JACKSONVILLE, FL – JUNE 1, 2017
It is official, CSX Transportation has put a clear record 1,100 locomotives into storage over the past couple of months. Yes, it is clearly a record. No other railroad has put that many locomotives in storage over the course of just a couple of months.
The such locomotives in storage include, but are not limited to:
– All of the former AC6000CW units (classified as CW46AC or CW46AH locomotives by CSX)
– Over half of the C40-8W fleet, with several being retired by CSX
– Much of the SD60-Series fleet, but many are still in service
– Some SD40-2 and SD50-2 locomotives (for some odd reason, very few SD40-2’s are in storage)
– Much of the yard switcher fleet, including the SW1001’s, SW1500’s, and MP15’s
– Heck, even some AC4400CW and SD70MAC locomotives have been put into storage.
Locomotives that have been retired:
– The entire 7300-Series C40-8W fleet, which were all part of the Conrail fleet back in the 1990’s, and have been replaced with former GE Tier 4 Demonstrator locomotives
– The entire SD70ACe fleet, which was hated by CSX and proved to be very unreliable
– The SWMT hump yard slug sets, after EHH shut down most of the hump yards and replaced them.
Many railfans would think that this is absolutely insane, and they are quite right. However, with new CEO E. Hunter Harrison running the show, his ideas have taken over and has sidelined many of CSX’s loved locomotives, along with some of its most hated locomotives. We will not be surprised if we see more locomotives being retired by the railroad, some of which include its oldest power. However, plans for a proposed rebuild program for the SD50/60 fleet have been laid out, along with some more SD40E3 rebuilds. As well, an order for more GE ET44AH locomotives has been proposed in late May, but the order was cancelled in favor for the EMD rebuild programs.
This is a dark time for many CSX railfans, so we ask you to remain calm through this transition.