It’s the end of the line: Locomotives in the scrapyard

Locomotives in the scrapyard

Sitting switchers

The switcher is a rapidly-dying species on American railroads. Pushed out of yard duties on the Class I railroads by demoted road units (like ex-BNSF No. 2224, at top), they soon became most noticeable on industrial sites, switching cars for grain elevators and warehouse complexes. However, the proliferation of the Trackmobile, along with the rapidly increasing age of the average switcher, has sent these units to the dead lines in droves. LTEX has almost 100 units on property, from a variety of owners and builders. That can be most aptly illustrated by this scene, where three switchers of vastly different pedigree are side-by-side-by-side at the end of their working lives. 

At left, CRGX No. 8000A is a rebuilt Alco S4M, and served its last duty at the Cargill elevator in Lima, Ohio — a fact that is marked on the cab sides in such large print it is often mistaken for a reporting mark. Built for the Erie Lackawanna as No. 528 in October 1952, this engine was sent off to the scrapper some time after 2020. Recent images of the location show that it was replaced by an LTEX GP15-1. 

In the center, Kentucky Railway Museum No. 4044 is a 1954-built Baldwin RS4-TC. These units were built exclusively for the U.S. Military, with 74 going to the Army, and eight (the 4044 being the last) delivered to the U.S. Air Force. In the 1980s it, along with most RS4-TCs, were extensively rebuilt with Caterpillar motors, EMD control stands and electrics, and new trucks. After ending up at the Kentucky Railway Museum along with fellow unit No. 4010 in the early 1990s, the locomotives worked there until the mid-2010s, when they were rather quietly disposed of. Since 2018, both units have remained on LTEX property.  

Finally, at right is the rarest locomotive of the three. Buffalo & Pittsburgh No. 1400 is one just four Brookville GS1400 locomotives built. Originally a 1949-built EMD NW2, it served the Rock Island; Rockdale, Sandow & Southern; and Galveston Railroad before owner Genesee & Wyoming sent it to Brookville Locomotive in 2009 to be rebuilt as a genset. Two other locomotives would follow — an additional unit for the B&P, and one for Ohio Central. However, due to the general failure of the genset concept, no further units were built. While the disposition of B&P No. 1401 is unknown, No. 1400 has been at LTEX since at least 2023, along with OHCR 1402. 

Variety in the end

LTEX takes in a wide array of locomotives. At direct center is BNSF No. 912, stripped of its numberboards and horn. Like many of the other ex-BNSF locomotives at LTEX, it has been retired due to age — the GE Dash 8 locomotives being less suitable for rebuild than the newer Dash 9s. 

At right, a row of gensets and switchers trails into the distance, with BNSF No. 1265 closest to the camera. Gensets have been quickly relegated to the scrap lines due to unreliability, while switchers such as LTEX No. 802 and CRGX No. 8000A have been sent away for disposal primarily due to age. 

At left, a surprising sight is the form of three EMD F units slowly decaying in the sun. Castoffs from the Adirondack Railway, sold off in 2023, each one is a different kind of F unit, each with distinguished pedigree. Closest to the camera is No. 2007, a former Metro-North FL9. Sold to the railroad as a parts unit, it was nevertheless returned to service in 2015. In the center is F7A No. 1508. Originally built for the Alaska Railroad, it was sold to a private owner and was leased to the Massachusetts Central Railroad in the mid 1990s. It served several years with the MCER and later the Adirondack in its blue and yellow ARR livery, before receiving a repaint into a New York Central-inspired scheme in the early 2000s. The locomotive ran for almost 20 years before being put into storage sometime before 2020, still retaining its Alaska-spec snowplow. Finally there is FP10 No. 1502. Rebuilt by the MBTA out of a GM&O F3A, the engine was purchased from Metro-North in 2003, along with four FL9s, including No. 2007. According to photos online, the 1502 was running through 2020, with the reason for its withdrawal and sale unknown. 

Finally, in the distance, a line of multicolored switchers can be seen. While the provenance of the black unit can clearly be seen as the Illinois Central, the others are far more interesting. In early 2024, LTEX took in a great many units from National Rail Equipment — seemingly all from their storage tracks in Paducah, Ky. Included in this were almost a dozen EMD SW1001s originally sold to the South Korean state rail operator Korail between 1969-1971. These units were repatriated to the U.S. in the 2010s by NRE, with some rebuilt and the rest stored. These stored units are now at LTEX and may be rebuilt for future use. 

An abundance of fallen flags

The sheer breadth of LTEX can be seen in this photo. Locomotives stretch out in all directions for almost a square mile, and just about every major operator in the country is represented. In the foreground alone, engines painted for Pan Am Railways, Union Pacific, the original Genesee & Wyoming, BN, Santa Fe, Canadian Pacific, CSX, and Southern Pacific all intermingle in the seemingly endless yard. 

For some, the end. For others, a new beginning

LTEX is not merely a scrapyard, but is also a leading provider of leased locomotives and locomotive rebuilds. The locomotives parked outside of the buildings in the direct foreground and in the far background are currently being rebuilt or reconditioned for future service with LTEX’s lease fleet or with a customer. “Small” engines are the name of the game at current, with many of LTEX’s customers being industrial concerns like grain elevators or short lines that still need GP- and SW-series locomotives.

In the midground of the photo, larger six-axle locomotives can be seen lined up for scrap. As the class 1 carriers reassess their motive power needs, many older, unreliable locomotive types, such as the EMD SD60I, SD50, and the GE Dash 8 series, are being cut up. 

When preservation fails

Nestled amongst the modern freight locomotives, four locomotives immediately stand out. 

At the bottom of the image is SLRG No. 518. Operated by Iowa Pacific through it subsidiary San Luis & Rio Grande, the ex-CNW/Metra EMD E8A was fully operational right up to the moment that Iowa Pacific became insolvent and ceased operations, and was sold to LTEX in 2022. 

The three locomotives in the center of the frame are at LTEX due to the rare instance in which Alcos are replaced with Alcos. The Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad has been an Alco stronghold for its entire existence, first operating trains with the Grand Trunk Western 2-8-2 No.4070 in 1975, before dieselizing with a fleet of RS3 locomotives in 1995. The pride of the railroad was and still is its fleet of Alco FAs; however, these locomotives could not handle every train, and the CVSR found other Alcos to fill the gaps. These included MLW-built C424 No. 4241 (acquired 2004, right of image), and RS18u 1822. (acquired 1998, center of image) Both locomotives operated well into the 2020s, before they were sidelined for mechanical reasons. Until very recently, the CVSR had every intent to fix these issues and return the locomotives to service, even going so far as to acquire a further RS18, ex-Delaware Coast Line No. 182 (left of image), one of the last high-hood RS18s in existence, in 2021. However these plans changed in 2023, when the Grand Canyon Railroad sold the CVSR a number of its remaining Alco FPA4s and FPB4s. With these locomotives, the CVSR had enough locomotives that the three nonfunctional Alcos were no longer needed, and they were promptly sold to LTEX.