As an SP fan and model railroader, can anyone comment if any Tunnel Motor’s still operate in UP service or any other service? When watching DVD’s with genuine sound, these locomotives just sound great. Any preserved or on tourist operations?
Yes. I see tunnel motors often on the UP coastline between Burbank Junction and Oakland.
I still occasionally see tunnel motors around here in the Chicago area from UP and leasing companies. I’ve also seen TRRA and rebuilt DM&IR tunnel motors, even though the unrepainted DM&IR ones are falling fast.
Thanks for the response. Maybe time toplan a trip to see some.
The KCS still runs tunnel motors that they acquired some years ago from the UP. IIRC they were originally SP engines.
Mark
B&LE also has some tunnel motors (900 series) that are still in service. RailAmerica may also have a few.
railamerica rr’s TPW, KYLE, IORY and some others have tunnel motors still in SP paint
I completely forgot about the TP&W! Some of the ones on RailAmerica are pretty much unpatched except for a tiny CEFX under the cab, that’s it. The SP on the front is also painted over, but at least in matching paint.
there is one on the IORY that still has SP on the front the CEFX markings are mostly worn off on most if not all CEFX ones i know the ones on the TPW have worn off
I regularly saw one in SP paint sitting in the A yard in Logansport, IN. I haven’t been through there in a year or so, though.
TP&W has several ex-Cotton Belt units leased from CEFX. Last time I saw one of those was out at Hoosier Lift.
R J Corman has some tunnel motors it uses in Kentucky and West Virginia. Units were originally Espee and Rio Grande. They keep their snoot nose over in West Virginia near Mount Hope.
The New York, Susquehenna & Western (Susie-Q) has some tunnel motors that are used on the regular road freights. They also acquired a handful of other units recently, but it’s good to see something unique like these.
I sometimes see them around the Houston area but they are getting harder to find. I don’t think there are any SD45 versions of the design on UP’s roster. This is the wrong time to have a 20-cylinder engine on the roster anyway.
I know the California State Railroad Museum has a SD45T-2 that they try to keep running.
According to “The Diesel Shop” as of 6/6/2008, the UP still rosters 145 Tunnel Motors. All are SD40T-2 or SD40T-2R models. They are also leasing approximately 43 additional units from General Electric Capital and Helm.
Without a doubt most remaining tunnel motors, both SD40T-2 and SD45T-2 are in lease service and used generally as trailing units. Also, many of these lease units are in still in original UP, SP and DRGW paint.
Lots of tunnel motors running on the UP here in Wisconsin…
Phil