Eastern Railroad Discussion > NS SD70ACU helpers on borrowed time??

For the past several years, NS SD70ACu's have been the primary helper power out of Altoona on the NS Pittsburgh Line, replacing SD40E's in that duty.

However, recently NS has installed helperlink (which allows helpers to cut away on the fly)onto a pair of NS SD70ACe's and placed that set into helper service on the mountain.

SD70ACU helpers are equipped with helper link as were the SD40E helpers prior to that.

I caught the 1024/1025 set at Gallitzin this morning after it had cut away from the rear of a Westbound NS 39G.

The set then went around the loop from UN to AR at Gallitzin and headed light back down the mountain to Altoona.

Time will tell whether the SD70ACu's eventually get replaced by 70ACe's in helper service.

Dave Williams



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/03/25 14:58 by dwi189.

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Were the SD70acu locomotives the one's rebuilt by Progress and NS from former SD90mac's?

If so, I thought these were all in storage/scrapped because the prime mover itself wasn't rebuilt which resulted in many road failures?

Thank you for any info.

Ticeska Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Were the SD70acu locomotives the one's rebuilt by
> Progress and NS from former SD90mac's?
>
> If so, I thought these were all in
> storage/scrapped because the prime mover itself
> wasn't rebuilt which resulted in many road
> failures?
>
> Thank you for any info.

Yes...those were the units rebuilt from former UP and Indiana Railroad 90-43 MACS.

NS sold off a bunch of these but kept 46 or so. They use some of them in local coal duty out of South Fork, PA as well after getting rid of the SD80MACS several years ago.

Dave W.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/03/25 11:04 by dwi189.

I fail to understand the logic here.  If NS is INSTALLING Helperlink on them, why are they in danger of being retired? That would indicate to me that they are replacing the SD40E''s.

PRR1361 Wrote:
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> I fail to understand the logic here.  If NS is
> INSTALLING Helperlink on them, why are they in
> danger of being retired? That would indicate to me
> that they are replacing the SD40E''s.

The current helpers are SD70ACU's which are rebuilt from former UP SD90-43 MACS.

NS once rostered more than a hundred of these SD70ACu's but have since sold all but 45 of them and 17 of those 45 are listed as currently stored.

The two units that have been added to the helper fleet are as-built SD70ACe's.

Dave W.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/03/25 14:09 by dwi189.

You missed a step. The SD70ACUs had Helper Link installed and replaced the SD40Es in helper service. Now a pair of SD70ACes has had Helper Link installed and may replace the current SD70ACUs in Helper service.

SD40Es are long gone from Helper service and now on the local power pool across the system.

Posted from Android

Not you, Dave. Sorry...we were typing at the same time. I was replying to prr1361.

Posted from Android

ShortlinesUSA Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Not you, Dave. Sorry...we were typing at the same
> time. I was replying to prr1361.
>
> Posted from Android


Oh ok, I misunderstood...I deleted my reply ...Dave W.

Maybe it’s just me, but, between the SD60E’s, the SD70ACU’s & the SD70ACC’s, it seems as if the EMD side of NS’s rebuild program hasn’t gone well. Waiting to see how the SD70M-2 rebuilds go. I think two of those are out & about IIRC. And for the record, EMD’s are my favorite as a railfan.

Posted from iPhone

The pair of ACEs is just something that is being tried. Many are not real happy with the ACUs for various reasons.

Stay tuned....

Posted from Android

reelsmooth Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Maybe it’s just me, but, between the SD60E’s,
> the SD70ACU’s & the SD70ACC’s, it seems as if
> the EMD side of NS’s rebuild program hasn’t
> gone well. Waiting to see how the SD70M-2 rebuilds
> go. I think two of those are out & about IIRC. And
> for the record, EMD’s are my favorite as a
> railfan.
>
> Posted from iPhone

EMD's historically had the goods....not so much these days....Give me six GP40's and I can pull the world....but they are in Remote control yard service so I will have to use GE's.

ns1000 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The pair of ACEs is just something that is being
> tried. Many are not real happy with the ACUs for
> various reasons.
>
> Stay tuned....
>
> Posted from Android

I wonder how CP's SD70acu rebuilds are performing compared to NS rebuilds?  IIRC on here, someone pointed out that the CP rebuilds were a complete rebuild (including prime mover and electrical), but NS' were only a partial rebuild?

Ticeska Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ns1000 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > The pair of ACEs is just something that is
> being
> > tried. Many are not real happy with the ACUs
> for
> > various reasons.
> >
> > Stay tuned....
> >
> > Posted from Android
>
> I wonder how CP's SD70acu rebuilds are performing
> compared to NS rebuilds?  IIRC on here, someone
> pointed out that the CP rebuilds were a complete
> rebuild (including prime mover and electrical),
> but NS' were only a partial rebuild?


Yes, I don't think that many of the NS 70ACu's received full rebuilds.

Dave W

What does the “U” stand for? What’s the difference if both are SD70 AC locomotives? Just want to understand what the differences are. Thanks

Posted from iPhone

JOHNY5ALIVE Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> What does the “U” stand for? What’s the
> difference if both are SD70 AC locomotives? Just
> want to understand what the differences are.
> Thanks
>
> Posted from iPhone

U is for upgraded.

The SD70ACu's were rebuilt from former UP, CIT, and Indiana RR SD90-43 locomotives. These originally had 4300 HP diesel prime movers installed instead of the intended 6,000 HP units. The plan was to eventually replace the 4300 HP prime movers with 6,000 HP prime movers during UP ownership which did not happen.

The SD70ACe's were built new.

Dave W.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 07/05/25 06:56 by dwi189.

Thank you

Posted from iPhone

dwi189 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Ticeska Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > ns1000 Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > The pair of ACEs is just something that is
> > being
> > > tried. Many are not real happy with the ACUs
> > for
> > > various reasons.
> > >
> > > Stay tuned....
> > >
> > > Posted from Android
> >
> > I wonder how CP's SD70acu rebuilds are
> performing
> > compared to NS rebuilds?  IIRC on here,
> someone
> > pointed out that the CP rebuilds were a
> complete
> > rebuild (including prime mover and electrical),
> > but NS' were only a partial rebuild?
>
>
> Yes, I don't think that many of the NS 70ACu's
> received full rebuilds.
>
> Dave W

They didn't.  Someone at NS made the decision to use "qualified" components in many cases.  Things like the diesel engine, the alternator, traction motors, compressors were reused without rebuilding if deemed "OK".  This contributed to a very high and premature failure rate.  All that money spent on a new electrical cabinet and operators cab was wasted on an partial upgrade.

This is why we would not accept a spec when I was at MK for this kind of work.  With rare exception, we either did a complete rebuild or passed on the job.  It never works out to the satisfaction of the customer.  And the firm preforming the work get's a black eye.  These locomotives were needlessly retired early because of this decision.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/06/25 12:27 by NYSWSD70M.

NYSWSD70M Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> dwi189 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Ticeska Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > ns1000 Wrote:
> > >
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> >
> > > -----
> > > > The pair of ACEs is just something that is
> > > being
> > > > tried. Many are not real happy with the
> ACUs
> > > for
> > > > various reasons.
> > > >
> > > > Stay tuned....
> > > >
> > > > Posted from Android
> > >
> > > I wonder how CP's SD70acu rebuilds are
> > performing
> > > compared to NS rebuilds?  IIRC on here,
> > someone
> > > pointed out that the CP rebuilds were a
> > complete
> > > rebuild (including prime mover and
> electrical),
> > > but NS' were only a partial rebuild?
> >
> >
> > Yes, I don't think that many of the NS 70ACu's
> > received full rebuilds.
> >
> > Dave W
>
> They didn't.  Someone at NS made the decision to
> use "qualified" components in many cases.  Things
> like the diesel engine, the alternator, traction
> motors, compressors were reused without rebuilding
> if deemed "OK".  This contributed to a very high
> and premature failure rate.  All that money spent
> on a new electrical cabinet and operators cab was
> wasted on an partial upgrade.
>
> This is why we would not accept a spec when I was
> at MK for this kind of work.  With rare
> exception, we either did a complete rebuild or
> passed on the job.  It never works out to the
> satisfaction of the customer.  And the firm
> preforming the work get's a black eye.  These
> locomotives were needlessly retired early because
> of this decision.

Never made sense to me (other than the at the time regime being cheap). Basically getting a locomotive equivlent to an SD70ACE for like.. iunno, half? A third? the price and they blew it.