Eastern Railroad Discussion > GE's going north on Interstate 71!

...well, sort of, anyway. While driving from Houston, TX to Pittsburgh, PA in July, 2003, I came across these radiator assemblies headed to, I guess, Erie,PA for some new dash 9's. Needless to say, I and my son (who also railfans) were quite supprised to see this! Interstate 71 north between Louisville and Cincinatti.


SantaFeRuss

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Probably take I-71 north to Cleveland, then hop on I-90 to Erie...

Does this mean that the older Dash-9 and AC4400 radiator assemblies are no longer fabricated in Erie?

>>MC

They have been doing this for years.I-71 to I-271 to I-90 then I-79 to 12th street in Erie.
Joe

See them every time I go visit friends outside of Akron. Seems to be a very common thing. I thought it was retty cool the first time I saw it too.

Used to see 80 and 90MAC hoods going east on I-94 across Michigan quite often. When they started building the SD70's in London you'd see those long hoods too.

Always thought that would make an interesting load for a Model Railroad flatbed semi. Give you a use for all those old hoods from kitbashing projects you have laying around.

Practice Safe CSX

CSX_CO Wrote:
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> Used to see 80 and 90MAC hoods going east on I-94
> across Michigan quite often. When they started
> building the SD70's in London you'd see those long
> hoods too.
>
> Always thought that would make an interesting load
> for a Model Railroad flatbed semi. Give you a use
> for all those old hoods from kitbashing projects
> you have laying around.
>
> Practice Safe CSX

EMD uses, or at least used to use, Super Steel in Milwaukee for
long hood production. The first DC SD70 series units I saw were
long hoods bound for London on flat beds on I-94 in Milwaukee.

I also did see a pair of GE fuel tanks on flat beds running
through eastern KY on I-64, during production of either Dash 8's
or 9's.

NSTopHat

Yeah, in 95, I was driving about 60 miles from college to work in the
afternoon on I-94, and saw hoods almost every day. One day I managed
to catch one at a rest area, so I turned around at the next exit, came
back and shot it. It was an export unit, so the hood looked completely
different than the normal SD70MAC hoods I normally saw. Also came up
behind one once that looked like a GP38 hood. I'm guessing they don't
ship them in from Milwaukee any more, as I haven't seen a hood in
several years.

It's a great statement on how cheap, quick and reliable railroad freight transportation is. Of course you see axles, trucks and other components shipped by truck.

tq-07fan Wrote:
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> It's a great statement on how cheap, quick and
> reliable railroad freight transportation is. Of
> course you see axles, trucks and other components
> shipped by truck.


I see railraod parts on semis all the time in Cincinnati. It boggles my mind.

Where are these hood sections fabricated?
The reason I ask is I saw a load of radiator sections eastbound on I-40 east of Memphis back in April. I was westbound. I thought I was seeing things as it zipped by.
Mike

lapklub Wrote:
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> Where are these hood sections fabricated?


Mexico

Yes, the Tanks and Radiator sections come out of Mexico, North on I-35 from Laredo through San Antonio and Austin where I see these often.

tq-07fan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It's a great statement on how cheap, quick and
> reliable railroad freight transportation is. Of
> course you see axles, trucks and other components
> shipped by truck.

I've seen truck assemblies shipped by rail, in addition to a few other various parts.

Its quite possible that the place fabricating the materials, doesn't have rail access too. Why bother loading it onto a semi, to load it onto a railroad car, to off load it in GE in Erie? Just load it onto a semi and 12 hrs later it can be in Erie.

Most anything anymore is made and supplied by outside suppliers. Put it on a semi and the place ordering it can get it quickly.

Its more of a comment on "Just in Time Delivery" than on the reliablity of freight trains.

Practice Safe CSX