Storing the P40’s had nothing to do with reliability, The P40’s were due for major overhaul(scheduled) and were set aside because of cancelation of Mail and Express, since they were oldest units and slightly lower power they ended up to be mothballed…
Several units were overhauled for Auto train service, 8 of these will come to MNCR/CDOT.
The FL9ac’s were not a succes and have been out of use for about 5 years now, several of these are in the scrap line and two have been partialy cut up. only 2043 will remain as shop power, hep supply for winter to keep cars hot.
The longevity of FL9 was not due to being a EMD product but simple fact of keeping them going with duct tape and bailing wire, because they were only engine fitting into park avenue tunnel.
If any newer engines would have fitted in late 70’s the FL9’s would have been gone a lot sooner.
the cost of endless rebullds on a 1959 engine frame was a lot more than a new engine would have cost. The cost of polution with 1959 locomotive blocks is just another matter, todays engines put out half those polutants
Your saying two different things here, first , if the engines were due major scheduled overhaul there is a reliability problem that would require major shopping. My experience with GE locomotives is that if you skip programmed maintenence your are asking for trouble.
Randy