New locomotive orders

I found this on the cn website:

http://www.cn.ca/about/media/news_relea ... 1129.shtml

about halfway down it says that there are plans to buy 65 more locomotives in 2007. I wonder how they will split the order, IIRC they still have an option left with GE for 25 more ES44DC's.. Will EMD get the order for the other 40, will it be split between builders, or will part of the total be for genset switchers...

Does anyone have any insights?

Mike

I've heard that CN is getting 50 more SD70M-2's to be numbered 8800-8849, and 15 more ES44DC's. Can't confirm the GE's, and that's a really small number... why not use up the remainder of the option, which is 25 units total.

lock4244 wrote:I've heard that CN is getting 50 more SD70M-2's to be numbered 8800-8849, and 15 more ES44DC's. Can't confirm the GE's, and that's a really small number... why not use up the remainder of the option, which is 25 units total.

I thought the 50 SD70M-2's were ordered in FY 2006, to be delivered in the Spring of 2007.... I'm wondering about the 65 new locos to be ordered in FY 2007. (That is if I'm interpreting the press release correctly)

Mike

oleanfuzz wrote:I thought the 50 SD70M-2's were ordered in FY 2006, to be delivered in the Spring of 2007.... I'm wondering about the 65 new locos to be ordered in FY 2007. (That is if I'm interpreting the press release correctly)

These could be the same. The press release talks about what will be spent, not ordered, in 2007.

Actually, I think CN optioned 75 ES44DC's and 75 SD70M-2's. They bought 35 ES44DC's #2220-2254 and 25 SD70M-2's #8000-8024. So, there should be 40 options left for the ES44's and they are (unconfirmed) getting 15 more, leaving 25 unoptioned. The 50 unit SD70M-2 order will use up all remaining options. Just correcting my earlier math

FWIW, I always thought there were 50 ES44's in service, #2220-2269, but I can find no evidence of units 2255-2269 anywhere... just units 2220-2254. These are the one's that are currently (again, unconfirmed) on order.

Interesting that (if what's been said is true) they're filling up the SD70M-2 options before the ES44DC. Is it because they are happier with the SD70M-2 or because GE is maxed-out in GEVO production?

trainiac wrote:Interesting that (if what's been said is true) they're filling up the SD70M-2 options before the ES44DC. Is it because they are happier with the SD70M-2 or because GE is maxed-out in GEVO production?

the sd70m-2 cost less than the gevo's... that is why cn is going that route. i like the evo's better but my opinion doesn't mean much.. my shop today changed out for the first time a ge evo cylinder pack on the engine. and it was for a water leak [head gasket] i can't even count the amount of times we have changed out cylinder packs on the 710's in the sd70m-2's.. one engine was in the shop last month that was going to go for an engine change out as the crank was scrapped..

when the evo's fail, it is usually a time consuming failure [as no one yet is really familiar with the locomotive & engines]. the emd's fail more often, but they are mechanically very similar to the older sd70/75 so they are easier for the guys in the shop to work on

I thought the EMD's cost more then the GEVO's....I knew that the SD70MAC was more money than the AC4400CW

How come the DC traction units?

Tadman wrote:How come the DC traction units?

They don't cost as much.

CN doesn't have any mainline grades that would warrant the cost of AC units. Their mainline through the Canadian Rockies is flat compared to CP's.