Not to long ago, a new one-of-a-kind locomotive appeared from NRE’s shops (Which one I do not know)
The locomotive, designated as a Rebuilt SD40-2 was created from mating a Former Norfolk Southern/Southern SD40/40-2 Long hood with the Frame and Cab of Cotten Belt SD45T-2 #9402. Since then, the locomotive has been a hit with photographers, with its extra-long back porch.
Heres my question, one, does anyone know what NS locomotive donated its long hood to this odd-ball locomotive? And two, Has there been any thing else like built like this for use as a road switcher? I know that the MRS here in St. Louis has something like that, thier MRS 253 (Which is for sale for $150,000) and the BNSF has a SWBLW that mated a GP7 Hood with the Cab and frame of a Baldwin switcher.
This is one locomotive that I would really like to model.
As a result of the re-powering craze of the mid-1950’s, there used to be a fair number of Alco and Baldwin road switchers running around with 567 engines and EMD long hoods. MKT probably had the largest fleet of such conversions but they could be found on other roads. Some of EJ&E’s centercabs were re-powered with 567 engines and modified EMD switcher hoods and re-numbered in the 900 series.
[:P] I can’t help but think about the possibilities that could come from such a beast…like talking the crew into letting us set up a bunch of lawn chairs and umbrellas on that back porch and train watching from a mobile platform…wow!
