Scrapping EMD SD40-2 Locomotives

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I know this is my first post and probably one my only posts but I figured since there are so many railroad locomotive fans out there that would be interested in seeing the death kiss to a few SD-40 LOCOS. We are currently in the middle of an ongoing scrapping project involving many of these locomotives. Enjoy the pictures and yes I will try to post more of them in the future as long as the responses are positive. If you are in the STL, MO area and are a serious rail fan and would like to take pictures of us doing it then send me a private message.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/59582680@N07/sets/72157631802111335/

Nick Pistone
Pistone Scrap Processing
 
We can handle 3 a week to 4 depending on how busy the yard is shipping and receiving. They are all mostly vintage early 70's. I highly doubt there are any scrappers that can do it as fast as we can. From the tracks to prepared scrap in a matter of days.
 
The horns are removed when they show up to be scrapped. The bells are still attached. Do you want to purchase them? We have always saved a few of them but the rest are scrapped. I would sell anything off of them as long as it wasn't a part for reuse. The number placards, lights, doors, misc parts, etc. I would be willing to sell. The price has to be right though because we are in the scrap industry not the saving and salvage industry. Shoot me a message and we can discuss what you want and what you would want to pay for it. Keep in mind we also buy locomotives for scrap and rail cars for scrap to. We can process onsite or pay for shipping to our location. You can also call me about certain parts or text me. 330 280 2685.

I understand some people think this is sad but everything has a lifespan and the fact that they cost more to fix then they are worth is the sole reason they are being scrapped. Do you really want a locomotive that is 40 to 50 years or older carrying your precious freight? Do the owners or leases really want to keep dumping money down a hole? Age, fuel consumption, emissions, etc all are going to play a huge role in the next few years with the technological advancements being made in newer locomotives produced today and will leave there older brothers in the dust. When that happens its time for the end of the road and they make there last stop. One last ride over the rails.
 
Those SD40's in some cases are way more reliable than the newer power. I wouldn't have any issue if i was a customer and they were pulling my cars.

It looks like you guys are pretty violent in your scrapping process, Not saving the prime mover or or traction motors. Seems like you could make more money re selling those items for refurb rather than just dumping them in the bin with everything else.
 
We actually save the traction motor combos. they are cut lose above the connectors dropped and the trucks are pulled out and motors fall to the ground. We do occasionally smash a wire. Whoops. The air brake parts are also recovered so is the ar 10, air compressor, diesel turbo. Its very violent out there especially using jet torches to cut them up. The base is cut up into 7 seven pieces then moved to the burning fields where its cut up into prepared pieces.
 
I am glad you shared these photos with us. I previously worked in two scrap metal yards and it would take 4 guys well over a month to scrap just one locomotive.

I have always loved to see the scrapping process and there is hardly any photos of locomotives getting scrapped. Losing even a few hundred SD40-2's is no loss. There were thousands made. I used to overhaul old SP and D&RGW locomotives and they were in such miserable shape that if I had a choice, I would have cut them up on the spot for all the trouble they put me through.

As far as reselling used parts. It's a lot harder than it seems. If people are going to buy traction motors and generators they want to know if they are working. Since these came in as scrap there is no way of knowing if they are good or not. I do not know of any shortlines that buy used generators or traction motors untested. You are talking thousands of dollars in purchase, shipping, and removal and installation for something that may be no good. If you need a used traction motor or generator by a rebuilt one that has been tested.

I would love to photograph some of your locomotives getting cut up. I am also happy you are willing to sell number boards and bells. When I was working in the scrap yards I used to find brass steam whistles from either steam locomotives of ships from time to time in the scrap heap.
 
Tom I have no problem with you using the pictures at all. I have personally taken about 150 SD40-2 locomotives out of service over the last 2 and 1/2 years. Rough guess but its been a lot of them. The last 4 trains we cut up the numbers 6066,6056, 6079, 6842. We have pictures of most of the trains we cut up from this project. I could give you all of the numbers with approx or exact dates of there death. I am just glad there are people out there that appreciate the pictures. To me its pretty monotonous. To people that are rail fans though its a different story and one that is not talked about enough or discussed at all on this forum. So I figured I would share a few pics. I have a ton more of them to share and will update this post with new ones since I now know that there are people interested into seeing locomotives make there last ride on the tracks.

If you are serious about photographing then shoot me a PM. We are doing this in the STL, MO area. Well I gotta get off here and get to work. There are five locomotives on the track right now to get cut up.
 
Is this the NRE shops in Mount Vernon? I know that Helm has sent quite a few SD40s here to be scrapped. Do you know if they have scrapped any SD40As, as HLCX has had them stored for years?
 
This is not the NRE Shops in Mount Vernon. I have been by the NRE Shop in Mount Vernon and didn't see any scrapping going on. I did see SD40-2 being cut up outside of the motive power plant in Paducah, KY. It was a joke though. They were a small and I mean very small scrap yard. They were using a cable rail crane to disassemble them in very small chunks. I figured the way there were doing it that it would take a week or more to cut them up. I took pictures from the fence here they are uploaded to my flickr account.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/59582680@N07/8246235876/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/59582680@N07/8246233520/in/photostream/

It seemed like they were cutting up and putting the parts in a railcar and transferring them across the street to be cut up. I took the pictures from the fence because they were closed or else I would have rolled up in the place like I owned it and started taking pictures then rolled out. Gotta love how far behind the times some scrap businesses are.
 
Sad to see a locomotive cut up but it does make for a interesting photo spread. Thanks for posting the pics:cool:
 
Are you going to be scrapping any former Canadian locomotives?? Ex-BC Rail (HLCX) red white and blue? Any BC Rail locomotives?? What do you do with the builders plates?
 
I've cut up boxcars, tank cars and ever a Russel snowplow, but I still like cutting up locomotives the best. Once you do a few, it gets pretty simple. And I have scrapped many traction motor housings, you can just about bet on 600 pounds of good #1 copper from each motor housing, not including the armature or power cables/connections. Scrap away boys, I made a good living off railroad scrap for 17 years.
 
Would it be possible to purchase a control stand from a scrapped SD40? What would the cost be? Just curious.
 
Do you guys keep a listing of the engines you've scrapped? That would be good for locomotive roster keepers.
 




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