SP5103 Wrote:
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> If I recall, the leasing company that supplied
> those SD9s never did get them in good running
> condition and they were rarely if at all used by
> Modoc Northern. MN was hard on engines. They tried
> running an SW1000 on the Lakeview branch and
> burned the place down (too small of an engine
> without the right exhaust manifold), fried a
> traction motor on the B23-7 and abandoned it at
> Canby (now switching in Portland), destroyed Lake
> County's GP7 after repainting it in their colors
> (now repaired and working for Lake Railway).
>
> GP39-2's are fairly rare and hard to find. A
> GP40(-2) derates to 2000 hp at 10 mph, so unless
> you put it with a slug or run it at 15+ it isn't
> happy. GP38(-2) is a better choice but they are
> now hard to find and expensive.
>
> Lake Railway is using two GP49s and the 700 and
> even they are struggling to keep up with current
> traffic interchanged at Perez.

I would think a pair of good running SD-9's would've done well on the Modoc Line, given the info above.. But a pair of SD-38's probally woulda been a better choice considering parts avalibility.