Railroad Forums 

  • Retrofitting to AAR controls?

  • Discussion related to BNSF operations. Official site: BNSF.COM
Discussion related to BNSF operations. Official site: BNSF.COM

Moderator: Komachi

 #848081  by mkerfe
 
On another site, a poster mentioned something about some GP60m's (or was it sd60m's) that were in the Topeka shops getting some work done which included replacing the desktop controls with AAR types stands. Is BNSF going to be replacing all desktops controls or are they just replacing them on select units?
 #849115  by XBNSFer
 
Actually, they might be talking about the fitting of standard cabs ("spartan" cabs, not Safety cabs) onto the GP60B's, which might be extended to all of them if the pilot project is deemed successful. See the current issue of Trains magazine for a photo. This wasn't being done in Topeka, however, but by somebody in East St. Louis, IL, so it might be two different projects. I can imagine wanting AAR-type control stands for the GP60M's, since they pull down local and switching assignments these days.
 #851713  by Engineer Spike
 
I read an article that says that they are being used more in local service. In this service, they are impractical with desk tops, especially as single units. I"m glad that the GE equals are going first. I liked the GP60M, but I hated the B40-8. They loaded slow and road hard. The GE units with floating bolster trucks sometimes made me car sick (and this never happens to me).
I think that the 60Ms will be good in this service. I used to bet them, along with any other large 4 axle on a job that used to serve local industries. It was a road job, but there were few enough industries not to need a local. I liked the big 4 axle GP 40, 50, and 60 units, as opposed to similar GEs.