The elusive SD90MAC-H

Any news about the SD90MAC-Hs?

2spot wrote:Any news about the SD90MAC-Hs?

According to another board I frequent the troublesome foursome are all stored because of a traffic downturn. Probably the longest they've been without problems in a while!

As of August 6, 2006 CP 9300 is back on the road on one of their usual assignments... see the pic at this link http://railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=154228

W.E.Coyote wrote:

2spot wrote:Any news about the SD90MAC-Hs?

According to another board I frequent the troublesome foursome are all stored because of a traffic downturn. Probably the longest they've been without problems in a while!

I think there in Calgary most of the time.

Its a bad sign that MountainRailway(.com) only has pictures of these four dating from 2001 or 2. This likely means these troublesome brutes have been stored most of the time since then. Ordinarily, this site has pix of about everything CP. For instance, pictures of all 7 GG20Bs were posted before the order was cancelled. Two were frames only and inside Ogden - a secure site.

2spot wrote:Its a bad sign that MountainRailway(.com) only has pictures of these four dating from 2001 or 2. This likely means these troublesome brutes have been stored most of the time since then. Ordinarily, this site has pix of about everything CP. For instance, pictures of all 7 GG20Bs were posted before the order was cancelled. Two were frames only and inside Ogden - a secure site.

just because a website doesn't have any newer photos of a certain locomotive doesn't mean a damn thing. The only time the SD90MAC-H's have been in any long term storage was from January 2006 through the summer of 2006. Aside from that storage period, they have remained active on CP their entire lives with exception for those times when various units are down for mechanical problems or maintainence. The units are assigned to a specific corridor and typcially remain close to the shops due to obvious reliability issues so if you want to get photos of the units you have to go to where they are in service. And with only 4 of the units that makes them harder to come by, even when in somewhat captive service.

Bryan Jones
Brooks,KY

It seems CP assigns the SD90MAC-H's mostly to trains 440/441 between Winnipeg, MB. and Thunder Bay, ON. This keeps them close to the shop in Winnipeg where they are maintained by EMD (warranty). I don't think they roam often.

One of CP's latest issues of "Momentum"(their magazine) features an article on the SD90-MAC-H units. They are described as big, brawny and brutish and they've also had a bunch of breakdowns. http://www.cordovastation.ca/cpMag.htm
Its an interesting read.

I guess it is a good thing that only four units were bought.

Why doesn't CP just sell these engines? UP sold their 6000HP 90MACs to EMD. I saw one of these troublesome CP engines a few years ago in Wisconsin Dells. I forget what number it was.

I'm not sure if CP owns their SD90MAC-H units, but according to a shop worker in Winnipeg (where they are assigned), they are under warranty from GM/EMC, and CP pay's nothing for their repair. They are something like a long-term demo... GM/EMC is using them to iron out the bugs, CP gets to use them whenever they are running. This is what I've heard from a CP employee who repairs them.

To the credit of the shop staff, or CP's insanity, they are often used as single units on Winnipeg to Thunder Bay freights. So when they run, they are good to go it alone (though I sure wouldn't want to one unit blunder with one in the middle of nowhere Northern Ontario in the winter).

If it doesn't cost them anything for the repairs to those 90s, I say keep them.

EJ&ESDM809 wrote:Why doesn't CP just sell these engines? UP sold their 6000HP 90MACs to EMD. I saw one of these troublesome CP engines a few years ago in Wisconsin Dells. I forget what number it was.

UP did not sell the SD90MAC-H's back to EMD, those particular 41 units were on a 5 year lease to the railroad and UP chose to return the units to EMD, simple as that. Up still retains 21 of the Phase I SD90MAC-H's which are covered by a different lease agreement and are more or less provided to the UP for free due to problems and delays with the SD90MAC-H. The CP units will not be going anywhere until the lease agreement expires.

Bryan Jones
Brooks,KY

FWIW, snipped this equipment trace from CPRyahoogruops list (Jan 23/07):

CP 9300 Arr. Kenora,ON Jan.22 at 21:39pm
CP 9301 Arr. Winnipeg,MB January 16
CP 9302 Arr. Bredenbury,SK Jan.22 at 22:26pm
CP 9303 Arr. Wilkie,SK Jan.22 at 17:51pm

Looks like they aren't just running in the Winnipeg 0 Thunder Bay corridor.