Western Railroad Discussion > GP40P-2

Spotted this from Frontrunner on the way to Salt Lake this morning sitting at the north end of Roper Yard.  Took me a second to realize what it was, then I got excited but it was too late for a picture. I got lucky that it was still there when I came home a few hours later, but between the fast moving Frontrunner and the lighting, my pic is awful. I know these were built for the SP commute service, but how many are left?  I don't think I ever saw one on the SP growing up in the Bay Area.  Didn't see my first SD45P until college, that was here in Utah, too.  That one wasn't an original SP unit. There is still some interesting stuff on the UP.  

Nathan

UP 1373 sitting with another Geep at Roper Yard



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/30/16 13:03 by atsf121.

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UP still owns two of the three GP40P-2s that were built for SP commute service.

UP 1373 (pictured above) started life as SP 3198 and later became SP 7601.

UP 1375 (ex-SP 7602, exx-SP 3199) is here in California, last seen working down in El Centro. 

SP 3197, the third and last GP40P-2, currently works for the Indiana Harbor Belt as their 4010. IHB 4010 has been rebuilt since its time with the SP/UP and no longer has the squared off long hood. 

With so many of SP's trademark locomotives gone from UP's ranks it is very cool that two of the old GP40P-2s continue to earn for UP, in my opinion the most historic locomotives on UP's regular roster (i.e. not including the 'heritage roster' 844, E units, etc.), nice find!

Ryan

 



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/09/17 21:08 by Cajon92.

 It would be a lot to hope for, but since all the SP SDP45s and FP7s and Alco PAs were destroyed, one of these working survivors would represent a last gasp to preserve a true SP passenger diesel-electric locomotive, and one built with a steam heat generator to boot.

~ BZ

Yes, one could hope that Uncle Pete would think about sweetening the pot it played when it took back 4014. The SP GP40P was a unique SP lokoie on several fronts. BTW, did these units get the SP speed lettering while they were still in commute service?

railwaybaron Wrote:

> BTW, did these units get the SP
> speed lettering while they were still in commute
> service?

Locomotives started appearing in SP speed lettering in mid-1991, several years after Caltrain took over the commutes.  Of the GP40P-2's, only the 7600 (former 3197) ever got speed-lettered.

Well-perhapso my old friend Fivechime can recall/resurrect from around 2002 when one of the EX SP GP40P-2s were parked right outside my office window circa 2002 when I was a UP RR Manager? Back when I used to write him & Fred Frailey pretty much DAILY. About the events of a former Army Captain with a Masters Degree who'd worked up from switchman, brakeman,and conductor to Boyhood DREAM of Hoghead. Yes! That most of ALL! But went into yardmastering, then mgmt.(Most Ive ever said about myself on here-but ehat the hell?) Nobody on here I much recognize any longer except the webmaster & Chris TOTH. And was once prolific here on TO-but other than memory joggers like this one-kinda frightening how the friends drop away... And a couple have passed into Heaven, but the GP40P-2 in my 3-Yard terminal was INDEED the 1973 and in the yard where my office was at to boot!!! And I kept it assigned to the job that parked next to the yard office except for a specisl reason except for when it needed servicing (was lucky it came in with a fresh 90-Day Blue Card!) I kept it around till FRA due date! Just as the unique GP40X 954 (only one more built of those for UP Proper)!!!(Isn't that GP40X still working on a shortline, BTW?). Which I also parked outside my office window-Añd took pains to run BOTH when on loçals!!! But it gladdens my heart that this old Fast Runner is still earning it's keep on the UPRR-one of 3 ever built-and truly hope that there are eventual preservation plans for this old warhorse-just think of the millions (?) of commuters who rode behind her on their way to work in the 1970s! Then her long career afterwards, still ongoing in local/switch service & the occasional mainline stint! Truly amazing! Two fast runners, the 1973 & GP40X 954 (she who once led the AMTRAK San Francisco Zephyr ahead of SP 40 then F40PHs at 90 MPH), what a history both of these units had! And how OLD it makes me feel remembering both models as state-of-the-art new models!!!

Posted from Android



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 12/03/16 23:05 by Red.

Hi Red,
Good to see you are still with us.
​Really did enjoy your posts. Always an interesting read.
Graham.

January 11, 2012 UP 1373, rare GP40P-2, was on the West Local, LDB17-11, headed west at Utah Junction north of Denver, CO.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/30/16 04:05 by cozephyr.

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Nathan, I'll add my image of the UP1373 to the others. I caught it June 3, 2015 at Skyline, Utah. Glad to see that it is still in Utah.

Dick Ebright
Roosevelt, Utah

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Here are a couple shots of IHB 4010, ex-SP 3197, trailing at Dolton Jct. in September 2015.

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Here are a couple of shots of them in service as UP 1375 on a local (Ft Worth, TX 4-07), SP 3197 on a special set of power  (Taylor yard Los Angeles, CA 1-76) and on a freight (Jack London Square Oakland, CA 12-75).
JB

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I have a picture somewhere of 1373 leading the south Local out of Denver.

Posted from Android

Here are two photos of 7600 in speed lettering on the UP (WP) Tidewater branch in Escalon, CA in 1`999.

Always been a favorite loco. One Sunday in 1979, heard it on the radio switching the small SP yard in Milpitas, CA, so went over to get photos. The engineer wanted photos of himself running it, so of course I obliged. Then he offered to show me how to un it, and I switched some auto racks with it! Quite an experience - different eara then.

Jim B

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Hi, Red!
I was overjoyed when my son told me this morning
that he had seen your post here.  We are both very
glad to see you back on Trainorders.  Welcome back!
I have missed your posts here. I look forward to reading
some more of your excellent posts and stories.  And thanks
for the brief bio.  You have had an interesting career with the
railroad -- done a lot of different jobs.

atsf121/Nathan ---
Thank you very, very much for startig this thread about those
2 SP GP40P-2s, and for the photo of the 1373 -- and she is
on the point too!  Great catch!  It is great documentation of
where she is now and what she is doing now, and what she
looks like now.  Thank you!  And your post started a great
thread, with a lot of wondefful photos and information about
these rare locomotives.  Thank you!

Cajon92/Ryan ---
Thank you very much for the fascinating info about 3 of my
beloved SP commute diesels of the 1970s, and for the great
photos of them.  I really appreciate that, being the huge SP fan
that I am, and being especially interested in the locomotives that
pulled the SP commute trains here on the SF Peninsula in the 1970s,
which is when I became a railfan.  Those are superb photos!

Notch16/BZ ---
I agree completely!  I would love to see all 3 preserved, and when
the former 3197, now the IHB 4101, is retired, I would really,
really love to see her painted back into her beautiful and elegant
and classy Bicentennial paint scheme -- and kept operational.  And,
yes, I will do what I can to help make that dream a reality.
(Hey -- I can dream, can't I?  <G>  And everything big that is done
always begins with a dream.)

Evan Werkema --
Thanks for the info that the 3197 did actually have SP speed
lettering -- as the SP 7600.  I did not know that until I real yuour
post.  (And here I had thought that you were mainly an authority
on the Santa Fe!  Glad your knowledge extends beyond Unle John's
railroad.  :)  )

cozephyr --
That is a gorgeous, stunning photo of the UP 13 73, nee SP 3198,
on the point in the snow -- a far cry from the weather she experienced
here on the SF Peninsula, and a long way from home.

Dick Ebright ---
That is a beautiful photo of the 1373 on the point of a freight in Utah.
She sure is looking good!  And, man, is that EVER a LOT of HPT!
Three big road engines for only one little bitty hopper car?  <G>  Yeah,
I know -- probably just a power move.  But it is still fun to think about
the enormous HPT for that little bitty train!   <G>  SO funny!

survivor --
Thank you very much for the two great photo of the IHB 4010.  I was
wondering if she was still working for her supper on the IHB, and now,
thanks to your excellent photos, I know she is, and I get to see what'
she currently looks like.  She's looking good!

3rdswitch --
Thank you very, very much for those wonderful historic photos of the
1375, the 3197 (superb photo!), and the 3198.  Priceless!  The 3197's
Bicentennial paint scheme is truly elegant and classy.

JimB --
Thanks so much for the two great photos of the SP 7600
with speed lettering.  I had not remembered that she ever
wore speed lettering.   The former 3197 is a particular favorite
of mine, too.  I am beyond glad that she is still working.

Cajon92 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> SP 3197, the third and last GP40P-2, currently
> works for the Indiana Harbor Belt as their 4010.
> IHB 4010 has been rebuilt since its time with the
> SP/UP and no longer has the squared off long
> hood. 
>
 You can get a good view of the rear of IHB 4010 in one of my photos in this thread:
http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,2530321,2530330#2530330
 

Red:  Great to see you have surfaced with the old spunk.  Looking forward to new posts.  You had a front row seat during some wild times through the merger years from a southern vantage point.  
JB - Omaha

 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/01/16 06:20 by Copy19.

Notch16 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>  It would be a lot to hope for, but since all the
> SP SDP45s and FP7s and Alco PAs were destroyed,
> one of these working survivors would represent a
> last gasp to preserve a true SP passenger
> diesel-electric locomotive, and one built with a
> steam heat generator to boot.
>
> ~ BZ

Don't overlook the preserved SP 6051!  I know you didn't mention E9's in your comment but the 6051 fits the description of being a true SP diesel-electric unit built with a steam generator.  

Thanks for all the info, stories, and pictures. I knew it was an unusual unit, but didn't realize it was so rare. I'm surprised that EMD would have only built 3, wonder if SP had to pay extra for the uniqueness factor.

Now I don't see JimB's story happening in this day and age, and I'm shocked by Dick's photo of it in coal service. But it's great to see all the various schemes these units have worn and that they are all still active, even if they aren't still in SP colors.

Nathan

Posted from iPhone

Helper, Utah, 7/6/2015.

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Neat, never knew they made it to Speed Lettering.
JB