According to L. A. Marre’s “Diesel Locomotives: The First 50 Years” EMD produced 6 SD40 prototypes for UP in1965. They had SD35 frames but shared the production SD45 radiators. I believe I saw it in the last year or two. The two prototypes SD40’s you maybe refering to had the SD35 frames but were built with the same radiators as production SD40’s.There also was a GP40 prototype with sloping radiators built for the IC and # 'ed 3075. My disapointment comes from the fact is I did not get the unit # and am not sure if it was the shorter SD40 prototype (rebuilt) or just a rebuilt 45? Does anyone know if UP still roosters any of the eight orginal SD40’s prototypes? They would be 40 years old by now and were # 'ed 3040-3047 when built. Here’s what one looked like 18 years ago. http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=201600
Don Strack’s Utah Rails gives the last operational date for the UP SD40Xs as 1992. There was one of these units in the preservation fleet a couple of years ago, but I heard it has been scrapped. To my knowledge the only operating SD40Xs are the one on CN/IC and the one on W&LE.
What you most likely saw rrandb was a rebuilt SD45.
Check a roster someplace! With most EMDs, parts can get swapped around from unit to unit during a rebuild, so sight glasses on the hood can disappear from a unit that has one, or appear on a unit that didn’t previously. Trucks can be changed somewhat easily as well, somewhere I have pictures of a CP engine with one EMD-made truck and one Dofasco-made truck!
Of course, with Helm and other leasing companies, their rosters change on a very-frequent basis, so getting the correct information can usually take a little digging. Fortunately, RRPA.net does a good job of figuring out what an engine is, but they’re not perfect.
Somebody mentioned that MRL has a SD45-2 with flared radiators. Technically correct, as this is a 3600hp, 20-cylinder engined, SD45 with dash 2 electronics. But it was rebuilt to be that way, having left EMD some 35-40 years earlier as a standard SD45! “Real” SD45-2s all had straight radiators, and are thus more “boring” than the 45s with flared radiators.
On a related note, I regularly see people asking about CP’s “GP40Xs”… which they were when they left EMD! But they are now GP38-2s, rebuilt by NRE. Note that there is no “M” in there either! [;)] GP38-2s are now popping up everywhere, in almost any kind of configuration – some built from GP40s that have three fans (like UP 1022), some built from GP40s with two fans (i.e. middle fan removed, like WSOR 3805 or CP 4520 built from a GP50), some built from GP38s, and I think there may even be some built from GP39s! And there are some (WSOR’s are notable) that are not -2s, just standard GP38s (or GP38ACs since all have an alternator), though they were marketed
Yes I must agree. As mentioned I was quite surprised as it looked like a standard SD45 but was labeled SD40R-2. I am sure the 20 cyl was replaced with the 16 cyl engine at the rebuild. Or did UP only derate the 20 cyl turbo?
CN/IC have no SD40 with flared radiators. They do have the first SD40 made, on an SD35 shell none the less. IC 6071.
Alec
The 6071 (ex GM&O 950, nee EMDX 434) never had flared radiators, as someone above said. Although it appears to have a GP35/SD35 radiator assembly. The rest of the SD35X’s went to UP, and those had flared radiators i believe.