In locomotive classifications, how do you say the hyphens found in names? For example, in GE’s Dash 9-44CW, how would you properly say the hyphen between 9 and 44? Would you say it as “dash”, or possibly not pronounce it? I’m in the practice of pronouncing Dash 9-44CW as “Dash nine ‘dash’ fourty four see doubleyou” (I’m just spelling it out for clarification). Am I correct?
I agree with Mark…However, where you will hear the Dashes is in the other usage, such as how Conrail classified their GE’s. Instead of Dash-8 40CW, they stenciled their locomotives as C40-8W. so it was pronounced as C40 dash 8W. I use Conrail’s methods myself when identifying a GE. An NS Dash-9 40CW is a C40-9W to me. And I always pronounce the dash on EMD’s. although now, after no dashes on new EMD’s for 25 years, it will seem strange to go back to it with the new SD70M “dash” 2’s. Dave Williams http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nsaltoonajohnstown
I must be one of the only ones, but I never pronounce the dash in SD40-2.
I always just say, “There goes an SD40 … two.”
I don’t know how I picked that up, but I just figure they were such common power at one time, everyone knows what I’m talking about, as there weren’t any SD42s made.
on csx…tyat GE locomotive is defined as
CW-44-9…or if it is an AC traction loco…CW-44-9AC…
C= 6 axels W=wide body cab 44=the gross HP (4400hp) to the nearest hundreth -9 means the decade it was designed and like i said above AC=AC traction
a CW-40-8 is the same brakedown as shown above with the CW-44-9…
now if it has a B insted of a C…that means it has 4 axales insted of 6…
B-40-8 means 4 axled trucks 4000 HP and designed in the 80s…(no W means its not a widebody cab)
this system applyes to all GE power on csx…
csx engineer
I use the second hyphen, and ignore the, in my opinion, rediculous first hyphen (dash), for Eight Da***hirty-nine B, for SP’s 8-39Bs (which they called B39-8s).
I have been thinking about that fisrt hyphen. Here is my theory. As far as I know the first series of locomotives by GE was the Universal Series. The designations are UHP(in hundreds)#of axles, U28C being an example. The next series was the 7 series. In this series they flipped the placement of the series and the axle type, B30-7 being an example. Then came the 8 series. During this series GE flipped the location of the series and axles back to the original location (although it seems most railroads did not follow GE in this), the C40-8 was called the dash 8-40C (or 8-40C as I call it). My guess as to why the first dash is in there is that maybe some started call the 7 series the Dash 7 series and the dash in the beginning stuck.
Slight problem with that is that it starts to sound like you’re talking about a loco classified SD42, instead of SD40-2. I don’t know if such a loco exists, but it is confusing either way.
Actually, there were SD42’s. BNSF at one time had the SD42G (SD40-2 leased from GATX), SD42L (SD40-2 with LARS [Locomotive Analysis and Reporting System]), and SD42P (SD40-2 slug mother). I believe these units came from BN.
As for GE, I’ve always said it C 40 Dash 8 W, or C 44 Dash 9 W, and for the AC units I say C44AC instead of AC4400CW.
when talking about ge engines its just dash 8 or 9 when talking about emd its either a sd 50 60 or 70 if its a sd 40 that is all it is regardless if there is a dash 2 sd40-2 the 2 means absolutely nothing. Now i know you are going to yell about this stament but really what traction increase did the engine get . what dynamic increase did the unit get. in othe rwords there is no record of any traction increase or power increase to add a line to my timetable so we regard these as sd40s no more or less.
the only major diffrance with a -2 loco is the upgraded eletronics systems…which is why it makes a diffrance with the mechanical people…
csx engineer
Very true…other differences were cosmetic…later production 40-2’s exchanged the chicken-wire radiator grills for a ribbed style…and then the longer frame on the SD40-2…creating longer ‘porches’ on the ends. Dave Williams http://groups.yahoo.com/groups/nsaltoonajohnstown
I saw NS 8788 today. On the cab was decaled (or painted) D9-40C. What does the D mean?
The D stands for “Dash”. So instead of Dash 9-40C, its shortened to D9-40C.