Yes, and now, better than ever, CSX is reactivating the STANDARD CAB dash 8’s!!! I caught 9280 when she was on M410-12 and my god was it a flash back. (She was second in of 3)
Great video, just a few things to note. the U36B was built by GE, not Alco. Also, for the train horns, CSX units originally came with K5Hs and K5LAs, while Conrail units originally had RS3Ls. However, any horn could be on this units, which is why that one has an RS5T, and there are some Dash 8s with K5HLs, K3LAs and other horns out there on CSX. Also, CN and BNSF still have some Dash 8s in service. The CN units probably will be gone in the next couple years, as they are quickly scrapping them now. BNSF has 60 4-axle Dash 8s which were rebuilt for local service which will probably be around for a while longer. CSX also had some C40-8 units, which didnt have the widecab, these are all gone but with Pan Am Railways being bought by CSX, they are starting to bring them back, with one of them being repainted to YN3C
A few Conrail Dash 8s have luckily seen shipped to South America for extended service, most notably the FCCA. 4 additional Ex-Conrail units are still active on the Washington Eastern Railroad. So if these four do end up lasting long enough into the transition to battery locomotives, they could have a good chance of being spared for preservation and restored to their Conrail paint. Still, CSX and NS are not good at being nice to their ex-Conrail equipment when it comes to preservation. The poor SD80MACs fared worse.
A Nice informative video. I was lucky enough to be able to catch 7799 and 7779 last Friday. They were tied together and working the head end of a manifest freight, headed south. Out of Lafayette, Indiana. I thought it was quite a catch an didn't realize CSX, let alone, any Class 1 RR's were still using any Dash 8's still.
I’m sure it’s only a temporary thing, but apparently operating these old girls is less expensive then a ES44 or a ET44, and CSX is a penny pinching railroad. Dunno but that’s fine by me!
Nice video! You did a great job on it! I would like to make one correction: near the end, where you said that CSX is the only Class 1 railroad to operate Dash 8's, this is false. Canadian National, also known as CN runs both Wide and Standard Cab C40-8's that used to run on the Chicago & Northwestern, Union Pacific (C40-8), Santa Fe, and BNSF railroads (C40-8W).
Interestingly, some of CSX's management team (the so-called "Chessie Mafia") were opposed to investing in the physical plant of the railroad and when the proposal for the first 50 standard cab Dash 8's was put forth, it took the CEO (John W. Snow) to override his subordinates to get the deal done.
If you haven't heard already CSX is retiring and storing their Dash-8 and Dash-9 fleet, and after so many people thought that these units had a bright future, they all get retired or stored.
