Nostalgia & History > M/K 8301 Demo Unit

I've been scanning my slides from a 2-week road trip I took in 1984 and ran across a set of slides with M/K demo unit 8301 on the Katy in Kansas City on May 31, 1984. IIRC, part of this unit was built from the remains of an SP unit. I think these were supposed to be equivalent to an SD40-2 rebuild.

However, according to an M/K roster on the Diesel Shop web site the 8301 was an SD45Xm, former SP SD45X 9505 which was EMD SD45X 4203 and was scrapped in 1991. I think the long hood was one of the hoods from an SP DD35.

Anyone have more detail of this locomotive?



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 10/24/14 14:17 by CrudPunko.

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Here is what MK used to make the 8301. Boise, ID 5-20-79 I don't know if it was a demo, but perhaps it and the 8302 - 03 were just lease units? I didn't know the 01 was
reported scrapped in '91.

Keith A

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FT Wrote:
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> Here is what MK used to make the 8301. Boise, ID
> 5-20-79 I don't know if it was a demo, but perhaps
> it and the 8302 - 03 were just lease units? I
> didn't know the 01 was
> reported scrapped in '91.
>
> Keith A

Thanks Keith. I think the 8301 was a demo - at least that was its original intention. I know it ran a lot on the Katy, which is why it was in KC when I was there visiting. I'm too lazy to go browsing through years of CTC Boards to find out the details :-)

From what I was told MK 8301 was parted out and parts were used in the MK SD40M-2 rebuilding project it became one the MPI lease fleet units.
Ryan Ballard

During 1981, Shortline operator Wabash Valley moved it's Pennsylvania operations down to Kansas to run the Manhattan, KS to Belleville, KS section of the old Rock Island High Line. Among power used was the M-K 8301, along with sisters 8302 and 8303 in full Morrison-Knudson paint. M-K 4101 GP7 was there as well to complete the roster, and was usually used as the leader as the old RI line was in too poor of shape to be operated by the big six axle motors in the lead. They were then sent to Kansas City for use on the MKT.

The SD45X was sold to CC-LA and was shipped to their Alhambra, CA facility before being sold to MK-Boise. The long hood was from the one SP DD35 that was not sold and scrapped at Pacific Terminals and scrapped along with the two of the three SP U50s at the same time.

Mark Denis

balryan Wrote:
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> From what I was told MK 8301 was parted out and
> parts were used in the MK SD40M-2 rebuilding
> project it became one the MPI lease fleet units.
> Ryan Ballard


The MK #8301 was intended to be rebuilt again and become a 9000 series SD40M-2 but that didnt end up happening. The frame was found to be in poor condition (you can see how it sags badly in the photo) and the unit was retired as a result with mechanical components being salvaged and the remaining hulk cut up as scrap.

Bryan Jones
Brooks, KY
Bryan's Train Photos