondary to run hoppers to and from the mines. I believe they appear in Cresson for servicing and I have seen as many as 7 units at one time in Cresson. They usually shuttle to Cresson and back running light.

RRhobo

[junction tower]

When the Conrail loco fleet was split up, the idea of each railroad "picking" the models they favored was considered but rejected. It was decided that it would be too complicated and unworkable, so they decided to split the locomotives on roughly the same 58/42% split as the company was divided. I believe the groups were arranged by value before the the actual picking was done so that the cash value of the units would roughly equal the percentages. I think the picking went something like 2 for me, 2 for you, 2 for me, 1 for you etc. to get to 58/42. Through this method, NS ended up with 16 of the 30 80MAC's. After the merger, there was some horse trading between NS and CSX, and I'm kind of surprised they didn't try to get CSX to take these "oddballs" of their hands. I suppose maybe NS kept them a test bed to gain experience with AC power, or it could be that neither CSX or Conrail rostered the prefered model NS wanted, the DC -9, so they would have had to take something less desirable to them. I would have taken more of Conrail's SD60/M/I's. chances are, those will still be making revenue miles when the Dash9's are razor blades.