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  • Conrail GP60Ms?

  • Discussion related to the operations and equipment of Consolidated Rail Corp. (Conrail) from 1976 to its present operations as Conrail Shared Assets. Official web site can be found here: CONRAIL.COM.
Discussion related to the operations and equipment of Consolidated Rail Corp. (Conrail) from 1976 to its present operations as Conrail Shared Assets. Official web site can be found here: CONRAIL.COM.

Moderators: TAMR213, keeper1616

 #90861  by USRailFan
 
I recall reading somewhere that Conrail supposedly had plans around 1990 to purchase GP60Ms (probably similar to those ordered by ATSF). Although for various reasons this did not happen.
Is there any truth to this, or was it just gibberish?

 #90959  by crazy_nip
 
they probabally got a better deal on the CW40-8's they ended up buying
 #91129  by Noel Weaver
 
USRailFan wrote:I recall reading somewhere that Conrail supposedly had plans around 1990 to purchase GP60Ms (probably similar to those ordered by ATSF). Although for various reasons this did not happen.
Is there any truth to this, or was it just gibberish?
I don't think there is any truth to this at all. The feeling with the decision
makers at the time was six motor power for tonnage, six motor power for
vans, six motor power for just about everything.
Noel Weaver

 #91485  by BrianM
 
Yes, it was true. They had 25, I believe, on order along with another model but canceled and purchased the SD80MAC's. I will see if I can find the article that I have stored away that had the information in it.


Brian

 #93412  by Bryanjones
 
around late 1993 or early 1994 (I don't recall which offhand) Conrail did indeed place an order for 26 GP60M-I's (GP60M's with the Isolated Cab) 4 SD70MAC's and 4 AC4400CW's. These orders were subsequently canceled before being built and Conrail placed another order with EMD, this time for 21 SD80MAC's. This order was soon increased to 28 units. This was all covered in Extra 2200 South magazine.

Bryan Jones

 #95648  by BrianM
 
The order for the SD80MAC's went up to 106 total. It was later kept at 30 and the SD70 & SD70MAc was ordered by NS and CSX for merger.


Brian

 #96835  by Engineer
 
They aren't the greatest units to begin with... the problem is when GM took a stock GP60 frame and added a signifigantly heavier full width cab, it mage the units ride dramatically rougher and bumpier than their standard cab counterparts...

 #111411  by Roscoe P. Coaltrain
 
The order was on the books, but the money had originally been budgeted for 30 SD60Is. When the AC technology came out, CR wanted to experiment, and the order for the 30 SD60s was changed to 4 SD70MACs and 26 GP60I's. The remaining 26 DC units were changed to GP60s in order to maintain the total horsepower of the original 30 unit SD60 order, and still keep the total price within what was already budgeted (GP60s were alot cheaper per unit than SD60s). Basically, the additional cost of the 4 AC units was offset by cheapening the remaining 26 units from 6 axle down to 4 axle specifications.

Before these orders went into production, EMD got Conrail interested in the SD80, and the split order for 4 and 26 was replaced by 21 SD80MACs (owned, paid for with the original budgeted money set aside for the 30 SD60Is), and then Conrail and EMD agreed on a lease for an additional 9 SD80s, making the initial SD80 order for 30 (21 owned, 9 leased).

Sometime around 2010, when the lease is up on those 9, fans are gonna be scratching their heads wondering why just a few and not all are leaving the NS and CSX rosters....

 #111414  by AmtrakFan
 
I believe Conrail had some SD70M's.

 #111484  by charlie6017
 
AmtrakFan wrote:I believe Conrail had some SD70M's.
The only wide-cab SD70's were the AC units. Conrail had some regular cab SD70s that went to NS and was numbered according to the NS (2500's).

 #114273  by SRS125
 
If any of these units new SD60I's, GP60's, and GP60M's had filled the rostor insted of the SD70's and 80's what number slots would they have filled? The GP60's sounld like they would make for an intresting Modeling Project.