(erielack) re: EL 3607

["Bill K." <pontiac_@_dreamscape.com>]

Many SD45s have also been scrapped.  In the early-mid 80's a used engine
wasn't worth a lot, and there was a huge glut of them as GP7/9's, Alcos, and
SD45's were all being retired at once.   For a while there you could buy an
operable, if well-used, GP7 or 9 for around $8,000 (from CSX) - the same
loco today is worth 5-6 times that, if not more.  The bigger the engine,
usually the closer to it's weight in scrap it's worth - small engines have
more demand used because they can be used to switch industrial operations on
lighter track than say, an SD45 can.

I've forgotten if the 3607 was simply a tax-dodge donation, or if there was
another reason for it (the ELHS's request, perhaps?  They did get GE to
partially repaint an EL U33C who's next stop was rebuilt as a cabless drone
in mainland China, about that same time).   But it seems to me most all of
the straight EL SD45's were cut up except the 3607 and the one which became
Conrail's Q#1 after losing the prime mover.   The movement towards large
lease fleets of mainline engines didn't really take off until after the
SD45's were gone.


More interesting is the preserved SDP45 in Roanoke.  Conrail dropped the
lease on the Dereco-financed units, and they reverted to Norfok Southern,
who ran the last miles out of them (some still in EL paint).   I believe the
reason the one went to the museum was as part of a swap to get either the
611 or the 1218 back for the steam program.   I'd have to look up in Diesel
Era or X2200S now, but one order of those was more or less scrapped entirely
when they were retired, and the other order became lease-fleet fodder and as
a result rebuild fodder that allowed at least 4 of them to survive in
service to this day (3 on UP, one HELM).


Bill K.



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