Eastern Railroad Discussion > The curious case of the Conrail Dash 8s.

The yard job I've been working lately has had what I'm considering a locomotive oddball. A former CR Dash8-40CW that was built in 10/94...

Now what's so strange about that you ask?

It was built almost a full year after Dash 9 production was started. SP, UP, C&NW, and ATSF had all taken delivery of several Dash9-44CW by then. CN and NS would take their first deliveries just 2 months later.

Mechanically its basically a Dash 9 anyways. Split cooled, 7s1716 turbocharger, EFI fuel system, 197 main alternator, 752AH traction motors (but in the older trucks).

So what gives? Why did CR take multiple deliveries of Dash 8s in 94 of units that are basically Dash 9s anyways?

There was one Conrail C40-8W rebuilt with a Dash9 cab after the major incident in Effingham, IL IIRC it was 6192
Michael T Kerner
Collinsville, IL

Posted from Android

I think CSX took delivery of similar units around the 1993-1994 time frame too. They received 53 CW44-9's that were in a what looked like a Dash 8 car body. If I remember correctly they differed externally from the standard dash 8 by having the thicker split cooling radiators and a larger exhaust stack, but other than that they looked like most other Dash 8's CSX rostered. I remember seeing those Conrail units when they were delivered and I think they looked very similar to and or the same as the CSX units. They were kind of like a Dash 9 stuffed into a Dash 8 car body. I wonder if the Conrail and CSX units were some kind of transition units for GE?

Shawn

At the time CR was taking delivery of this group of Dash-8's GE had already begun to switch over to the Dash-9 standard. This group was supposed to be delivered in 95 which may or may not have been built as Dash-9's but traffic levels forced the order to be delivered in 94 and they came out as Dash-8's with some of the updates found on Dash-9's instead.

Posted from iPhone

Foamductor Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The yard job I've been working lately has had what
> I'm considering a locomotive oddball. A former CR
> Dash8-40CW that was built in 10/94...
>
> Now what's so strange about that you ask?
>
> It was built almost a full year after Dash 9
> production was started. SP, UP, C&NW, and ATSF had
> all taken delivery of several Dash9-44CW by then.
> CN and NS would take their first deliveries just 2
> months later.
>
> Mechanically its basically a Dash 9 anyways. Split
> cooled, 7s1716 turbocharger, EFI fuel system, 197
> main alternator, 752AH traction motors (but in the
> older trucks).
>
> So what gives? Why did CR take multiple deliveries
> of Dash 8s in 94 of units that are basically Dash
> 9s anyways?

Not the only late production Conrail units. Conrail received 30 SD50'S in 1986 after the SD60 was well into production. In fact, NS already had over 100 SD60'S on their property when these were delivered. Then again, after the SD70 was in production, Conrail continued to buy SD60'S. The newest was built three years after the start of SD70 production.

Posted from Android



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/18/17 18:29 by NYSWSD70M.

They were probably ordered the way that they were for parts standardization reasons. The last order of Dash8-40CW locomotives, and the order of SD60I locomotives meant that the important mechanical and electric parts matched the previous batches and so enabled a smaller and less expensive parts stock. Also the Mechanical department probably was aware that these would be the last locomotives would be equipped to Conrail specifications.

SOO6617 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Also the Mechanical department probably was
> aware that these would be the last locomotives
> would be equipped to Conrail specifications.

Only if they were speculating in a really forward-thinking way. CSX did not make its formal bid for Conrail until October 1996.

SOO6617 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> They were probably ordered the way that they were
> for parts standardization reasons. The last order
> of Dash8-40CW locomotives, and the order of SD60I
> locomotives meant that the important mechanical
> and electric parts matched the previous batches
> and so enabled a smaller and less expensive parts
> stock. Also the Mechanical department probably was
> aware that these would be the last locomotives
> would be equipped to Conrail specifications.

Even the SD60M's overlapped early SD70 production. Because of Conrail, both CSX and NS have SD60'S that are newer than some of their SD70'S.

The last new Conrail locomotives were the 30 SD80Mac's with 28 more on order and a letter of intent for over 100.

Posted from Android

The thing that puzzles me is the amount of Dash 9 guts that are in these things, like I said earlier why not just get Dash 9s. It appears that basically the only things Dash 8 on these are a pair of blowers (and the choppers to run those blowers), carbody and trucks.

As for the SD60 those I can see as being parts similar to earlier units. But even they have a fair amount of hardware that was only ever found on CR units. As far as I know, CR was the only railroad to get any EMD 60 series with ICE. (The last of the SD60M, and all of the SD60I)


NYSWSD70M Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> SOO6617 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > They were probably ordered the way that they
> were
> > for parts standardization reasons. The last
> order
> > of Dash8-40CW locomotives, and the order of
> SD60I
> > locomotives meant that the important mechanical
> > and electric parts matched the previous batches
> > and so enabled a smaller and less expensive
> parts
> > stock. Also the Mechanical department probably
> was
> > aware that these would be the last locomotives
> > would be equipped to Conrail specifications.
>
> Even the SD60M's overlapped early SD70 production.
> Because of Conrail, both CSX and NS have SD60'S
> that are newer than some of their SD70'S.
>
> The last new Conrail locomotives were the 30
> SD80Mac's with 28 more on order and a letter of
> intent for over 100.
>
> Posted from Android

Foamductor Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The thing that puzzles me is the amount of Dash 9
> guts that are in these things, like I said earlier
> why not just get Dash 9s. It appears that
> basically the only things Dash 8 on these are a
> pair of blowers (and the choppers to run those
> blowers), carbody and trucks.
>
> As for the SD60 those I can see as being parts
> similar to earlier units. But even they have a
> fair amount of hardware that was only ever found
> on CR units. As far as I know, CR was the only
> railroad to get any EMD 60 series with ICE. (The
> last of the SD60M, and all of the SD60I)
>

I agree completely.  Like the old component(s) all you want, they are phased out for a reason.  Even if the reason is bad. sooner or later, the supplier will stop supporting them.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/20/17 12:52 by NYSWSD70M.