Quote:
Originally Posted by Busy Bee
Eww gross. I know that sounds immature, but look at that... really? How many years are we going to be blessed with those beauties?
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They are homely, but there are more important things than locomotive aesthetics.
The SD70's will be rebuilt to Tier III emission standards, so less CO and particulate matter getting belched into the air and at Union Station. The SD70's and the F59s share a lot of parts, reducing potential problems in the supply chain and costs associated with maintaining and warehousing separate parts inventories. According to Metra, with the acquisition of the F59s, and if they exercise their options to purchase all 42 rebuilt SD70s, the percentage of Metra locomotives in marginal to poor condition will drop from 70% down to 14%.
Metra looks to be doing the best they can with the hand they've been dealt. Considering how poorly funded Metra is, and taking into account that they have had to pay for 90% of the $400 million mandatory PTC upgrade out of their own pockets, being forced to buy second-hand iron should come as no surprise.
Even if Metra did have the cash to buy new the only choices available would be either the Charger, which already has 116 orders waiting (and potentially as many as 131) to be filled, or the F125, which, by most accounts, is a rolling dumpster fire.