B23-7s being cut down to metre gauge for RVR Kenya

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John Ashworth
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B23-7s being cut down to metre gauge for RVR Kenya

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http://roberttennyson507.rrpicturearchi ... ?id=102212

Pictures taken by Robert Lee Tennyson at National Railway Equipment Co. n Mt. Vernon, Illinois on June 12, 2014, which include some of B23-7s being cut down to metre gauge C-C for RVR Kenya.
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Re: B23-7s being cut down to metre gauge for RVR Kenya

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Mel Turner
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Re: B23-7s being cut down to metre gauge for RVR Kenya

Post by Mel Turner »

Numbered upward from 9600 or 9601?

Any confirmation if either 10 or 20 in order?

Initial reports from the States said 20 and gave these numbers

BNSF 4200, 4209, 4210, 4214, 4216, 4220, 4226, 4236, 4238, 4248, 4254, 4256, 4261, 4262, 4271. NS 4030, 4083. MNNR 40.
RFRX 4203, 4205 (orange livery - ex BNSF - numbers unchanged).
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Re: B23-7s being cut down to metre gauge for RVR Kenya

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From a reliable source:
9610 has been parked in the open at Paducah this week, been tested on SG C-C bogies

New tan/green livery, white 45deg slash about 1.8 meter wide on side for RVR logo, looks smart
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Re: B23-7s being cut down to metre gauge for RVR Kenya

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9613 passing Kansas City, MO, 10/08/2014, leroy brandenburg, rrpicturearchives.net
http://bnsf62.rrpicturearchives.net/sho ... id=3929353
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Re: B23-7s being cut down to metre gauge for RVR Kenya

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Mel Turner
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Re: B23-7s being cut down to metre gauge for RVR Kenya

Post by Mel Turner »

The amount of farcical information circulating about these locomotives in the Kenyan press beggars belief

These units were built between 1977 and 1984 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GE_B23-7 In age these fall between the Class 93 (delivered in 1977) and 94 (delivered in 1987)

All of the cores were pulled from long term storage (up to 10 years). The US mainline companies auctioned the units following withdrawal at scrap pricing, which is why US pre owned loco dealers can afford to keep them sitting around for so long. Large used loco dealers in the States do not own their stock, they operate on floorplans from banks and financiers (similar to car dealerships), so when the core is sold they require a healthy margin to cover their risk and interest payments. In the US it is a legal requirement that all locomotives with a financial encumbrance be periodically reported to the Surface Transportation Board. These returns are public documents, so if you know the system, it is relatively easy to track core

A number of B23-7 have been broken up for parts, the Grindrod/NREC locomotive building JV in Pretoria is currently building locos using salvaged B23-7 prime movers in new fabricated frames/bogies (RL22SCN). The 7FDL-12 rated @ 2250HP was not overly stressed, so does not have the same tendency to stretch the bottom end that occurs in this family of engines at high HP settings. The crankcases of 7FDL-16 @ 4020HP in Australian NR Class are not salvageable when the locos receive half life rebuilds at 16/17 years, and are replaced with new. This crankcase stretch problem is why higher HP GE 7FDL powered locos in the States have a finite life, when compared with EMD

My gut feeling is that the RVR purchase was rushed in order to get locos on the ground to appease political aspirations, and keep the more belligerent law makers off the company's back. Quality sacrificed to obtain locos in quantity for a quick political fix. There will be no learning curve associated with these units, under the tin they are U26C with the engines rated at a lower HP. With a higher center of gravity compared with the U26C, it will be interesting to see how they rock and roll on poorly maintained track
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Re: B23-7s being cut down to metre gauge for RVR Kenya

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Photo from the States of one of the Kenyan cores prior to receiving a lick of paint, and fitting C-C bogies, and chopper couplers

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=3693884

Plus shots of 9606 in transit to Kenya

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=3962472
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=3962473
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Re: B23-7s being cut down to metre gauge for RVR Kenya

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The first two arrived in Nairobi works yesterday - see http://www.friendsoftherail.com/phpBB2/ ... 18&t=12886
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Re: B23-7s being cut down to metre gauge for RVR Kenya

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There's some video of them being unloaded in Mombasa at https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=p ... dRrcZXmFL0

I saw one hauling a freight train towards Uganda yesterday, just west of Naivasha. Unfortunately I was busy changing a tyre on my Land Cruiser by the roadside at the time so I wasn't able to grab a camera or even get its number.
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Re: B23-7s being cut down to metre gauge for RVR Kenya

Post by Mel Turner »

This is a photo from NREC Paducah on the 31st

This loco (on standard gauge shop bogies) will become 9618

NREC are calling the locos C26-7, suggesting that the HP has been increased to 2600 to match the U26C

https://www.flickr.com/photos/locoslides/15539983513/

Of the 9 delivered in 2014, I have 9601/9605/9606/9609/9610/9613/9615/9617, does anyone know the number for the ninth?
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