Much has been written about NS's highly successful rebuild programs including their plans for the UP engines (they will be rebuilt into SD-70ace's). So far the programs for the EMD's have proven to be very cost effective producing nearly new units without all the pitfalls of newer units with all the emissions. Under the NS programs, the units get electrical and prime mover upgrades as well as emissions updating including the use of emissions reduction equipment patented by NS (a recent issue of Diesel Era had photo's of
this.) NS has been picking up odd 710 prime mover EMD's (SD-60's, SD-70M's, SD-75's) from other carriers dead lines for several years now and running them through their shops.
NS is testing a rebuild program for GE dash-8 series (calling them dash-8.5) but have yet
to determine if it will be as cost effective due to the pitfalls of GE's outlined in an
earlier recent thread on this discussion board. By the way, NS traded some SD-40-2's to CSX for their SD-80 MAC's so NS now has all of the SD-80's produced (except for one unit that was wrecked) and has shopped them and has retained their V-20 engines and their 5,000 horsepower rating. Another aside, standard cab SD-60's have been getting new NS designed "North American" cabs that are rather distinctive.