MotivePower buys 10 GP39 locomotives from VRE

MotivePower, the manfacturer of new locomotives for VRE and MARC, has purchased 10 old GP39 locomotives from VRE. These are the V01-V10. At least they won't be going to scrap. They will be delivered to MotivePower as the new ones arrive on VRE property.

http://www.vre.org/about/Ops_board_item ... _Locos.pdf

The minutes from the May board meeting stated that three RP39's had already been shipped off to Boise. This photo (not mine) shows V05, V07, and V10 in Enola, PA. I would assume that these are the three units mentioned in the minutes.

According to this (June):

http://www.vre.org/about/Ops_board_item ... report.pdf

We have received 13 new locomotives. All VRE revenue trains (12 trains) are now equipped with a new locomotive. The remaining seven locomotives will be delivered by the end of July.

While it makes no mention of sales of old engines, the May one does:

We have sold all of our older locomotives with the exception of two and I am hoping to find a buyer for those as well.

I wonder which 2?

I'd say that just because they're going to MPI doesn't mean they won't be scrapped - or extensively rebuilt. Given interest in 4-axle gensets and other various forms of nearly-new units, I'd bet that their long term future probably involves being stripped down to the frame and rebuilt into something of that sort. Probably the same long term fate awaits the MARC GP40's as well.

Amtrak7 wrote:According to this (June):

http://www.vre.org/about/Ops_board_item ... report.pdf

We have received 13 new locomotives. All VRE revenue trains (12 trains) are now equipped with a new locomotive. The remaining seven locomotives will be delivered by the end of July.

While it makes no mention of sales of old engines, the May one does:

We have sold all of our older locomotives with the exception of two and I am hoping to find a buyer for those as well.

I wonder which 2?

I believe that V20 and V23 are the ones that have been sold, but I'm not sure, and I'm not in the mood to look it up.

AFAIK V20 and the V23 are the keepers....they are the strongest of the bunch, and they are both GP40's...V20 is a 16 cyl 645(even though its blue card says its 2300 hp....it aint, trust me), and the V23 is a monster when it wants to be....

My post was made a while ago, so I don't remember, but I have a feeling that I meant to say "have not been sold."

Per comments made to me by a shortline executive (and friend) a few summers ago, non-turbo 4-axle units are perfect for short lines. If MPI pulls the turbos off and gives the engines a thorough cleanup, they'll make ideal short line power and sell for reasonable money.

A resident of PA recently wrote, “VRE locomotives V10, V05, V07, VO1, V04, and V08, are lined up in this order from east to west, on a storage track (#V10 is against the east end wheel stops) inside the Frank Sahd Salvage Company, Columbia, PA, secured by a fence (plus guard dogs at night). This firm is served by the Columbia & Reading Railroad, a short line that has been operating this partial ex-Reading line since February 2010. There are four more VRE locomotives on the way for storage at this site; arrival time is presently questionable.

“The other four on the way to Columbia are probably the remaining four of the ten GP39-2C units on the VRE roster, which would be numbers V09, V06, V03, and V02. All ten have 2300 HP each and all came from MPI between 1991 and 1992. This action means no more GP39-2C units remain on the roster. All will be put up for sale, since they are being replaced during 2011 with the arrival of new MP36PH-3C, 3600-HP units from MPI, numbered V51 - V68.”

One thing about that statement- The MP36-3C's go up to V69. But that's just a nitpick.

It also does not mention that the units have already been sold to MPI, so it would be MPI, not VRE, that is currently storing these units. However, this still does not provide any insight into what MPI has planned for these units.

ns3010 wrote:One thing about that statement- The MP36-3C's go up to V69. But that's just a nitpick.

...and also starts at V50.

Davis

strench707 wrote:

ns3010 wrote:One thing about that statement- The MP36-3C's go up to V69. But that's just a nitpick.

...and also starts at V50.

Davis

Oops. Didn't even notice that.

ns3010 wrote:One thing about that statement- The MP36-3C's go up to V69. But that's just a nitpick.

It also does not mention that the units have already been sold to MPI, so it would be MPI, not VRE, that is currently storing these units. However, this still does not provide any insight into what MPI has planned for these units.

Not quite...V09 and V03 are still in Broad Run yard(there are two more, don't remember the numbers), and I had to grab the V09 and V20 on short notice when V51's HEP contactors failed a week or so ago. For now the V09 is BR's protect....

Hello everyone! I have just completed another episode of my locomotive documentary series, Remarkable Engines, for UTA 901, formerly VRE RP39-2C V07. This episode will be focusing on FrontRunner's only Geep which is shared between UTA and Union Pacific for switching duties. The locomotive started out as a Louisville and Nashville GP40, one of the first RP39-2Cs of the Virginia Railway Express, and was lastly bought by MPI and was sold to UTA. Hope you enjoy!

For further information on the status of the other RP39s, please view this list. On a side note, I'm not sure of what happened to V02 and V03 (MPEX 102 and 103). Were they purchased by the Bay Line in Florida along with 109?