What problems did EMD incur with the SD-70 as I don’t believe very many were sold and most are out of service
None, really. The SD70 was sort of a special request by NS who wanted to stick with standard cabs and wasn’t originally in the catalogue. Conrail’s units were built with the understanding that they would become NS’s in the split. Apparently SPCC and IC picked the model up after NS requested it.
SPCCs and IC (now CN’s) are still in everyday service, as are some of NS’s. However they are aging and NS has pulled many out of service for potential rebuilds in the manner of their SD60Es.
If you consider the wide-nose version(SD70M) then nearly 2,000 were built.
Isn’t the plan that they have in mind more in line with what they’re doing to the C40-9’s right now? New widecabs and a conversion to AC traction is what I thought I saw for Norfolk Southern’s plans for the DC motored SD70 fleet.
Probably; I was short on time and simply posted from memory. The great irony is that EMD had to make a lot of modifications to the standard cab to make it work with the SD70 (most obvious is the bulge on the right side of the short hood) only to have a widecab installed on at least some.
Why did some SD70’s have flared radiators (like an SD45) and others didn’t? Thanks.
The flared radiators were added to late-production SD70Ms and SD70MACs to make them Tier-1 compliant.
Should probably address that other comment by the OP, most aren’t out of service, infact I believe the only SD70 and variant retirements have been wrecks.
Thanks for the quick response.