http://www.hoosiervalley.org/news/chesa ... DAvZAeJENs

I am very, very excited that this locomotive was preserved (big EJ&E fan). Thank you to HVRM and the Chesapeake & Indiana for making this happen! Hoosier Valley has been doing some amazing things this year and I'm very happy to see everything that's happening. Looking forward to seeing what's next. Keep up the good work!

Thomas

This is GREAT news --- SD9s were some of the most reliable, hardest working units we had, when I worked for BN. The HVRM crew will no doubt be well served by this generous donation.

"Overall, the locomotive is in excellent shape and a reliable performer, but some work will need to be done to make sure it continues functioning as a dependable part of the roster for many years to come. The museum has already located a set of replacement trucks for the unit and will soon announce a fundraiser to help with the expensive task of replacing them."

I wonder why it needs different trucks if it is operational.

If I had to guess, I'd say it's because SD9s are so old, and they spend so much of their lives in throttle eight, with the amp gauge as far to the right as the engineer dares. It's not at all far fetched that the trucks have been beat to death so many times over as to need replacement within the foreseeable future. Based on my experience with dozens of SD9s in revenue service, I'd say that money spent on one that functions is a sound investment. Trucks are one of the few assemblies that don't fit many other locomotive models out there. If there's a good pair available, now is a good time to grab them.

From Facebook: "They are just barley thick enough to pass. That's why [it has] been mostly assigned to the [Union Mills] elevator."

It's an interesting choice to replace whole trucks instead of pressing on new wheels, might make sense even, depends on how much meat is on the replacement trucks' wheels, what shape the traction motors are in etc..

It also depends on how hard those replacement trucks have been used. The originals very well may be starting to develop cracks in places that you don't want them. If a "gently used" replacement is available at a good price, it's a good move... IF.