I was on a rebuild project for one of the class 1’s a few years ago, the WAG combos on the fleet were all swapped dated within 3 years. If that gives you an idea of the maintenance.
Is that the Progress WACT term for a wheelset with bull gear, but no traction motor/pinion? I’m used to “combo” for the whole assembly including the nose-suspended motor and its pinion, and “wheelset” even extending to the installation of full traction gearcases over ‘ring’ or bull gears but no motor…
NS and Progress Rail are working on converting two old standard cab SD70’s (2537 and 2548) to AC traction. The new model designation is SD70ACC and will include new wide noses, cabs, electrical cabinets, electrical systems, and traction motors. See Chris Toth’s excellent nsdash9.com Facebook site for more info. The announcement was made back in February.
If I remember correctly this order was financed through leasing so as keep it off the books. If the majority of these units are leased, UP is not going to want to put alot of money into them.
I think he means that the full purchase capital cost of the locomotives doesn’t have to be carried on the books, or covered via something like an equipment trust at a fixed effective interest rate – both those things for an order of 2000-odd locomotives would be formidable, and then you’ll have to figure out what to do with all the necessary depreciation.
The lease, in particular, would allow you to get out of “ownership” with far less difficulty than would likely occur if you had large numbers of engines in your possession that had to be sold to ‘willing’ buyers in existing markets. That is a point that was being made there.