Western Railroad Discussion > Why did some of UP's SD70M units come with P3 and K5LA horns?

Good Morning everybody. Why did some of UP's SD70M locomotives come with P3 and K5LA horns? UP doesn't normally use P3 or K5LA horns so what was up with the change of horns? Also what horns did the SP SD70M locomotives come with?

Nathan P-3 I believe.

The SP SD70Ms came with the most terrible sounding push button activated K3 horns you can imagine. They sounded so bad that
shop forces replaced some of them with the new cast Nathan P3 horns over time.

All the UP SD70Ms were delivered with K3 horns but as I mentioned to you previously, for a while, UP SD70M's were getting other
horns from local shop forces such as P3, P5, and K5LA horns.

Regards, Jim Evans

FiveChime Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The SP SD70Ms came with the most terrible sounding
> push button activated K3 horns you can imagine.
> They sounded so bad that
> shop forces replaced some of them with the new
> cast Nathan P3 horns over time.
>
> All the UP SD70Ms were delivered with K3 horns but
> as I mentioned to you previously, for a while, UP
> SD70M's were getting other
> horns from local shop forces such as P3, P5, and
> K5LA horns.
>
> Regards, Jim Evans

I recall the first order of UP SD70Ms were delivered with P3s. The vast majority of those of K3s now.

The early UP 4000 class locomotives must of had their P3 horns changed out for K3s very early. A photo of one with a P3 horn
would be interesting to see.

Regards, Jim Evans

For decades, the P3 was Southern Pacific's standard horn. A most beautiful sounding horn. The P5 was even better sounding in my view. I'm sure Union Pacific has some P3 horns laying around to put on locomotives that are in for repair or servicing. These K3 and K5 horns these days are not as melodic as horns of old.

SantafeRuss

According to a friend of mine who's in a position to know, in the latter 1990s, the UP went to EMD with a picture of an SP locomotive and said "we want more of these --- painted yellow of course". So that's what they got, SP locomotives, right down to the (SP) P-3 horns and the SP deadbolt lock on the nose door, which uses the flat, double-sided SP switch key, painted yellow of course. Apparently only one order was like this.

PeaBock619 Wrote:

> I recall the first order of UP SD70Ms were
> delivered with P3s.

From an old thread,

4000-4278: delivered with P3's
4285-4384 and 4562-4604: delivered with K5LA's
everything else showed up with K3HA's.

https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,58944

This thread shows nearly-new UP 4000 with a P3:

https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?11,3786234