Eastern Railroad Discussion > History of this "Rent a Wreck"

Saw this unit on the Sandpatch webcam on Sunday. Trailing unit on Q-217:




Does anyone know the heritage of the HLCX 6429 and what it was built from?

TWL

Looks like an ex-Santa Fe SD45-2. Also looks like they made some heavy mods to the radiator section - shorter SD40/40-2 style grills, and closer spacing on the radiator fans (new SD40-2 cores installed?).

PE

Someplace out there is a at one-time Tunnel Motor that had its radiator section replaced. This could well be that unit. I just read about it somewhere in the past 2 weeks, but, do not recall where, or whether they even mentioned it's number.

Sounds like you're thinking of NREX 9402 (ex-SSW 9402), which was an SD45T-2 that had its entire long hood replaced with one from an NS (SOU) SD40-2. The result was a VERY long rear porch. The unit in this thread still appears to be an SD45-2, albeit with a modified radiator section (new grills, new fan hatch). Also, the cab rooftop gear makes it appear to be an ex-ATSF unit, not SP/SSW.

PE

edhorm Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Someplace out there is a at one-time Tunnel Motor
> that had its radiator section replaced. This could
> well be that unit. I just read about it somewhere
> in the past 2 weeks, but, do not recall where, or
> whether they even mentioned it's number.

SP_8299 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Sounds like you're thinking of NREX 9402 (ex-SSW
> 9402), which was an SD45T-2 that had its entire
> long hood replaced with one from an NS (SOU)
> SD40-2. The result was a VERY long rear porch.
> The unit in this thread still appears to be an
> SD45-2, albeit with a modified radiator section
> (new grills, new fan hatch). Also, the cab
> rooftop gear makes it appear to be an ex-ATSF
> unit, not SP/SSW.
>
> PE
>

Actually, there have been several ex-Tunnel Motor rebuilds over the years. One of the first if not the first was HELM 8507 that was rebuilt from ex-SP SD40T-2 8507 around 1991. It featured a conventional SD40-2 radiator section. This unit was later sold to SW Portland Cement. There is also a ex-DRGW SD40T-2 that was wrecked and sold to a rebuilder. They in turn rebuilt it with a SD40-2 radiator section and sold it to CP Rail during the era when they were buying used SD40-2's. I don't remember the CP Rail number but I do remember that it wore a oxide red primer paint scheme.

keysubdiv Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Saw this unit on the Sandpatch webcam on Sunday.
> Trailing unit on Q-217:
>
>
>
>
> Does anyone know the heritage of the HLCX 6429 and
> what it was built from?
>
> TWL

here is the real deal regarding this unit. It was recently discussed on Loconotes and the heritage is confirmed.

This unit started life originally as an ATSF SD45-2. It was later rebuilt by the ATSF with a CAT prime mover and renumbered ATSF #5855. During rebuild it had the radiator section modified as seen in the photo. It was later sold to Morrison Knudsen who then leased it to the Utah Railway as Utah #9012. It suffered a prime mover failure while on the Utah and was re-engined at MK in Boise,Idaho with a 20-645, turning it back into an SD45-2. At the end of the lease with Utah it ended up being sold to Helm Leasing and ran for awhile as HATX #9012 on the Puget Sound & Pacific and later for a short time in general lease service. It was just rebuilt to SD40-2 specs a few months ago and is now classed as an SD40-2 and during rebuild was renumbered and given the gray dip paintjob. The few remaining Helm SD45's and SD45-2's are all being rebuilt to SD40-2 specs and going into the 6400 series.

Bryan Jones
Brooks, KY
Bryan's Train Photos

Thanks for the info. Here`s one more. This looks like a standard SD40 rear on a n SD40-2 making for an extra long rear porch. Anyone know what was up with it? And who`s blue paint scheme?

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/locoPicture.aspx?id=28594

TWL


redneckrailfan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> keysubdiv Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Saw this unit on the Sandpatch webcam on
> Sunday.
> > Trailing unit on Q-217:
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Does anyone know the heritage of the HLCX 6429
> and
> > what it was built from?
> >
> > TWL
>
> here is the real deal regarding this unit. It was
> recently discussed on Loconotes and the heritage
> is confirmed.
>
> This unit started life originally as an ATSF
> SD45-2. It was later rebuilt by the ATSF with a
> CAT prime mover and renumbered ATSF #5855. During
> rebuild it had the radiator section modified as
> seen in the photo. It was later sold to Morrison
> Knudsen who then leased it to the Utah Railway as
> Utah #9012. It suffered a prime mover failure
> while on the Utah and was re-engined at MK in
> Boise,Idaho with a 20-645, turning it back into an
> SD45-2. At the end of the lease with Utah it ended
> up being sold to Helm Leasing and ran for awhile
> as HATX #9012 on the Puget Sound & Pacific and
> later for a short time in general lease service.
> It was just rebuilt to SD40-2 specs a few months
> ago and is now classed as an SD40-2 and during
> rebuild was renumbered and given the gray dip
> paintjob. The few remaining Helm SD45's and
> SD45-2's are all being rebuilt to SD40-2 specs and
> going into the 6400 series.

AmericanLines Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> There is also a ex-DRGW SD40T-2 that was wrecked and sold
> to a rebuilder. They in turn rebuilt it with a
> SD40-2 radiator section and sold it to CP Rail
> during the era when they were buying used
> SD40-2's. I don't remember the CP Rail number but
> I do remember that it wore a oxide red primer
> paint scheme.

Doing a little google searching (assuming the sites are correct), it wasn't the red one. The
red one was 5447, which shows as being ex-CNW 6910. It was CP 5449, which was one of the
other two of the "three ugly sisters" (as I heard them called years ago :) that was painted
gray. 5448 was the other one, which was an SD40-2 (MP I think, without dynamics)