BNSF SD70MACs at Progress Rail

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Hotrail

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I have been noticing BNSF SD70MACs at Progress Rail in Tacoma, WA beginning in September of 2015. There must be about six Big Macs there. Does anyone know what work is being done to those locomotives? :confused:

Dan Simmering​

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Looks like they're working on (replacing?) the traction motor inverters and control electronics. Upgrades, perhaps?
 
These units are there for electrical upgrades. The original Siemens inverters and associated equipment are being replaced with Mitsubishi inverters like those used in the SD70ACe. There should be either 6 or 8 SD70MAC's receiving this upgrade this year.

Bryan Jones
 
These units are there for electrical upgrades. The original Siemens inverters and associated equipment are being replaced with Mitsubishi inverters like those used in the SD70ACe. There should be either 6 or 8 SD70MAC's receiving this upgrade this year.

Bryan Jones

Is this experimental or will all SD70MAC's be cycled through Progressive Rail to receive the upgrades?
 
This is an update to the modifications being conducted to the BNSF SD70MACs currently at Progress Rail in Tacoma, WA. The SD70MACs that are there have had two panels installed on each side of the long hood. Those panels can be seen in the following photograph. They are painted with primer paint.

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In the next photo, the panels are being installed to one of the Big Macs. The forward panel seems to house a cooling fan. I do not know what is in the after panel.

002.jpg

One of the modified SD70MACs had just been re-painted and now had the model designation SD70MACe. As far as I can tell, that will be a new model designation. This is a tight shot, but this is the first of the new SD70MACes. (I hate to see the cream and green MACs go away.)

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Does anyone have any insights about this work that has not already been submitted to this thread?
 




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