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  • NYSW -ALCO's to be retired

  • Discussion of products from the American Locomotive Company. A web site with current Alco 251 information can be found here: Fairbanks-Morse/Alco 251.
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NYSW -ALCO's to be retired

Discussion of products from the American Locomotive Company. A web site with current Alco 251 information can be found here: Fairbanks-Morse/Alco 251.

Moderator: Alcoman

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 #284533  by murray83
 
well according to my canadian trackside guide all cartier's 636's were rebuilt with a GE 251 "plus kit" and plc microprocessors

GVT's MLW unit was a cpr unit which was never rebuilt hence no computers.

the cartier units even before leaving quebec were tired and well past their due dates most likely these units will become scrap.

 #284559  by N. Todd
 
the cartier units even before leaving quebec were tired and well past their due dates most likely these units will become scrap.
They why the hell would "636 Leasing" go thru so much trouble just bringing them down here, to have them cut them up? They might as well have just leased them out (as their name implies) instead, or to GE as test beds.

I'm curious, when Hamersley Iron (Australia) retired their second-generation power, why were those few EMDs and GEs shipped up here by NRE? I imagine that it would cost alot. So we might as well have NRE ship Robe River's stored Alcos up here, just for kicks.

 #284587  by murray83
 
the units before being retired were very troubled,a mechanic for the local shortline i know worked there for years and had nothing good to say about these units the computer programs were garbage they're in french .the units spent more time in the shop more than time spent on the road in the years leading up to the retirement.

if you want to fix them in all honestly you'll need to hire a mechanic from the cartier to come down these units are not your average alco.
Last edited by murray83 on Tue Aug 22, 2006 7:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Get that Alco Doctor from D-L

 #284588  by amtrakhogger
 
Get that Alco doctor from DL. It seems his crack mechanical crew
can fix anything Alco.

 #284593  by MEC407
 
Like I said before... Cartier must have had a valid reason for getting rid of them.

Nevertheless, just because the user interface for the computer is in French doesn't mean the computer is crap. The program was probably written in English originally, and translated to French. So just replace it with the English version if that's the only problem. But I doubt that's the only problem.

 #284602  by murray83
 
i know the mechanic laughed pretty hard after i told him i read on here this line leased them and wished them good luck and kept laughing,i knew from his laughing these units and the staff of this line were in for a fun time.from what i understand the program was written in french to begin with and had many updates to fix any small issues with its performance.

 #284628  by Steve F45
 
sounds like nysw got the short end of the shaft when they took delivery of these alco's last summer. Hopefully someone will use there brain and get newer power.

I'de love to see a WS-X show up with 6 new ES44AC's or SD70Ace's.

 #284633  by MEC407
 
I don't feel too bad for NYSW... they had SD70Ms and B40-8s -- decent, efficient, modern power -- and decided that they'd be better off with C636s, U23Bs, and the like. Hey... if they want to run a rolling museum, that's their choice! Just don't expect high reliability out of it. :wink:

 #284636  by Steve F45
 
MEC407 wrote:I don't feel too bad for NYSW... they had SD70Ms and B40-8s -- decent, efficient, modern power -- and decided that they'd be better off with C636s, U23Bs, and the like. Hey... if they want to run a rolling museum, that's their choice! Just don't expect high reliability out of it. :wink:
I dont either, they probably didn't anticipate the huge surge in construction debris like they have. They lost the stacks and therefor didn't need all that power they had. But im sure they are kicking themselves in the butt now for not keeping anything.

 #284650  by U-Haul
 
Maybe this should disscused else where.
NYSW could pick up those SD50s that NREX does not want and de turbo them to 2,000hp. I would also say "I WANT MY SD70Ms BACK!!"

 #285028  by sallenparks
 
I have a question that might be stupied but here it goes can't the Susie Q just take the 251 plus stuff like the computers and the like out and turn them back to as dilvered ALCO's like if they had bought them from ALCO.

 #285101  by Luther Brefo
 
sallenparks wrote:I have a question that might be stupied but here it goes can't the Susie Q just take the 251 plus stuff like the computers and the like out and turn them back to as dilvered ALCO's like if they had bought them from ALCO.
Certainly not a stupid question. I was wondering the same thing myself. I think only GE, FM or NRE can truly answer that question. Something tells me that the computer are so heavily integrated that it would be a lot of work to get them into a more "analog" mode. I do hope that it is possible though.

 #285294  by pablo
 
I can't remember specifics, but while it's possible, I believe that removing the "plus" from a 251 is more work than it's worth. I also wonder if removing the computers can be done by itself.

Dave Becker

 #285304  by Alcoman
 
pablo wrote:I can't remember specifics, but while it's possible, I believe that removing the "plus" from a 251 is more work than it's worth. I also wonder if removing the computers can be done by itself.

Dave Becker
Why would you want "unimprove" the engine ? Remember that the "plus" feature was designed to improve the realibilty and durabilty of the engine.
The "plus" package has nothing to do with the computers. It can be added to any Alco that uses a 251 engine.

 #285606  by sallenparks
 
Well their not all dead yet 3664,3668,3670,& 3674 where down in Bingo today.
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