Western Railroad Discussion > who is the best locomotive rebuilder?

Always curious as to who is considered better. However, many rebuilders have botched things. Thanks!

The ex-IC at Paducah and the MPI both have many rebuilt units still operational. That is if post rebuild longevity is a meaningful component of best. 
—Mac

Would think that the NS Altoona Shops would get a mention

Bob

Looking at the other end of the spectrum, we have had nothing but lackluster performance from locomotives from Larry's. They might paint them up nice, but mechanically, they have left a lot to be desired.

If your going by longevity, Morrison Knudsen has 40 plus year rebuilds still in service.

And how about Cleburne Tx. Rebuilds? I'm sure a few CF-7s are still running......ugly or not!

irhoghead Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Looking at the other end of the spectrum, we have
> had nothing but lackluster performance from
> locomotives from Larry's. They might paint them up
> nice, but mechanically, they have left a lot to be
> desired.


No surprise as LTEX is where the term "rent a wreck" comes from.

Well it runs, doesn't it?

Out

callum_out Wrote:
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> Well it runs, doesn't it?
>
> Out

I know a railroad that recently got an engine from them, that did NOT run, and they had to fix it on their dime...for a supposedly ready to go engine.. 

Historiclly MK was the best.  They did a lot of impressive rebuilds going back to the 1970's and really hit their stride in the late 80's and early 90's. But then got overly ambitious and lost thier shirt. Think of the failed MK5000 locomotives.

Among the MK rebuilds that I can think of.
Weyerhaeuser/ OC&E Rebuilt U25B's and Slugs
SP TEBU slugs
St Maries River RR GP9M's and SW1200M's for Potlatch
Sulzer engine repowers for SP and UP, experimental, but ultimately not successful
BN GP20C
BN GP40M
BN GP39M (rebuilt from G30's and 35's)
SP GP40M
SP SD40M-2
MK SD40M-2 lease fleet (rebuilt SD40 and SD45 locomotives)
Florida Tri-Rail F40PHL-2  cool looking, like a F40PH with teardrop windows
 

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR

callum_out Wrote:
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> Well it runs, doesn't it?
>
> Out

Maybe for a day or two once it gets on the property. Then, if you didn't get the maintenance contract with it, you are usually in for a rude awakening.

MK did the PA's for the D&H



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/10/22 17:49 by alco244.

gee whiz............ and I thought sure it would be Tyco...

DevalDragon Wrote:
> irhoghead Wrote:

> > Looking at the other end of the spectrum, we have
> > had nothing but lackluster performance from
> > locomotives from Larry's. They might paint them up
> > nice, but mechanically, they have left a lot to be
> > desired.
>
> No surprise as LTEX is where the term "rent a wreck" comes from.

I know you're not being literal - "rent a wreck" predates LTEX Rail by quite a bit (hello, Precision National) - but it raises another point.  Is Larry's really a "locomotive rebuilder" in the sense that MK, VMV-Paducah, or railroad shops like Cleburne and Altoona were/are?  Those last four took on large scale rebuild/upgrade programs of fleets of locomotives.  My sense is that Larry's is mostly just a leasing outfit that maybe refurbishes locomotives in-kind, one at a time, before sending them out into the field, but not a rebuild center that a railroad would contract for two dozen deturbocharged GP35's or a small army of SD45's with 4 cylinders sawed off their engine blocks.

Been on a few Alstom rebuilds and they were pretty good. 

I seem to remember that "rent a wreck" (at least as it applied to locomotives) originated with Helm in the 1980's, and may have started with some former SP units that had come off long term finance leases, and were then leased back to SP on short term operating leases.  But I think some (very) low end car rental companies used it prior to that.

JBWX



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/11/22 21:06 by jbwest.