Old, beat up and to some, ugly…but it is hauling, at track speed of 45mph, 112 covered hoppers, both loads and empties, all by it’s lonesome.
On it’s way from BNSF’s Casey SIT yard to the PTRA’s North Yard.
There are those who think the end is near for these work horses, but when a old beater like this can still get up and go…
Nice shots, Ed![tup]
#7074 is an SD 40-2, built in July of 1978. I for one, think it is remarkable that units like this are still in use on the BNSF nearly 30 years after they first appeared on the BN’s roster.
CANADIANPACIFIC2816
It just goes to show what a good cadre of shop people can do, given the chance to do it!
Ed
matthew says thats a mookie special!!! nice shot!
stay safe
Joe
UP still has quite a few SD40-2s running–and around here, a lot of them seem to be former CNW units! Hard to believe that those would stay around while old UP units are disappearing; maybe it’s because they have the ATC and ATS needed for runs on this end of the pike. Still, you can see them any day of the week around here, thankfully. And you never hear too many discouraging words about them.
Do you think we’ll be saying the same about some of todays “new” locomotives 20 or 30 years from now?
Quite unlikely. Especially the GE’s.
I always thought the SD40-2’s were the best locomotive ever built. Dependable, predictable, comfortable, and quick-loading.
Almost all of the time that we see freight, we see 40’s. And that particular one is no exception.
Ed,
I am not surprised to see her on the main, it is the 112 cars that impresses me. Those flatlands sure do make a difference.
Mac
Heck, that is a late model. Most of the SD40-2s I run are 1973-74 built. The GP38s are older.
I see many UP SD40-2s here on the Adams line. Last week they used a tunnel motor on the wayfreight, and 2 SD40-2s on the Roadrailer. Can use the newer power elsewhere. I read somewhere that is is still cost-effective to run SD40-2s, as long as they are kept under 60,000 miles a year.
I think the EMD’s 645 will go down as one, if not the best, prime movers ever built.
They were and are the best locomotives ever built . The SD40-2 is the standard by which others will be measured for years to come . So far, no locomotive built after the SD40-2 has come close to the reliability, simplicity and ruggedness as the good ol’ 40-2. We should keep our eyes on the SD70Ms they seem to be pretty good. The SD90 is out of the runnning for sure, the newer GE’s are much better that the throwaways of the 60’s and 70’s .
I think it’s even more amazing that there are 30+ SD9’s running around on BNSF.
yeah. i see them on every train in Altoona. i hate it
AMEN!
How many SD40-2s does BNSF currently have?