Nostalgia & History > Thow back Thursday, CR or MKT?

.   .   .   in JUN '84 a southbound MKT train near Denton, TX, had a CR (former?) leader. Leased? Bought but not yet lettered?
JB

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EMD messed up with Conrail's GP38's. From what I was told from my good friend and RFE, when their leases were up, Conrail wanted to keep them, but EMD said no, they wanted them for their lease fleet. Conrail was pissed and went to GE and bought all kinds of their engines to punish EMD. So that ex-CR on the point is more than likely from EMD's lease fleet.

Katy had a bunch of ex Contrail GP38's and GP40's in this time period.

They leased the 38's from EMD and purchased the 40's outright.

Joe, I'm going to say leased.  This entire group of 100 former Penn Central GP38-2s (PC 7940-8039 built 5-8/72 on EMD order 7354) went into the EMD lease fleet as EMDX 740-839.  Many later went to UP and/or LLPX.  None actually became MKT units.  I think this one is now Great Lakes Central 395.  More here: http://www.trainweb.org/emdloco/7354.htm

mike woodruff
north platte ne

According to data I found on the Utah Rails site, CR 7950 was a Conrail locomotive in JB's photo.  7950 and siblings were not returned to EMD until 1987.

"Built as part of a 100-unit group for Penn Central; to Conrail in 1976; all 100 units (CR 7940-8039) were returned on demand to lessor/owner EMD on 15 July 1987; used by EMD as part of national lease fleet; renumbered to EMD 700 and 800 series numbers by dropping second digit (either 9 or 0) of PC/CR road number, i.e. CR 7940 became EMD 740, and CR 8035 became EMD 835."

https://utahrails.net/up-diesel-roster/up-diesel-roster-12.php#gp38-2-410

Matthew

Gordon1950 Wrote:
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> EMD messed up with Conrail's GP38's. From what I
> was told from my good friend and RFE, when their
> leases were up, Conrail wanted to keep them, but
> EMD said no, they wanted them for their lease
> fleet. Conrail was pissed and went to GE and
> bought all kinds of their engines to punish EMD.
> So that ex-CR on the point is more than likely
> from EMD's lease fleet.

Basically correct with one exception.  The units were actually PC's first order for 100 GP38-2's.  Conrail was upset with EMD as they had expected to buy them at the end of the lease.  Conrail had been turning in units since the recession hit in 1979 and I expect that EMD assumed these would be returned as well.  Hundreds of GE's, Alco's and GP38's and GP40's had been returned.

Conrail was both surprised and upset.  The result was one order - the 1988 built 30 unit  order for B40-8's was given to GE.  In 1989, order was split between GE (25 C40-8's) and EMD (25 SD60's) so they certainly "got over it".  The 1990 order for 100 C40-8W's was a result of Dick Sanborns brief time as Chairman.  Conrail mechanical told me they were against this order.  They felt that it was a mistake both politically and mechanically and did get 50 of the units delayed until 1991.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/06/25 10:03 by NYSWSD70M.