Western Railroad Discussion > BNSF Dash8-40CWs going to Galveston.

With almost as many engines as cars the TPLGAT(Temple, TX-Galveston, TX) manifest is SB about 8 miles south of Temple, TX on the BNSF
Galveston Sub.

BNSF ES44DC and BNSF SD70ACe 9371 lead 8 Dash8-40CWs to Galveston for disposition.  I guess they are sold to overseas.  Does anybody know?

The eight Dash8s were 896,887,912,875,876,886,878, and898.

Rady Lundgren
Elgin, TX








 

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Maybe Scrapping, I caught that same power on a short HKCKTPL going through Cleburne a couple days ago.

There is no scrapping facilities in Galveston. But there is a yard with enough space to store them. (By the salt water!) Maybe the plan is fto see how long before they turn to rust.

RickL

Are they owwned by the railroad or are they off lease?
RB

up833 Wrote:
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> Are they owwned by the railroad or are they off
> lease?

All owned.

There are a couple dozen gensets down at the port with the Dash 8's as well

RickL Wrote:
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> There is no scrapping facilities in Galveston. But
> there is a yard with enough space to store them.
> (By the salt water!) Maybe the plan is fto see how
> long before they turn to rust.
>
> RickL

You can scrap a locomotive on just about any siding that has truck access on both sides.
No special equipment other then some cutting torches and a crane is needed.

Thanks for the list of the Dash 8's, much appreciated!

Nick Tharalson,
Marion, IA

PHall Wrote:
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> RickL Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > There is no scrapping facilities in Galveston.
> But
> > there is a yard with enough space to store
> them.
> > (By the salt water!) Maybe the plan is fto see
> how
> > long before they turn to rust.
> >
> > RickL
>
> You can scrap a locomotive on just about any
> siding that has truck access on both sides.
> No special equipment other then some cutting
> torches and a crane is needed.

Absolutely you can, but why would you move them halfway across the country first? That move can't be cheap.

DevalDragon Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> PHall Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > RickL Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > There is no scrapping facilities in
> Galveston.
> > But
> > > there is a yard with enough space to store
> > them.
> > > (By the salt water!) Maybe the plan is fto
> see
> > how
> > > long before they turn to rust.
> > >
> > > RickL
> >
> > You can scrap a locomotive on just about any
> > siding that has truck access on both sides.
> > No special equipment other then some cutting
> > torches and a crane is needed.
>
> Absolutely you can, but why would you move them
> halfway across the country first? That move can't
> be cheap.

Because that's where the buyer is?

Yes you can scrap almost anywhere but I'd bet against Galveston, especially after Hurricane Ike..The yard is visible from the cruise ship terminal. They don't even allow rail car storage there anymore. Scrapping would be done near the Port of Houston or Texas City. It wouldn't make any sense take all those locomotives to Galveston where there is no labor force, and no facility with the right lifting capacity and a mud and gravel base in the yard. But anything is possible.
RickL

I'm guessing here, but possibly sold to Brazil or Argentina. MRS is on the hunt for power to replace the old U-boat and C30 rebuilds and they can't afford newer power. Argentina is also in dire need on some lines (but I'm not sure they can take the axle loads, so less likely)

Wish I could @pedrop and get him here to weigh in, so I'll just PM him and see if he's got info

RickL Wrote:
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> Yes you can scrap almost anywhere but I'd bet
> against Galveston, especially after Hurricane
> Ike..The yard is visible from the cruise ship
> terminal. They don't even allow rail car storage
> there anymore. Scrapping would be done near the
> Port of Houston or Texas City. It wouldn't make
> any sense take all those locomotives to Galveston
> where there is no labor force, and no facility
> with the right lifting capacity and a mud and
> gravel base in the yard. But anything is
> possible.
> RickL

Hi, I can not imagine these engine coming to Brazil nowadays since the the big companies like VLI, MRS and Vale are buying new units from the factories here. Vale upgraded its Dash 8 fleet to Dash 9 a few years ago. I do not know how much did it cost, but the units are very nice now. Yesterday I saw one here in town.

MRS is buying more and more AC44i's each year and selling the old C44's to Vale north system EFC railroad. Vale has new mines there and also ordered more 15 ES58ACe's and possibly the same amount of SD80ACe's. Vale intend to standardize that railroad as 6000 HP user only, but the need of locomotives forced it to buy C44's from MRS.

Rumo railroad also buys more and more AC44i's and is scrapping the old C30 family bought as second hand units in US. It also ordered an SD80ACe demonstrator and five SD70ACe to test in its new tracks of FNS railroad. Rumo is GE operator only and ordered 200 AC44i to operate FNS, a new railroad that it got the rights to operate in a auction last year.

VLI only buy new EMD's these days. Its FNS line is standized as EMD units only. The only two AC44i's there works as yard switchers.

Small operator here do not have money to convert these old Dash 8 to narrow or broad gauge. Maybe Progress Rail could buy them to rent here, but at this moment PR is retiring part of the fleet od BB40-3's and upgrading its fleet if SD40's to Dash 3. Strange, but it is what is happening at PR shops.

This year will be special for the railroad business here. Three new railroads will be offered in a auction by the government. One is under construction and two will start soon. Many international groups are interested in operate these new tracks, like chinese and european groups and also north american groups like Genesse & Wyoming. So, we wiĺl need many locomotives to these new tracks and start with Dash 8 units until GE and EMD can supply new power can be a good deal. Let's see what we will have in a near future.


Posted from Android

Pedro Rezende
Vespasiano MG,
https://youtube.com/c/minasgeraisrailways1



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/22/20 14:54 by pedrop.

are the engines good for other applications?

dan Wrote:
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> are the engines good for other applications?

Yes, artificial reefs.