Something different for me


wheeler1963

Aurora & Portland Owner
Before my love of switchers, before my love of GP60's, my first love in model railroading was the SD40-2. So I have been quietly collecting a new fleet.

I am refocusing my era to 1980-1990 loosely. So the SD40-2 was still in abundant use on most railroads.

I have some already on my Aurora & Portland. So now I am focusing on the RR's that I will interchange with. Those being:
Illinois Central (Parent Company)
Burlington Northern (early BNSF patches allowed)
UP (ex-SP, SSW patches allowed)

Here's what I have so far.

20191203_200511.jpg
 
Gee, Jerome, I wouldn't have thought there was that many BB SD40-2's left! I had a couple of BNSF heritage 1 BB's early in the piece until I upgraded to the RTR's. As I recall they gave you the option in the box of the wire, or the Celcon plastic H/rails. Eventually sold them to a club member who only wanted the chassis, trucks and drive to put into an Aussie diesel he was scratchbuilding.
 
Nice looking fleet!
The SD40-2s (Jimmies) are a favorite of mine as well, I have several Including a CP “red barn”.
I remember seeing them for the first time, they were monsters!
I saw one the other day running between a couple 90's, looked like a toy.
 
Nice looking fleet!
The SD40-2s (Jimmies) are a favorite of mine as well, I have several Including a CP “red barn”.
I remember seeing them for the first time, they were monsters!
I saw one the other day running between a couple 90's, looked like a toy.

Rick, I see them on the local CSX switcher jobs here at Ft. Bragg every now and then.
 
No need for all of that. Blue Boxes work pretty good for me.
Until you break one have have to try to get parts....Don't ask me how I know.

But I like them as well. Once lubed and wheels cleaned they work very well. even the sintered iron wheels. Turns out I have several.
 
Several of the parts I've had to find as I didn't want to scrap any of the recent auction finds....I hate you!

lol

But something I do see me doing in the near future as I have a ton of older engines of various brands that don't run that may yield desired parts.
 
Several of the parts I've had to find as I didn't want to scrap any of the recent auction finds....I hate you!

lol

But something I do see me doing in the near future as I have a ton of older engines of various brands that don't run that may yield desired parts.
Patrick, every time I retire an old engine for whatever reason, I strip it down of everything usable. When Athearn announced they were selling to Horizon Hobbies, I figured they would kill of the blue box line. Glad I got a head of the curve on that.
 
I'm still in the process if figuring out what I've got and what I want to do. I'm going to have to repaint some of what I've got at some point. Some of my others may get sold off or stripped. While I've been in the hobby a long time, (I always have had trains in the house since before high school) I didn't really start having time to do anything with them until recently.
 
Dennis, that is a GP40-2. A 4 axle unit versus the SD40-2 being a 6 axle unit.
If it's a 4 axle, then the slightly flared outward radiators at the rear, identify it as a GP40X. What is unusual though are the fans. Four towards the rear and one for the dynamics. Other photos of GP40's show only 3 fans to the rear. If it was a 6axle SD45, it would be 3 rear and 2 dynamics.
As this one is in passenger service, it had a steam generator and was classed as a GP40P. Looking up rrpicturearchives.net for NJ Transit (NJT) they show GP40P's and supposedly 1 pic of a GP40P-2, only the latter while listed has no pic. So, here is GP40P's rear view showing the flared radiators not extending right to the rear of the long hood 6/20/1987
1575629684244.png

and the same loco 7/10/2010 with the radiator flares extended back
1575629906657.png

So, the one you are seeing #4217 is modified one of these. Whether a GP40P or a GP40P-2 is a guess, but I would plump for the latter, having been upgraded to -2 electronics. Whether that is a fan on top, or something else, you'll have to hitch a ride and climb up to verify.
 



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