BNSF is buying all the new power they can get their hands on. While they’ve suffered with customer delays, every other Class 1 would love to have BN’s problem: too much business. BNSF is spending record amounts of money on infrastructure and will be the number one class 1 in terms of overall sales and profits for year’s to come.
From everything I read, the locomotive rebuilding industry has never been stronger. Smaller private companies, larger firms such as the ‘original’ Progress Rail, and major Class I R.R.'s like Norfolk Southern seem poised to be able to re-build a pretty ample supply of used locomotives to below-Tier 4 emissions standards at competitive costs in the 4,000 h.p. range. A good time to invest in these rebuilding firms, I believe.