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Post by markfj on Jan 4, 2016 9:43:17 GMT -8
Hello Group, I just came across this site while reading the latest news over at Railway Preservation News. UNION PACIFIC LOCOMOTIVE AUCTION, 10-22-15It’s interesting to see what the final bids where on these 30 to 40 year old locomotives. Some went for less than the cost of a decent used car! Does anyone have more information on this auction and what the final destination will be for these units? It wouldn’t surprise me if most were headed to a scrapper, but those switchers might still be useful on a shortline somewhere. Is this how UP usually disposes of all its old or surplus locomotives? I’m also wondering if the C40-8 isn’t a good candidate for rebuilding since they’re selling so many. That, and 104 locomotives seems like a large sale; is this unusual or just a typical accounting motivated move to liquidate some surplus assets before the end of the year? Thanks, Mark |
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Post by stevef45 on Jan 4, 2016 19:26:15 GMT -8
amazing what those MP15's went for compared to the ge's.
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Post by alcoc430 on Jan 5, 2016 9:09:06 GMT -8
amazing what those MP15's went for compared to the ge's. Even the ones (mp15) with a cut block sold for as much as $126,000. IMHO, Based on those prices the 8-40Cs are scrap and the mp15s have a chance for shortlines or lease. |
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Post by onequiknova on Jan 5, 2016 22:35:54 GMT -8
Why would all the engine blocks be cut?
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Post by jaygee on Jan 6, 2016 14:39:00 GMT -8
Typically to prevent their re-use as functional locomotives....good only for parts or scrap. Done sometimes with steamers, especially on the N&W.
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Post by WP 257 on Jan 6, 2016 21:35:20 GMT -8
They have these auctions periodically whenever a bunch of old engines they no longer need accumulates.
John
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Post by atsfan on Jan 7, 2016 6:07:56 GMT -8
Old GE engines are almost always scrapped.
GE does does not age well nor hold up for decades.
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Post by sd80mac on Jan 7, 2016 12:13:10 GMT -8
C40-8s are junk. They've outlived their useful lives. A friend of mine attended the auction and bought an MP15. No interest in the GEs.
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Post by jaygee on Jan 7, 2016 14:06:10 GMT -8
Why waste good capital on G.E. clunkers? They were trash when new, so imagine what they're like now! Politics and financing is the only thing keeping this circus alive. Their last good locomotive left Erie in 1961 !
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Post by fr8kar on Jan 7, 2016 15:59:34 GMT -8
Why waste good capital on G.E. clunkers? They were trash when new, so imagine what they're like now! Politics and financing is the only thing keeping this circus alive. Their last good locomotive left Erie in 1961 ! That may be true for everything leading up to the Dash 8 series, but the Dash 9s and later are equal to the SD70MAC and superior to everything EMD has produced since. Witness the BNSF rebuilds of the ATSF 600 series Dash 9s to AC44C4M models. Other than the interior seats, desktop and original position of the angle cocks and other features, they have been completely upgraded and are ready for many more years of service. |
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Post by kentuckysouthernrwy on Jan 7, 2016 17:22:40 GMT -8
CN bought some from UP and refurbished them in 2010. Here is one in Battle Creek ready to head East, November 11, 2010  Remember Obummers Cash for Clunkers? They had to disable the clunker to get the cash. |
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Post by jaygee on Jan 8, 2016 11:51:26 GMT -8
CN...you will be sorry ! OTOH, with all this whooptie lying around, parts would have to be cheap!
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Post by llxlocomotives on Jan 8, 2016 12:21:43 GMT -8
Actually the dash 8 solidified GE's position as the number 1 builder. This was the time of power by the hour and other gimmicks. Jack did has a lot of financial leverage, through GE Capitol financing and owning most of the rail cars in the country. What is missing from the descriptions of the units is how much use they actually had. I suspect that the actual hours and 2016 requirements may have devalued the dash 8 more than the switchers. From an engineering perspective, every day they last beyond the agreement, means the unit is over designed. What would a 28 year old 18 wheeler be worth today at auction? Larry www.llxlocomotives.com |
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Post by onequiknova on Jan 8, 2016 19:49:08 GMT -8
Remember Obummers Cash for Clunkers? They had to disable the clunker to get the cash. That's kind of what I thought, but then wouldn't it be illegal to rebuild and run these locomotives? At least on the auto end of cash for clunkers, I thought the cars could only be parted out or scrapped. |
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Post by kentuckysouthernrwy on Jan 9, 2016 7:35:48 GMT -8
John my response was just a dig at the foolish car deal. I have zero knowledge of a similar gubbiment program for the railroads. They are now more intent in killing off whole industries like coal than worrying about a few worn out rail locos.
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Post by WP 257 on Jan 13, 2016 5:28:38 GMT -8
I have no dog in this partisanship between EMD fans and GE fans.
The facts are that everything since the Dash 9 has been superior to anything EMD or their successor has put out. Additionally, the fuel economy of the Dash 9's and later series also saves the railroads millions of dollars relative to their EMD counterparts. Even a slight advantage adds up when you have 10000 diesel units on the roster.
John M.
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Post by jaygee on Jan 13, 2016 17:45:57 GMT -8
Superior? hardly. Only time G.E. gets better fuel economy is when they're brand new. We'll see how all these hold up in the long run. Oops. almost forgot....with G.E. there ain't no "long run" !
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Post by kentuckysouthernrwy on Jan 15, 2016 15:54:23 GMT -8
Superior? hardly. Only time G.E. gets better fuel economy is when they're brand new. We'll see how all these hold up in the long run. Oops. almost forgot....with G.E. there ain't no "long run" ! Defined as? The RR buys them, runs them until they're no longer eligible for tax write off then sells them as surplus. At that point they have fulfilled their reason for being. Then it's time to get new ones. It's probably a blessing to the builders not to have a bunch of old products running around being held together with bailing wire and chewing gum in places they might be able to sell or service new equipment. The railroads aren't in business to buy locomotives, boxcars, flat cars or anything else so rail fans can fawn over a bunch of old obsolete machines that harken back to their version of the golden, good old days. |
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Post by nebrzephyr on Jan 16, 2016 8:36:47 GMT -8
Happened to be traveling in far west-central Iowa Friday. UP has a small yard (ex CNW) at the small town of Missouri Valley. UP has by my estimate 50-60 engines stored there. I know there has been several articles in the local papers about "business is down" on the UP, but if the UP has this many engines stored at a really small yard, how many must they have store at their larger facilities.
Bob
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Post by antoniofp45 on Jan 18, 2016 9:13:59 GMT -8
Well,
I'm glad that the UP E-units were not part of the auction! I remember reading a few years ago that UP considered getting rid of two of them. Hopefully all 4 of them are still on the roster.
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