Western Railroad Discussion > UP SD70M's, with a notch-nose

I noticed on the Dunsmuir Cam, at 6:59 this morning (7-23-14), notch-nosed unit # 4847 was the last engine in the consist. It appears that there were 13 constructed in Nov and Dec, 2002, made this way, but the others in the number series, on both sides,
were made with the regular nose. Do any of you "TO" experts know the reason for the difference??

Frank, in Tennessee

GP30Frank Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I noticed on the Dunsmuir Cam, at 6:59 this
> morning (7-23-14), notch-nosed unit # 4847 was the
> last engine in the consist. It appears that there
> were 13 constructed in Nov and Dec, 2002, made
> this way, but the others in the number series, on
> both sides,
> were made with the regular nose. Do any of you
> "TO" experts know the reason for the difference??
>
>
> Frank, in Tennessee

These were, as I recall, the ones built with the desktop controls but the "Fire Screens" as they called them. Am not sure why they applied the similar notched nose to these as they applied to the last built: the UP 5127-5231 Class Units which were a large add-on order built pretty much to NS Specs at the end of 2004 with AAR Control Stands and standard 26L control stands right before the SD70ACes (at EPA Tier 2) were coming out in January, 2005. But not sure why they made the noses different on this small batch in the middle of a production one on the class you talk about--interesting question. I caught a few of these.

I considered the last of them with their heavier weight and the AAR Control Stands (UP 5127-5231) my favorites, as I did the many NS SD70Ms I caught on my subdivision(s)...

Photos?

electromac Wrote:
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> Photos?

I don't have any photos, but you can look at the Dunsmuir Cam, at the time I mentioned, OR look at an entry by FrontRangeTrains, on 7/20/14 ( Photo # 7)

Think you got that wrong. The one order of NS SD70Ms was an add-on using essential the UP spec ...

Labiche Wrote:
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> Think you got that wrong. The one order of NS
> SD70Ms was an add-on using essential the UP spec
> ...

Nope, I didn't get it wrong. There was an initial addon order in 2000 (early in the game) for a small number of EMD SD70Ms that were indeed an addon order to the historic initial order of UPRR 1,000-unit (followed by many more) order of SD70Ms, and the only NS SD70Ms to be equipped with desktop controls.

Skip forward a few years and the Norfolk Southern decided that they greatly liked the EMD SD70Ms. With a good amount of orders for them. And therefore, ordered their own SD70Ms, just as they had their GE C44-9W fleet with standard AAR "SD40-2-Style" control stands, but blended with a mini-desk and computer screens mixed with analog gauges (at least on the EMDs).

Jump forward to 2004, and after the UPRR had ordered a substantial amount of GE C44ACs and EMD SD70ACes and was facing the far more costly Tier 2 units (the GE ES44AC GEVOS & the EMD SD70ACes, which the UPRR had on order), the UPRR went OFF Capital budget and ordered the UP 5127-5231 Class SD70Ms. Which were indeed, a last-minute, addon order to that year's rather large NS SD70M order and to the NS specs, even regarding weight. As I've run many of all 3 versions, the early 2004 UP units with the desktop controls and standard UP weight, the then-standard NS SD70Ms with notched nose and AAR control stands, and the virtually identical UP 5127-5231 Class units which matched the existing NS production line units in weight, notched nose, and cab interior layout and AAR Control Stand. So both RRs traded off "addon orders" on EMD SD70Ms. But the NS 2000-model year SD70M addon order (to UP specs) was only about 10 units, as I recall, and the vast minority of NS SD70Ms. Most of the NS SD70Ms are of the notched nose variety and virtually identical to the UP 5127-5231-Class. And as I say, those later-model NS SD70Ms and that last-minute 2004-model UPRR order...truly my favorite EMD SD70Ms, perhaps my favorite EMDs of all time to run!

Red Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> Skip forward a few years and the Norfolk Southern
> decided that they greatly liked the EMD SD70Ms.
> With a good amount of orders for them. And
> therefore, ordered their own SD70Ms, just as they
> had their GE C44-9W fleet with standard AAR
> "SD40-2-Style" control stands, but blended with a
> mini-desk and computer screens mixed with analog
> gauges (at least on the EMDs).

The control stands in the NS/UP SD70M were not a NS design, but from the EMD/BLET joint venture.

The NS design is to have the screens up top of the stand, like the D9-40C, D9-40CW, ES40DC, ES44AC after the first order, SD70, SD70ACe.

>
addon
> order to that year's rather large NS SD70M order
> and to the NS specs, even regarding weight.

Par UMLER

The early UP units weigh 389K lbs
The late UP units weigh 408K lbs (including the 5127-5231 group)
The NS units weigh 401K lbs

NS's third SD70M order and UP's last SD70M order do share a great many details, and both were last second add-ons but both were configured of each of the respective roads and not a combined order.

I suspect we will see the same thing happen again this year with roads stocking up on SD70ACe and ES44AC as production space allows.

> And as I say, those later-model
> NS SD70Ms and that last-minute 2004-model UPRR
> order...truly my favorite EMD SD70Ms, perhaps my
> favorite EMDs of all time to run!

Mine too, although the latest generation of ACe are nice.

BelltuckyFoamductor Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Red Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> >
> > Skip forward a few years and the Norfolk
> Southern
> > decided that they greatly liked the EMD SD70Ms.
> > With a good amount of orders for them. And
> > therefore, ordered their own SD70Ms, just as
> they
> > had their GE C44-9W fleet with standard AAR
> > "SD40-2-Style" control stands, but blended with
> a
> > mini-desk and computer screens mixed with
> analog
> > gauges (at least on the EMDs).
>
> The control stands in the NS/UP SD70M were not a
> NS design, but from the EMD/BLET joint venture.
>
> The NS design is to have the screens up top of the
> stand, like the D9-40C, D9-40CW, ES40DC, ES44AC
> after the first order, SD70, SD70ACe.
>
> >
> addon
> > order to that year's rather large NS SD70M
> order
> > and to the NS specs, even regarding weight.
>
> Par UMLER
>
> The early UP units weigh 389K lbs
> The late UP units weigh 408K lbs (including the
> 5127-5231 group)
> The NS units weigh 401K lbs
>
> NS's third SD70M order and UP's last SD70M order
> do share a great many details, and both were last
> second add-ons but both were configured of each of
> the respective roads and not a combined order.
>
> I suspect we will see the same thing happen again
> this year with roads stocking up on SD70ACe and
> ES44AC as production space allows.
>
> > And as I say, those later-model
> > NS SD70Ms and that last-minute 2004-model UPRR
> > order...truly my favorite EMD SD70Ms, perhaps
> my
> > favorite EMDs of all time to run!
>
> Mine too, although the latest generation of ACe
> are nice.

I trust your details--I just cannot believe that it's been a full decade since these units were delivered! And yes, I experienced the I-Cab UP SD70ACes and felt them to be superior to the earlier models as well (when new quiter on the inside than the older ACes and at least muted my big complaint about said units--the constant "racing" in Notch 3 from AESS start-to-stop, but at least muted by the new I-Cabs, and better riding than the I-Cabs when new from the much-older SD9043ACs and such--don't know how they've held up in that regard?), and suspect that the current SD70AH Heavies are even better? But have heard rumors? that the UPRR is indeed once again "going off book" for Capital Spending for a hundred extra EMD SD70AH units more than what was originally planned, sort of the way they originally ordered the 5127-5231 Class SD70Ms...