# Locomotive Repairs



## CSXfoamer1997 (Apr 27, 2016)

Just a curiosity, how long would freight carriers take to repair their wrecked locomotives, compared with Amtrak, depending on how bad the damage is?


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## AmtrakBlue (Apr 27, 2016)

CSXfoamer1997 said:


> Just a curiosity, how long would freight carriers take to repair their wrecked locomotives, compared with Amtrak, depending on how bad the damage is?


Do you mean AFTER the NTSB, FRA, Lawyers are done with them?


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## Acela150 (Apr 27, 2016)

CSXfoamer1997 said:


> depending on how bad the damage is


There's the answer to your question...


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## CSXfoamer1997 (Apr 28, 2016)

AmtrakBlue said:


> CSXfoamer1997 said:
> 
> 
> > Just a curiosity, how long would freight carriers take to repair their wrecked locomotives, compared with Amtrak, depending on how bad the damage is?
> ...


Right.


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## jis (Apr 28, 2016)

After that it depends on availability of funds and the need for the equipment to be on the road. In a traffic downturn when engines are being parked anyway, it is unlikely that money will be spent repairing accident damages.

So there is not set answer to that question other than "it depends".


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## CSXfoamer1997 (Apr 28, 2016)

jis said:


> After that it depends on availability of funds and the need for the equipment to be on the road. In a traffic downturn when engines are being parked anyway, it is unlikely that money will be spent repairing accident damages.
> 
> So there is not set answer to that question other than "it depends".


Which reminds me, how does BNSF manage to repair its locomotives, even though they have critical frame damage? For example, after that crash in Kismet, CA, the locos sustained critical damage, but they all returned to service. I was most surprised about that!

https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FujULbOX.jpg&imgrefurl=http%3A%2F%2Fimgur.com%2Fgallery%2FUczGT&docid=8p4oNGzPJsmRrM&tbnid=eSCq7CmTTfW2qM%3A&w=1000&h=750&safe=active&bih=677&biw=1366&ved=0ahUKEwiXoZHGvbHMAhXHQiYKHczdDxEQMwgcKAAwAA&iact=mrc&uact=8

https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fs-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com%2F236x%2F8d%2F7f%2F9f%2F8d7f9f47a4a827ebd1fbb00b1c8360da.jpg&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pinterest.com%2Fcorbinschilling%2Ftrain-crash%2F&docid=uyUGPNfymvvxEM&tbnid=PvKDAtIS6WWHhM%3A&w=236&h=182&safe=active&bih=677&biw=1366&ved=0ahUKEwiXoZHGvbHMAhXHQiYKHczdDxEQMwgdKAEwAQ&iact=mrc&uact=8


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## jis (Apr 28, 2016)

You can always build on top of a new frame if you so desire, no?

Heck remember those SDP40s that Amtrak had which were all converted to F40s? How do you suppose that happened? 

Of course beyond a point it becomes an issue of - if you changed out every part except the ashtray in a car, is it the same car? Or is it just an ashtray from an old car re-used in a new car?


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## CSXfoamer1997 (Apr 28, 2016)

jis said:


> You can always build on top of a new frame if you so desire, no?
> 
> Heck remember those SDP40s that Amtrak had which were all converted to F40s? How do you suppose that happened?
> 
> Of course beyond a point it becomes an issue of - if you changed out every part except the ashtray in a car, is it the same car? Or is it just an ashtray from an old car re-used in a new car?


New frames, to be exact. However, how come most of the time, if a loco has frame damage, it's immediately written off rather than built on a new frame?


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## jis (Apr 28, 2016)

Do you have any real statistics to claim that "most of the time they are scrapped"? Or is that your impression? If the latter we can try to figure out how you got that impression rather than try to answer a question that is not necessarily based on facts. If the former, would like to see the factual basis for it, and then we can take it from there.

I am sure even if there is a factual basis, the reason for each individual case will be rather specific to the situation surrounding it, and it might be difficult to draw any general conclusions.


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## CSXfoamer1997 (Apr 28, 2016)

jis said:


> Do you have any real statistics to claim that "most of the time they are scrapped"? Or is that your impression? If the latter we can try to figure out how you got that impression rather than try to answer a question that is not necessarily based on facts. If the former, would like to see the factual basis for it, and then we can take it from there.
> 
> I am sure even if there is a factual basis, the reason for each individual case will be rather specific to the situation surrounding it, and it might be difficult to draw any general conclusions.


Like for example, NCDOT #1792. It struck a lowboy and derailed. FRA inspected it and it had a beat up frame. It was written off after inspection and scrapped several months later.

And P42DC #8. It struck the rear of an NS intermodal back in 2007, and the front of the frame broke loose, thus making it not fit to repairable. To this day, it's still stored in Beech Grove, but will never go back on the road again.

And P42DC's #143 and #149 got wrecked in a crash in Utah back in 2001. Both locos were written off and scrapped.

After a CSX crash in Mineral Springs, both locos were written off due to frame damage. Both units were scrapped as well.


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## CCC1007 (Apr 28, 2016)

CSXfoamer1997 said:


> jis said:
> 
> 
> > Do you have any real statistics to claim that "most of the time they are scrapped"? Or is that your impression? If the latter we can try to figure out how you got that impression rather than try to answer a question that is not necessarily based on facts. If the former, would like to see the factual basis for it, and then we can take it from there.
> ...


There is a detailed report on the incident you are asking about that I posted http://discuss.amtraktrains.com/index.php?/topic/67794-bnsf-accident-61406-kismet-ca/. I read through the entire report, and BNSF did not say that any frame damage had occurred. the frame is not visible from the outside unless you are under the locomotive, and these locomotives had severe damage to their cabs, but not to their frames. I suggest that you give the report a readthrough, so that you can see exactly what happened there.


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