Well, my customer bought a locomotive at an online auction. Now What???

This locomotive is an EMD GP7U. It went through a major upgrade in 1980 by the ATSF and is now essentially a GP38. One of EMDs best locomotives.

My customer bought it based on my recommendation for use on a shortline freight railroad. The Wisconsin Great Northern Railroad will put this locomotive to good use.

This locomotive has been in captive "Mill Service" for many years and needs a bunch of work before it can be shipped to its new home. Since the FRA does not have control of anything within an industry, some of the maintenance and repairs have been neglected.

For this move, nothing has to be done with the engine or electrical. Just brakes, wheels, couplers, etc. All things I have dealt with in the past. But in this case, I have never dealt with a bigger group of incompetent people in my 25 year career of railroading. The inspectors on the first railroad were total idiots. We went through 4 different ones before we got anywhere.

It is now home, and I can guarantee I will never deal with Watco again. Absolutely the worst experience of my career. If you are an unfortunate customer of theirs, I feel very sorry for you and wish for their speedy demise and a new operator to take over. My absolute sympathy to all of their customers.

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