Western Railroad Discussion > Where are the EMD GP40's?

What became of EMD's GP40 units? There were a lot of them running around on Class One railroads at one time.

The Utah Railway, a Class III carrier rosters a pair of former CSX (ex-B&O) GP40's built in 1966. Here's the 3001 doing a little switch work at the Midvale, Utah team track last September.

James

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As you yourself can observe, some have moved on to new owners. The backbone of Guilford Transportation Industries' fleet is GP40s, all of them second-hand. Many shortlines have bought them in small bunches, too.

Others became rebuild fodder. There are former-GP40 platforms in service on Shore Line East and NJ Transit, just to name two commuter agencies that have them. The Kankakee, Beaverville & Southern's six-unit primary fleet are all former GP40's rebuilt as 2,000-hp roadswitchers.

Of course, I'm sure a lot were just plain scrapped.

CSX still has quite a fwe of them running around.

Actually, what CSX has running around in numbers are GP40-2s. Big difference, in that they have the upgraded, more reliable Dash 2 electrical cabinet. That is why the first generation GP38s and 40s were retired en masse from most of the class 1s in recent years, since the old electrical systems were harder to maintain and the generators less reliable than alternators that came with the Dash 2s.

As Mr. Patch mentioned, the GP40s have made good rebuild fodder, since they can be deturboed and upgraded to Dash 2 or Dash 3 standards, and you've got the GP38 that so many shortlines and regionals are seeking. I'm sure plenty were torched before the rebuild market really kicked in, but now, a GP38-2 is one of the highest priced locomotives on the resale market due to demand.

Reason is, those nearly 50 year old geeps running around on the shortlines are getting very tired, and with today's heavier freight cars, they can't pull but a handful of cars on lines with any substantial grades. GP38s represent a reliable workhorse without the hassles of a turbo, which isn't really needed on a shortline operation anyway. I believe we are watching the GP38 slowly but surely become the benchmark shortline/regional unit, and the seemingly ever present GP9 types will become less and less the standard.

Mike Derrick
http://www.shortlinesusa.com

I believe the BN (Oops, I mean BNSF) still has GP-40's, at least the last time I was in Vancouver, WA yard.

If you love GP40 and GP40-2 locos, you'll love FEC. Until the new SD70M-2 locos arrive.

KCS has three straight GP40s on the roster, numbered 3150-3152, which came to it by way of the Gateway Western.

It also has a large number of rebuilt '40's of various heritages as well.

NS still has a few GP40s on the roster in the 1300 series. AFAIK all have high short hoods.

dharris Wrote:
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> CSX still has quite a fwe of them running around.

As someone else mentioned, CSX has quite a few GP40-2's (the largest fleet
of them I think), but don't roster any GP40's (or GP38's). All have been
retired and either traded/sold, converted to slugs, or made into remote control
drones.

mderrick Wrote:

> Actually, what CSX has running around in numbers
> are GP40-2s. Big difference, in that they have
> the upgraded, more reliable Dash 2 electrical
> cabinet. That is why the first generation GP38s
> and 40s were retired en masse from most of the
> class 1s in recent years, since the old electrical
> systems were harder to maintain and the generators
> less reliable than alternators that came with the
> Dash 2s.

The straight GP40 had an alternator/rectifier. EMD, GE, and Alco all went with alternators in their 3000hp models.

BNSF has 28 of these 40's. Remanufactured to 40-2 standards.
Roger Beckett

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UP converted a number of their ex SP, SSW, and DRGW GP40's into UP GP38-3's.

Ted Curphey
funnelfan@yahoo.com

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funnelfan Wrote:
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> UP converted a number of their ex SP, SSW, and
> DRGW GP40's into UP GP38-3's.
>
> Ted Curphey
> funnelfa

> 10;@yahoo.c

> 11;m


These units were not converted by the UP and were not of SP or SSW heritage. There may be a couple former DRGW units in the mix, but all of the GP40M-2 rebuilds that SP/SSW picked up from MK are still turbocharged GP40M-2's. The GP38M-2 and GP38M-3 rebuilds that are on UP were rebuilt by Morrison Knudsen.

Bryan Jones

redneckrailfan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> funnelfan Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > UP converted a number of their ex SP, SSW,
> and
> > DRGW GP40's into UP GP38-3's.
> >
> > Ted Curphey
> > funnelfa

> > 10;@yahoo.c

> > 11;m
>
>
> These units were not converted by the UP and were
> not of SP or SSW heritage. There may be a couple
> former DRGW units in the mix, but all of the
> GP40M-2 rebuilds that SP/SSW picked up from MK are
> still turbocharged GP40M-2's. The GP38M-2 and
> GP38M-3 rebuilds that are on UP were rebuilt by
> Morrison Knudsen.
>
> Bryan Jones

The SP GP40M-2's rebuilt by MK remain on the roster as GP40M-2's. As for the GP38-3's rebuilt out of GP40's...a good number of them are former DRGW GP40's (am unsure of the heritage of the others). Interesting variations in them...most are like the one pictured, retaining the 3 fans of the GP40, but, some have lost their forward fan. There was a big batch done around 1997, originally numbered in the 2400 series (#'s later taken by SD60M's), but the DRGW GP40's have continued to be converted into GP38-3's in dribs and drabs over the years.

Red Wrote:
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> The SP GP40M-2's rebuilt by MK remain on the
> roster as GP40M-2's. As for the GP38-3's rebuilt
> out of GP40's...a good number of them are former
> DRGW GP40's (am unsure of the heritage of the
> others).

Those would be of B&O, C&O, Chessie System, etc.. heritage. Visitors to the Boise area back when the MK-500s were new will remember seeing lines of GP-40s and such stored here and there.


TCS - various states of disrepair