EMDX SD70ACe T4s Nos. 1609 1610 are being outfitted for demonstration service at CSX’s Queensgate Yard locomotive shop on June 19, 2016.
J.E. Landrum
CINCINNATI, Ohio – Railfans along CSX Transportation’s Cincinnati to Nashville, Tenn., rail lines may have caught a glimpse of new Electro-Motive Division SD70ACe Tier 4 demonstrators early this week. EMDX SD70ACe T4s Nos. 1609 and 1610 are testing along the Louisville Division on CSX freight trains Nos. Q573/Q574 between Queensgate Yard in Cincinnati and Nashville.
The two locomotives are sporting Union Pacific colors, but Electro Motive demonstrator logos and decals. The two back-to-back Tier 4 locomotives are expected to stay in captive service on CSX for a few weeks, sources say.
It is the first time CSX has tested EMD locomotives since EMDX SD70ACe demonstrators in 2013.
Now if only NS would order these,…tired of looking at freakin GE all the time! Kudos to CSX for testing these locos!
Just sighted the 1502 demonstrators parked at UP Roseville yard yesterday. Hope to see these and other demonstrators TESTING over Donner pass soon. Good luck EMD. Btw, Does anyone know how these locos sound like? The last SD90 H units sounded like GE’s.
The UP order for 65 SD70ACe Tier 4 units was confirmed some time ago.
Its not a rumor. UP is getting 65 units late 2016. EMD already is delivering SD70ACe’s, 65, just like the ones they already own. You can sell Tier 3 units but you have to deliver an equal number of Tier 4 units the same year.
Are they not going any farther south than Nashville? Could they get to down Chattanooga?
It’s funny how small details can ruin styling. I really miss the plumb windshields – it looks like the ACE just went from “mean” to “toy”. Other than that, i’m glad to see EMD back in the game.
If these are “demonstrators”, why the full UP scheme, even down to cab numbers? Is EMD anticipating an order?
I want to add one more comment if I may to all y ou critic’s out there. The one thing EMD do is to build locomotives very well. And yes, they have made a couple of blunders in the past but this is how you end up with a great product through trial ad errors. The SD70ACET4S is going to be a huge success because Emd has been developing this machine for a lone time now. They are not going to put an inferior product on the market. In fact I think that it will out perform the GE . A very bold prediction.
Rumor has it that UP has 65 on order. But it’s just a rumor.