 |
|
|
|
|
|
Forum
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Guys,
I left the hobby for the most part, from 1995 or so, until 2004.
I missed alot, but there is a lot going on today.
We often try to be "pure" but we also often are hobbyists.
Here are a few comments you may or may not want to ponder.
The Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corporation now owns the BNSF
Railway, which is a subsidiary. There is no longer a Burlington Northerm (and) Santa Fe Railroad.
NREX 9402 which is identified by several of us as an SD 40-2 is actually an SD 40-2B, which is what is says on the cab window.
The UP E units are almost universally labeled as E 9s or in the case of the B unit, E 9B. They are not E9s. There are E 38-2s. One noted fan here posted a picture on a site an said it was good to hear the whine of 6 567s when they were in Saint louis recently.
One example of the confusion that can be caused when we are hobbyists as opposed to correct.
Is CNW 8575-UP 9087 a C 41-8 or a C 42-8?
UP AC45CW-CYTE is the common description used on one site, where in most other cases they are ES44ACs. Which is really correct? Are the UP units exactly like the others, or do they have some modification or option that makes them different?
What is an SD 40-3, an SD 40 or SD 40-2 built to current standards to some degree? Or are they really SD 40Us and SD 40-2Us?
What about and SD 40-2 or SD 40-2M? In the case of former SD 45s or SD 45-2s? Are for cylindars shut down? New power plant? Deturboed?
Are some of these SD 45Ds or SD 45-2Ds, my example of what they could be.
UP has some GP 38-3s. Are they what I would call a GP 40D or do they now have a new power plant and current wheel slip-electronics?
Years a go, I was a long student of Extra 2200 South. They went a long way in creating ans or standardizing unit desognations for use by hobyyists.
I don't know how we would pull it off, but I think we could use the effort today.
Reply
To This Post
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Wow, this has become a hot topic! I know, this has been a problem for quite some time. I never really brought it up, I just fixed it to how I thought it should be. I guess my interpretation is this: The locomotive should be listed as it is shown with the reporting marks, regardless of who owns it. Chances are that is how it shows up in the railroad computer system and how it is tracked by the railroads.
Models....that is a whole new can of worms. When I first started listed the models in the drop down, my idea was that only the main models would be shown....then if there was anything different about it to make a note. That didnt work so great, so I started listed everything. Another thing that makes things bad it how each railroad has their own way of giving them designations.
This is kinda why I got burnt out on the roster thing. I enjoy doing it as I like organizing information. But there are so many different areas that are grey.
~Matthew
Reply
To This Post
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
*WARNING, this is a long reply*
This is what I know from reading in Extra 2200 South, Diesel Era and on Loconotes. The SD40 came first in 1966, it used the same basic eletrical controls that the GP30 introduced several years prior. Then in 1972 EMD came up with the "Dash 2" system that is more or less several upgrades at one time...inproved eletrical controls in the cabinet, use of the AR10 altanator and on the SD series sightly different truck design. This change was made "across the board" on all then current production models; thus why there is SD40-2, SD45-2, GP38-2, and GP40-2. When EMD built the GP15 in the late 1970s, they didn't use the AR10, but instead the generator of the trade in; thus why they were sometimes called GP15-1. The 60 series line introducded what is often called the "dash 3" line since they have a OEM microprosser for improved prime mover management and tractive effort control. When rebuilding became really popular in the 1990s several railroads wanted to upgrade their SD40 fleet to get a better return on their investment. The ones that are labeled "-3" have electronic controls for the traction, and other related controls that took the place of solid state that was introduced by the "dash 2" line. EMD rebuilt a microprossor SD40 in the late 1990s, it was painted in the current EMD scheme of "wine and silver" paint and numbered 2000 (there is a photo of it on this site). In the process EMD upgraded the controls, main altenator and swaped the trucks that it rides on. EMD was never able to sell the model to Class 1 railroads since companys like Morrison-Knudson VMV basically had the market in their respective corners.
NREX 9402, as the notes say the frame started life as a SD45T-2, but for some reason NRE rebuilt it with a SD40-2 carbody (the sight glass is a give away for the "Dash 2" line). The reason for the "B unit" status is that either the railroad that is leasing it or NRE choose not to maintain the FRA required cab items (ie control stand, required number of seats, or toliet) and most likely removed them; you don't nessary need all those items on every locomotive, but you do need the tractive effort/horsepower of every unit. That was UP's thinking when they converted allot of their SD40-2 fleet to SD40-2B back in the early 1990s. The cost with mantaning all of those items in the cab addes up; it is sometimes cheaper to just mantain the running gear/power equpment and remove the items out of the cab. The "Do not occupy" is a FRA requirement when the unit is not complant on FRA mandated cab items.
UP's "E fleet" has been rebuilt with V16 645E powerplants that are in equal ratings as a GP38-2. Each unit only has one 645, instead of the each haveing two V12 567C that they were orginally built with. They are naturally aspirated just like a GP38-2 and aren't turbochared like a GP40-2. UP chose the step up so that if the E fleet is in North Little Rock, Seattle, Houston or where ever and something breaks on one of the motors...just about any shop trades man can work on it. There aren't as many 567 men out there as there used to be. The 567 powered locomotive numbers are dropping each year (I think UP has one SW10 with a 567 in it; KCS has 3 with their A-B-A business train).
The UP GP38-3 that is running around that looks like GP40. Those are rebuilt GP40 that have been de-turbo'd. They are the same horsepower as a GP38/GP38-2 since they have the same block. And considering that they have been labeled by UP as GP38-3, I would assume that there has been something added to the traction system to improve them from the level of standards EMD built the orginal GP38-2 with.
As far as the GE stuff, I have no clue. Just remember it isn't just a GE thing, look at the orginal SD70 series (SD70/SD70MAC) they were a 4,000 horsepower model. The SD75 was the 4300 horsepower model. Some of the last BNSF SD70MAC orders along with the current production SD70ACe/SD70M-2 are 4,300 horsepower models. I don't want to get into the politics about the use of the SD70M-2, that is a whole nother can of worms that I care not to open.
Reply
To This Post
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
