I have read on many of the posts the problems with SD90s. I was curious if these problems are on the H motored units or both Hs and 9043s. If there are problems with the latter what are they. Are they not just bigger chassied versions of the SD70MAC. Just curious for some info from those in the know…Any info Randy?
A source from UP told me that the UP has given up on the 90mac. The H engine was always at VMV for mods. The problems have gotten better but the MTBF #s are still not impressive for new locomotives. UP is depending on thier fleet of sd70m’s. UP was very specific as to the features of the SD70s , I really think that mechanical dept employees had alot to say . Only the technology that really works will be included. Wise move.
Randy
Yea , the 9043s are quite a bit better but they still have their problems. the cab electronics are a big issue, the EPIC air and electronic air brakes are a problem. UP made sure that the SD70ms had none of these. A friend who was working at VMV related a litany of nightmarish problems with the Siemens traction system and the problems with inter computer communications. I think most of these problems have been worked out of these locomotives in the last few years.
Randy
What CP think of their SD90s?
I think the SD9043s have the larger traction motors of the SD80s, not the smaller ones of the SD70MACs. Don’t know if inverters might be higher capcy, too.
As an aside, if Conrail had not been split, you might have seen quite a fleet of SD80MACs by now. They were a good fit for Conrail, particularly the Pittsburgh line and they haven’t had any of the engine woes of their 6000 HP cousins.
The WC borrowed 10 sd80macs for testing DPU on the Minorca ore trains. We could not keep them running. The EMD rep was on the property and was busy throwing parts at the locomotives . I was not impressed with the 80 mac . those engines failed more than our 30 year old SD45s. I wonder what ever happened to them ?
Randy
Has UP liked the reliability of their AC6000CW’s?
Randy-
What was the problem? I know the EFI system was pretty lousy - they were the one of the 1st with the system. I talked to an NS mechanical guy out of Conway last winter and he said they had been behaving themselves lately. There’s only 17 of them on NS and they are basically in mine run service now - kind of a waste of HP.
The fuel injection system was a problem < but mostly it was Phase module and loading problems. lots of crowbars.
Randy
I remember seening those units running along the WC. Great looking units though. Was WC ever thinking about buying any new units like that or any at all?
Randy,
Do the SD70MACs have the same cab/control electronics as the SD9043s? And if not why did EMD use different unless it had to do with the possibility of conversion to the H motor at some point?
Wasn’t CNW close to buying SD80s until the assimilitaion by UP.
I for one thing I did not like the SD80MAC nor the SD90MAC.
The SD80&90MAC’s are nothing but a nightmare to the RR’s.
I think that the SD70MAC was the last of it’s kind.
I think the cab electronics are the same.
A friend of mine is a BNSF engineer in MT, and even though he likes EMDs he recently commented on how the 10 year old SD70MACs “haven’t aged well.” BNSF has started to buy AC4400CWs and is testing ES44s (GEVOs w/AC traction). EMDs vaunted history is just that - history.
locos are just to darn high tech! What ever happened to simple?
What???
crowbar problems are usually heat related…
You have to remember that railroads generally want to haul trains with the minimum number of locomotives - provided the maintenance costs are sensible, it’s overall cheaper that way.
To do this locomotives have to be able to exert higher tractive effort per axle than older designs, which means that wheelslip control has to be much better (to the point where at the limit of adhesion the wheels are turning in ‘controlled’ slip or creep conditions). The old electro-mechanical control systems are too slow to do this trick - you have to use modern electronics to control the power to the traction motors.
Unfortunately diesel locomotives aren’t a good environment for electronics (vibration and temperature extremes are the biggest problems) so getting all this stuff reliable isn’t easy - and GM’s lack of commitment to EMD in recent years won’t have helped staff morale so I wouldn’t be surprised to find that GE has benefited from the experience of some ex-EMD employees.
Tony
The 80MACs are still running around CSX and NS. Unfortunately, CN doesn’t seem to feel the same way about those 30 year old SD45s! (Some of us miss the WC…)
-Mark
www.fuzzyworld3.com
Can you elaborate more on why? I am not real up on the differences, but wasn’t the SD80 longer in feet then the others? Was this one of the issues?
Neat topic.