Motive power news

Motive Power News is back after a long hiatus! Remember, a column can only be as good as its contributors. Just about any item can be newsworthy under certain circumstances, whether it is a sighting of a brand-new locomotive or the most recent disposition of a C&O alumni locomotive.

Photos are welcomed. Black-and-white prints are still best, but good quality glossy color prints are also usable. At present, color slides can only be used when a color print is made first, but this will change in the near future. Please send any news items to Jerry Doyle at the address or e-mail noted above.

Thanks to Kenneth Borg, Greig Goodall, John Krattinger from the Conrail Technical Society, Greg McDowell, Jesse Smith, Jeff Yoder, and Everett Young for help with the information in this column.

ASSIMILATING THE CONRAIL FLEET

The biggest news in recent months is the integration of CSX's share of the Conrail (CR) locomotive roster. The June 1 breakup date found no Conrail units renumbered for CSX, only for NS.

CR locomotives going to CSX are not receiving "NYC" reporting marks as have other rolling stock. Instead, they receive "CSXT" stencils just as with the original CSX consolidation. Reportedly, units going to CSX are being renumbered as they come due for their quarterly inspections. The units will not be repainted until they are due for heavy shop work. Conrail units have been renumbered at a good clip with more than 500 units done by September 1. Unexpectedly, the renumbered units have received yellow reflective numbers which make them easy to spot.

CONRAIL REPAINTS

The first ex-Conrail unit to receive CSX paint was 5525, which is now 8767. It emerged from the Huntington Locomotive Shops on June 16. Member Jesse Smith reported seeing it heading east from Huntington, West Virginia, on that day. Among the first CR units to be repainted into CSX have been a number of CW40-8 and SD60M units. Here is a list of the first units to be painted: SD80AC: 801; CW40-8: 7320, 7327, 7328, 7330, 7332, 7338, 7339, 7342, 7344, 7346, 7347, 7352; C32-8: 7479; SD50: 8677; SD601: 8742; SD60M: 8759, 8762, 8763, 8767, 8768, 8769, 8770; SD40-2: 8827. CSXT 801, ex-Conrail SD80MAC 4104, was seen at the Huntington Locomotive Shops in fresh CSX paint. It was released for service on September 1 in the standard CSX paint scheme, lacking even the distinctive lightning bolts that all other AC units wear.

NEW POWER

Currently CSX is taking delivery of more AC6000's from GE. Eventually they will be numbered from 600-699 and 5000-5012. Units 654-656 and 658 were on the system by mid-September. There are reports that the next order of SD70MAC's from General Motors Locomotive Group (GMLG) is being built. Originally it was planned that they would be numbered 740-789 behind the ex-Conrail units. Instead they are to be numbered 725-774. The Conrail units will now be numbered 775-789.

There has been much speculation about the acquisition of Conrail E-units 4020 and 4022, and their role on CSX. Previously, they had pulled inspection trains and other specials for Conrail.

Unexpectedly, CSX has acquired two Amtrak F40PH's to perform similar duties. Amtrak units 390 and 395 were completely repainted in standard CSX colors in mid-July and renumbered 9992 and 9993. The impact this acquisition will have on the two E-units and the remaining two CSX F-units remains to be seen. As of September the E's and F's remained stored at Huntington.

Readers may be aware that CSX rebuilt two SD45-2 units, 8971 and 8973, and in the process, replacing their 20-cylinder prime movers with 16-cylinder models. Once back in service they were renumbered as SD40-2's becoming 8262 and 8263. Since then they have been renumbered as yard engines 2422 and 2423. Conrail also experimented with such modifications on some units. One of these is the 6661 which has been renumbered 8886 with other ex-CR SD40-2s. The 6663 was seen recently at Huntington also with a 16-cylinder engine. Engine CSXT 7812 has been repainted into standard CSX colors. The 7812 previously wore a special scheme left from its duties as the lead unit in President Bush's 1992 campaign train.

- Jesse Smith

Norfolk Southern got started on their share of Conrail units on March 12, 1999, when CR 6715 was renumbered to PRR 5409. Norfolk Southern has stated it expects to have all of its ex-Conrail units repainted within five years. The first Conrail unit to be painted into NS was C40-8 6083, which was painted at Chattanooga and emerged as NS 8334 but still carrying PRR initials on the cab.

SATELLITE TRACKING FOR CSXT ROSTER

CSX Transportation is equipping approximately 2,800 road locomotives with a Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) tracking system. Harris Railway Electronics, L.L.C. will supply and support its "Pinpoint" tracking system for the CSXT fleet. The system consists of an onboard computer, satellite transceiver, locomotive interface electronics, power system in the locomotive cab, and an antenna array on top of the locomotive. In a test program, CSX chose at random 25 CW40-8s.