Commercial Rail Industries (California Southland)’s GE Dash 8 Fleet

History: Between 2016 and 2018, Commercial Rail Industries Inc., better known across the western rail scene as California Southland, began rapidly expanding its locomotive roster through the acquisition of large numbers of secondhand GE Dash 8 locomotives from CSX Transportation. The company targeted Dash 8 locomotives due to their relatively low purchase cost, high horsepower, proven reliability, and continued usefulness in heavy freight and local service despite their age. The first major acquisition program took place from late 2016 into 2017 and consisted of 25 GE C40-8 locomotives formerly operated by CSX. These units arrived in multiple waves and retained much of their original appearance upon delivery. Most still wore faded CSX YN2, YN3, or YN3b paint schemes, although the locomotives were patched with new CRIX reporting marks and California Southland identification. Several units also retained visible evidence of their former owners, including patched numberboards, worn CSX logos, and weathered body panels. The first batch included units 7489, 7500, 7517, 7518, 7523, 7528, 7534, 7535, 7541, 7542, 7545, 7552, 7561, 7575, 7585, 7594, 7595, 7605, 7609, 7620, 7622, 7627, 7635, and 7643. After the success of the C40-8 fleet, California Southland expanded further in 2017 with a second batch consisting of 16 GE B40-8 locomotives. The B40-8 fleet included units 5930, 5933, 5936, 5943, 5946, 5948, 5956, 5958, 5963, 5966, 5967, 5968, 5972, 5973, 5974, and 5976. Like the earlier C40-8s, most of these locomotives arrived directly from CSX service still wearing faded blue-and-yellow paint schemes with only minimal patching at first. The third and final Dash 8 acquisition batch arrived in 2018 and consisted of a smaller but more modern fleet of 6 GE C40-8W locomotives. These units included 7655, 7727, 7797, 7835, 7875, and 7898. Compared to the earlier standard-cab Dash 8s, the C40-8Ws offered improved crew comfort and visibility, making them highly desirable for long-distance assignments and leased freight operations. Several of these units retained prominent CSX features even after entering CRIX ownership, including original warning labels, cab interiors, and patched numbering styles. In total, Commercial Rail Industries acquired 47 Dash 8 locomotives across the three classes. This massive acquisition program transformed California Southland from a relatively small regional operator into one of the most recognizable independent Dash 8 leasing fleets in the western United States. As the fleet expanded, several locomotives were selected for full repainting into the California Southland paint scheme. However, despite the new branding, ownership remained under Commercial Rail Industries and the locomotives continued carrying CRIX reporting marks. The Dash 8 fleet quickly became the backbone of California Southland operations. The locomotives could regularly be seen hauling manifest freight, grain trains, industrial transfers, and bridge traffic across the company’s system. In addition to in-house operations, many units spent time leased to short lines, regional railroads, and even larger freight carriers needing temporary power during locomotive shortages or traffic surges. Throughout the late 2010s and into the 2020s, Commercial Rail Industries continued purchasing additional secondhand Dash 8 locomotives from various sources to further strengthen the fleet. While many railroads across North America retired or scrapped their Dash 8s in favor of newer power, California Southland instead embraced the aging GE locomotives and built much of its identity around them. Thanks to continuous maintenance, overhauls, and occasional upgrades, many of the original CRIX Dash 8s remain active today, continuing to operate both on lease assignments and across the California Southland system itself.

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