NYSW SD70M Official Thread (Please Read)

[GOLDEN-ARM]

Nice photo, Midland. Yep, I passed that location almost 80 times, on that job, according to my timebook. Had one of those 3 in the consist almost 50 times. Wonder where the tunnel motors are? I actually preferred them, to the Suzy junkers.

[midland sub]

9362 and 9392 have been working the CF&E Fort Wayne-Chicago Turn for the past several months. 9400 floats between working on the Midland Sub and the CIND Turn to Greensburg, IN. 9500 the SD45R works either the Midland Turns or grain trains out of Springfield. All are still in untouched SP paint with the exception of small faded CEFX lettering on the cabs. You just missed the I&O getting 3 of their own SD40T-2s. Not bad looking in the Railtex red/gray. They usually work the DT&I Subs between Flat Rock and Cincy.

The line from Norwood to WCH is 25 mph at best with a lot 10 mph spots mixed.

To get this back on topic, what would make the constant clicking noise? Sounds like something in the air reservoirs.

[GOLDEN-ARM]

Could be a faulty unloader, causing it to run continuously, or a leaky test cock, causing a tick at each firing cycle. Lasst, could just be an excessively loud, malfunctioning auto drain, on the reservoirs. They sometimes get stuck, and pop, or tick constantly.

[Noel Weaver]

NYS&W 4052 went south on the Florida East Coast just before the holiday shut down. The same engine, NYS&W 4052 went
north Friday, December 26th on the first northbound train after the shutdown ended, train 222.
The engine was running and looked good. It can't lead on the FEC because it is not equipped with FEC cab signals and train
control. It was the third unit behind two GP-40's on a big train.
Noel Weaver

[rrfoose]

Noel - how long will the 4052 stay in Florida? Wasn't it sent down to NSB for repairs (but we all (including me) "assumed" the 70's were going to FEC for good)? Could this just be a break in run to make sure everything is working?

[Noel Weaver]

Noel - how long will the 4052 stay in Florida? Wasn't it sent down to NSB for repairs (but we all (including me) "assumed" the 70's were going to FEC for good)? Could this just be a break in run to make sure everything is working?

I am not sure about this one. I also heard that the other two might also be coming here. As I said earlier, I think, the off
road units can't lead on the FEC due to lack of train control and cab signals which are in use from one end to the other on
the Florida East Coast.
Noel Weaver

[rrfoose]

Noel - how long will the 4052 stay in Florida? Wasn't it sent down to NSB for repairs (but we all (including me) "assumed" the 70's were going to FEC for good)? Could this just be a break in run to make sure everything is working?

I am not sure about this one. I also heard that the other two might also be coming here. As I said earlier, I think, the off
road units can't lead on the FEC due to lack of train control and cab signals which are in use from one end to the other on
the Florida East Coast.
Noel Weaver

I almost asked if the other two would join... One would assume that they could use some TLC after their time on the Indiana & Ohio. I wonder if traffic is down on IORY or if these units would be replaced by FEC GP or SD40-2's. Some of I&O's bigger power has been running around on the CF&E lately (but probably because most of their GP38-2's have wound up on other roads).

[midland sub]

According to some on the I&O 4050 and 4054 are eventually supposed to head to NSB for work. Whether or not they would return to the I&O is unknown. There's a lot of unkowns with Railamerica and it's future due to Fortress' financial situation.

As for the CF&E, it's really part of the I&O. There's seperate management, union contracts and marketing contracts, but everything is controlled out of Cincinnati and the I&O offices for the most part as a single line operation. That's why the power is shared and the I&O maintains the CF&E fleet. CF&E 3881 and 3885 are the only units not currently working on the CF&E-I&O system.

I almost asked if the other two would join... One would assume that they could use some TLC after their time on the Indiana & Ohio. I wonder if traffic is down on IORY or if these units would be replaced by FEC GP or SD40-2's. Some of I&O's bigger power has been running around on the CF&E lately (but probably because most of their GP38-2's have wound up on other roads).

[Noel Weaver]

I have heard that 4052 is being fitted with cab signals and ATC for lead unit operation on the Florida East Coast. I have also
heard that the other two SD-70's are also headed to the Florida East Coast where it is likely that they will also get the
equipment which will allow them to run on the FEC as lead units.
The FEC shop at New Symrna Beach is capable of doing anything that these units need in order to reliably operate on main
line through freight trains. It could be interesting. I don't think they will be repainted and probably not renumbered as well.
Noel Weaver

[trainwayne1]

Will the ownership of the SD-70's eventually be transfered to the FEC/Rail America like the B-40's were to the P&W?

[Noel Weaver]

Will the ownership of the SD-70's eventually be transfered to the FEC/Rail America like the B-40's were to the P&W?

I haven't heard. I will be in Jacksonville for an event later this week, maybe I will hear something while I am there.
Noel Weaver

[rrfoose]

Will the ownership of the SD-70's eventually be transfered to the FEC/Rail America like the B-40's were to the P&W?

Well if the 70's were on a 15-year lease from EMD, and they were built in 95, that means in 2010 they'll be up for "reassignment" and that could very well mean being sold to RA. So for the next year or two it's safe to assume that they'll stay in their current paint, under their current sub-lease agreement.

[trainwayne1]

Thanks for the answers....At the end of the lease, is there a buyout price that is pre-set, or is it a matter of the buyer making a deal with the lessor to purchase or re-finance the units? It would seem to me that if FEC/RA is investing money in repairing/modifying the units that they would try to keep them.

[nysw3636]

The original loan was for 20 years. This was a federal government loan arranged in September of 1994.

[rrfoose]

The original loan was for 20 years. This was a federal government loan arranged in September of 1994.

Sorry for my ignorance, but who originally "purchased" the unit and who's names are in the lease? How does the gov't factor in? I always assumed NYSW leased them from EMD with their own money, much like the 4 B40-8's (unless they were under a similar agreement with the fed)...