Western Railroad Discussion > SD-60 Longetivity

Since we're all talking about the SD40-2 loco fleet on the verge of disappearing off class 1 rails, what about the SD-60 fleet that every railroad (except, of course ATSF which went for GE locomotives, and SP which was too poor for anything by then) --

Many of them are coming up on 15 years of age, meaning time to return to lessors and/or major rebuild (of which no class 1 railroad does anymore except Norfolk Southern, and most of the big rebuild companies are either quiet or non-existant anymore)...???

Are the class 1s going to run them until they are junk, keep overhauling them until they can't be overhauled anymore (see above), or start a big rebuild program?

Can't speak on other carriers, but UP is returning all former CNW SD60's to the lessor. It's kind of sad to see at Bailey yard, because they're just sitting dead with a fresh red stripe through the unit number and UP lettering.

AaronJ

To some extent it depends on how they were acquired.
The C&NW units were acquired on a long term lease. UP
refused to buy them at the price the lessor quoted them and returned them at the end of the lease. The BNSF recently renewed the leases on the 100 former Oakway SD60 units for 7 years (half of the fleet) and
10 years (the other half of the fleet). The 5 former
Soo Line SD60M have recently been noted as having stickers certifying that they now meet EPA Tier 0 Emissions following overhaul by GE at St. Paul, MN.
The 58 standard cab SD60 are leased by Soo Line and are tentively scheduled for return to their lessors
beginning next year.

CN just signed a major deal with GM a couple months back for GM to provide major overhauls to all of CN's 710 engined units (63 SD60F, 26 SD70I, 173 SD75I).
As for the SD60's specifically, the original fleet of 64 was reduced by one wreck retired unit back in 1994, but no others have been retired, and I wouldn't expect to see any more go, barring any more wrecked ones. Of course, CN's 60 unit fleet of SD50F's is still completely intact, and the SD40-2W fleet (123 units built between 1975 and 1980) is currently at 120, with three wrecked.

Mark

Mark

the deal that CN signed with EMD for 710 engines also covers the IC SD70's 1000 to 1039.

Of course, of course. Forgot about the spartan cabs...:-)

Mark