Re: Railway Age

The 90 class rebuild should have kept the core locomotive design, and just a full rebuild of the original locomotive replacing obsolete parts with newer parts. The Cummins Genset conversion along with all the computer controlled equipment is not needed on these locomotives. I was approached by Sygnet locomotive while I was still working for Siemens, and they needed help keeping the 90s going, and wanted my expertise in the conversion of a SD90MAC diesel locomotive equipped with the Cummins Tier 4 QSK 95 package that SIemens uses in their SC44 "Charger" passenger diesel locomotives. Glad I did not make that job change!

If the DL535s are retired, I would certainly hope that both the D&S and CATS buy them up and put them to work during fire season and on MOW trains. I do not have high hopes for the diesels D&S currently has on order, I believe there will be long and costly teething pains.

As for replacement diesels for the WP&Y, a standard gauge locomotive will dwarf the NG coaches, and really look odd. While I was still working for Siemens, the WP&Y inquired about locomotives, but we had nothing in our product line for narrow or meter gauge, even from Europe.

J Black