Western Railroad Discussion > One Less Yellowbonnet

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On 11/17/2018, I photographed the freshly repainted  BNSF GP25 3166 outside of Mid-America Car in Kansas City, MO.  This unit had still been in Santa Fe paint, and at some point was derated from a GP50 to a GP25.  An early GP50, this unit was built in 1981 as the ATSF 3813.  Pretty astonishing to see a 37 year-old Geep getting new paint, when just earlier today, I was looking at a picture of a 15 year-old SOO Line U30C in a dead line waiting to get scrapped.

Thanks for looking,
- Jeff Carlson

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http://qstation.org/goldenstaterailfan/atsf/atsf3813.html

Well then.  That answers the question of how it ended up with the non-standard (for GP50s) smooth blower housing.

- Jeff Carlson

Plowhandle Wrote:
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> http://qstation.org/goldenstaterailfan/atsf/atsf38
> 13.html

Nice shot.  Glad to see the 4-axle power being re-built/re-painted for small locals and light rail branches/industrial tracks.
Brian Stevens

bnsfsd70 Wrote:
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> Well then.  That answers the question of how it
> ended up with the non-standard (for GP50s) smooth
> blower housing.
>
> - Jeff Carlson
>


Looks like the Phase I GP50s, including early Santa Fe engines like this one, had the smooth housing. (The later Santa Fe GP50s and the BN ones [excluding the Frisco order] had the other kind.)


 

Oh, I know what you're referring to, as seen on this builders photo, there are a pair of horizontal ribs on this unit's blower housing that're missing from the BNSF unit pictured.  These smooth housings could be found on earlier units, such as the GP40.

- Jeff Carlson

FiestaFoamer Wrote:
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> Looks like the Phase I GP50s, including early
> Santa Fe engines like this one, had the smooth
> housing. (The later Santa Fe GP50s and the BN ones
> had the other kind.)

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Gotcha, thanks for the clarification. Learned something new.

bnsfsd70 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Oh, I know what you're referring to, as seen on
> this builders photo, there are a pair of
> horizontal ribs on this unit's blower housing
> that're missing from the BNSF unit pictured. 
> These smooth housings could be found on earlier
> units, such as the GP40.
>
> - Jeff Carlson
>
> FiestaFoamer Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Looks like the Phase I GP50s, including early
> > Santa Fe engines like this one, had the smooth
> > housing. (The later Santa Fe GP50s and the BN
> ones
> > had the other kind.)