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Re: (erielack) equipment leases

Alcos:  Most railroads kept the 251-powered Alco units, disposing of them 
through the mid-1980s to scrap, trade-ins, and secondhand users.

GP35s:  Most users began to dispose of, or rebuilt, these units by the 
mid-1980s.  By the mid-1990s class 1 roads had pretty well eliminated 
unrebuilt examples.  It's modeler's choice here to have your EL system opt 
to rebuild the units with upgraded electrical systems and perhaps 645 power 
assemblies to become either GP38M (Conrail prototype 7600) or GP39M (BN) 
units, to rebuild some as CSX-style road slugs, or to trade them in on other 
power.

U25Bs:  Likely would be traded on new power again in the mid-1980s, perhaps 
somewhat earlier, due to the more restricted availability of parts for these 
engines.


Your 1977 era non-Conral EL system should also be owner of a dozen each 
GP38-2 units and U23B units - orders for both were placed, then cancelled, 
in the early 1970s.  Of those units, the U23Bs would have about an 18-year 
lifespan, the GP38-2s would continue in service today.


It should also be noted that Conrail dumped a lot of PC units at the end of 
their lease in the 1980s - GP38, 38-2, GP40, and various GE units made for 
quite a glut of secondhand motive power.  It may have been more 
cost-effective for the EL to buy and overhaul these units as replacements, 
than to rebuild existing units or buy new power.  (That would be a switch, a 
PC unit with EL patch paint).



Bill K.

- ----- Original Message ----- 
> Date: Thu, 01 May 2008 08:18:07 +0000
> From: pat.moore_@_att.net
> Subject: Re: (erielack) equipment leases
>
> Brad,
>
> Well, this is your pipe dream, so ultimately you can do whatever you want!
>
> Now, if you are asking my opinion...that and $5 will get you a cup of 
> coffee at Starbucks.
>
> Let me start by saying that I don't know what I'm talking about.  However, 
> I would have to wonder what the terms of any locomotive lease would be. 
> As for the C425s, they must have been on a 12 year lease, because the EL 
> sent them out west in March 1976 right before Conrail.  In fact they even 
> totally repainted one of them only a matter of days before the end.  Talk 
> about company pride...
>
> Does that mean the other Alcos were on a 12 year deal?  If so, then the 
> C424s were already "owned" by the EL by 1976.
>
> I guess you would have put yourself in the position of the person in 
> charge of motive power.  When the lease ends, how much is it going to cost 
> to retain the units vs. how much will it cost to purchase/lease new units? 
> Do you go with something new and expensive, or relatively cheap but 
> heavily used?  Something new that your shop might not know how to fix or 
> something that you've been maintaining for the last 15 years or so?  Is 
> the lessor someone you can deal with?  I recall that Conrail sent back the 
> EL units that were financed through Dereco (N&W) when their lease was up 
> in the early 80s.
>
> As for your last question, you would have to ask yourself what the new 
> units will be used for.  It seems to me that the EL preferred 6-axle units 
> for their road freights.  If you needed a 6-axle unit in the mid to late 
> 70s, the SD40-2 was the best thing out there.
>
> - -pat
>
> - -------------- Original message ----------------------
> From: "Bradley Butcher" <llyengalyn_@_hotmail.com>
>>
>> Ok I think most people have heard at least some about my freelanced 
>> prototype EL
>> ideas. Now my question is.
>>
>> Since I plan on modeling EL in the late 70's <remember NO Conrail> 
>> typical
>> Locomotive lease periods seem to be 15 years by and large. So 
>> theoritically in
>> 78 the lease would be coming up on the C424's. Do my learned list 
>> brothers
>> believe that EL would have renewed they're lease?
>>
>> I guess it the question could be extended to the C425's. U25B's and 
>> GP35's by
>> 1980 for perspective.
>>
>>
>> And if they did retire them what would replace them? BB units or CC? I 
>> could see
>> GP40-2's, C36-7's. For some reason I just can't see EL every buying 
>> SD40-2s even
>> if they had the money.
>>
>> The Erie Lackawanna Mailing List
>> http://EL-List.railfan.net/
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>
>
> 

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