Western Railroad Discussion > BNSF GP60s

Why did the Santa Fe order 40 GP60s with a traditional cab and blue and yellow paint?

Do the conductors prefer the units with the comfort cabs?

Why didn’t Santa Fe order any wide nose locomotives with blue and yellow paint?



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/27/22 07:31 by Sp1110.

The forty Blue and Yellow GP60s were ordered before the wide-nose cab was developed. I will leave the crews to state their cab preferences.

Sp1110 Wrote:
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> Why did the Santa Fe order 40 GP60s with a
> traditional cab and blue and yellow paint?
>
> Do the conductors prefer the units with the
> comfort cabs?

Most I ever spent in older cab units were a couple CP SD40 cowl units. I guess they were slightly more comfortable, but were early/primitive safety cabs and seemed not much better than standard cabs. Of course, the GP60 units came around later and would have had some upgrades to the safety cabs.

Posted from iPhone

A standard cab GP60 is much better then the GP60M cab. The M's had a funky cab and rode rough. They are a little better with the side stands but still wierd.

A retired engineer once told me that the GP60M's were "universally hated."  Enough said?

The two orders of standard cab GP60 were made before Mike Haverty resurected the "Warbonnet" color scheme.  Only one had been reapinted, I'm told on TO, but I have yet to see a photo of it.  176 has been touched up with the Santa Fe lettering on the long hood removed.  santa fe 199 has posted photos of it.  The rest remain in their as deliverred state.  I was told by a bnsf type that the lessor wanted it that way.  This got a boatload of derision here on TO, but most of the posters ASSUMED the road would buy them and not renew the lease, which appears to have happened.  This is the best information I have and hope it answers your questions.  

Nick Tharalson,
Marion, IA



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/27/22 20:02 by ntharalson.

On the GE side both G&W and Georgia Central have taken B40-8 units, both versions but the GP60s don't seem to have sold well. Might have
been another reason for retaining them.

Out 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/27/22 14:11 by callum_out.

Except for wrecked units only two GP60s have moved on to second owners, the two bought by Texas Mexican (KCS subsidiary) both of which were purchased by BNSF.  The three large owners of GP60 locomotives, UP, BNSF, and NS all owned GE B40-8 locomotives. Of these UP and NS disposed of all of them, while BNSF let some of them be returned to the lessor. Of BNSF's standard cab B40-8s, 33 are listed as stored pending sale (LUFS), and one listed as stored in Good Order (LUGO). A small number of the GP60 or GP60M locomotives are stored, but only small number of GP60B units, are listed in the LUFS category. 

callum_out Wrote:
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> On the GE side both G&W and Georgia Southern have
> taken B40-8 units,
>
> Out 

That is the Georgia Central (a G&W property), and theirs are ex NS B32-8s.

The B40-8s G&W bought are on the Arizona Eastern (AZER). They also some inherited via the acquisition of the Providence & Worcester (as well as B39-8s there).

Mike Derrick

Posted from Android

380 total of all variants.

Bill Miller
Galt, ON

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214 total both variants of B40's.  ATSF 560-582 were to be ordered as B-units like the GP60's but ATSF & GE made a deal on price to keep the cabs.

An argument could be made to include 145 B39-8's which would give a total of 359, almost equal to the GP60 total.

 

Bill Miller
Galt, ON



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/27/22 11:41 by CCMF.

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What happened to the EMD GP60 demos?

read across ....

Bill Miller
Galt, ON

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Thanks. For some reason that part didn't display on my screen.

Also, Withers Publishing ran an extensive article on the Santa Fe GP60 series. 

Peter

Those two oddballs are on their fourth owner now-- after TM, they went to Helm (HLCX), then Vermont Railway (VTR), and finally BNSF.

SOO6617 Wrote:
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> Except for wrecked units only two GP60s have moved
> on to second owners, the two bought by Texas
> Mexican (KCS subsidiary) both of which were
> purchased by BNSF.  

How many BNSF GP60s are HEP-equipped?

Sp1110 Wrote:
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> How many BNSF GP60s are HEP-equipped?

Why would any BNSF freight units be equipped to power passenger cars?

Posted from Android

Darren Boes
Lethbridge, AB
Southern Alberta Railfan

sarailfan Wrote:
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> Sp1110 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > How many BNSF GP60s are HEP-equipped?
>
> Why would any BNSF freight units be equipped to
> power passenger cars?
>
Good question, but to answer the original question, none.  

Nick Tharalson,
Marion, IA

callum_out Wrote:
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> On the GE side both G&W and Georgia Central have
> taken B40-8 units, both versions but the GP60s
> don't seem to have sold well. Might have
> been another reason for retaining them.
>
> Out 

One likely reason the GP60's may not have sold well is that these were essentially the last of the new high horsepower four axle power that Class One's purchased; their focus had gone to six axle power.

In local service, UP seems to like their GP60's.

wyeth Wrote:
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> callum_out Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > On the GE side both G&W and Georgia Central
> have
> > taken B40-8 units, both versions but the GP60s
> > don't seem to have sold well. Might have
> > been another reason for retaining them.
> >
> > Out 
>
> One likely reason the GP60's may not have sold
> well is that these were essentially the last of
> the new high horsepower four axle power that Class
> One's purchased; their focus had gone to six axle
> power.


Exactly! With the successful development of the EMD 3-axle HT-CR, Radial Truck (or referred to as the 'steerable truck), the railroads no longer saw a need for high HP 4-axle units. Plus, it became pretty difficult to produce high HP 4-axle units without exceeding 70,000 pound axle loading, especially when more and more customers were desiring 4000+ HP per unit.


> In local service, UP seems to like their GP60's.