Western Railroad Discussion > SD70AH-T4 on my Bucket List

exhaustED Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> None of the tier 4 locos have much in the way of
> an exhaust note, due to the exhaust gas
> recirculation they use. They almost sound like an
> electric loco because of this. Impressive though!
>
> Quite a distinctive horn sound as others have
> noted.

They sound like a diesel pickup dumping boost when idling.

Many years ago when BNSF got a set of EMD T-4 demos to try out. I caught them on a westbound train, and was very disappointed that there was next to no prime mover sounds. If you really wanted an experiance worth remembering, it was two sets of MRL 20-cylinder SD45's helping a coal load over Mullan Pass. Even when I lived in Cheney, WA at the top of the grade coming out of Marshall Canyon and had the patio door open, I always knew when a set of borrowed MRL power was bringing a westbound up the grade. You could hear those locomotives from miles away when they are working hard. Between the unsilenced turbo banshee scream and the EMD "drumbeat" bass, there is nothing in modern railroading quite like it.

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR

Grover Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I have heard that exhaust note is surpressed by fans. 
> Maybe I don't want to travel 3000mi to hear a
> vacuum cleaner!

You just gave yourself a great advice.

Both SD70AH-T4 and Tier 4 GEVOs sounds get severely drowned out if non T4 locomotives are in the consist... I know firsthand from isolating the sounds by recording videos of them as solo-DPUs. It's rare to see these new units as solo leaders.

The horns on the SD70AH-T4s are K5LAs, same as on most Amtrak locomotives. You can probably find Amtrak without travelling too far.

Every 30 days or so, you can catch one on UP's   X  T&P Little Rock to El Paso.zKind of a long wait.

Got lucky and chased a few pairs around Bone Valley in December of 2019 as they were testing in phosphate service..as others have mentioned, they don't really sound like anything, maybe an angry vacuum cleaner.

CSX 8905 with K371 at  Edison Fl on 12.21.19 (movie) and again at Mulberry and Bonnie Mine.

 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/01/26 19:57 by SOU3921.

---

---

You must be a registered subscriber to watch videos. Join Today!

this past month or so these have been seen in southern califonia 

3001  3003  3014  3024  3033 3034  3046  3056   3068  3074  3080  3081  3086  3088


often more than once on different days  different trains  on the San J Valley route  and the LA&SL route since January 

perhaps these  units are allocated in a pool based in Yermo or west Colton perhaps ?

today a westbound short manifest passed Cajon area in the morning with 3034-5259-3080-5572  and 58 cars  but   they were on a loaded coal train earlier in the week that came from the utah region



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/01/26 20:01 by bakersfielddave.

Grover Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'm an East coast "motorhead" and railfan.  I
> wish to experience a SD70AH-T4 locomotive with EMD
> 1010J prime mover under load.  Where can one go,
> with reasonable odds, to catch one of these
> locomotives?  NS cancelled their order, I believe
> CSX sent their demos back.  UP's roster implies
> they have a some; however, I'm not aware of their
> status.  Can someone help me plug my bucket
> list? 

I believe at least in my neck of the woods UP uses them regularly on unit coal/iron ore moves. For you depending where you are you can catch a runthrough one on a intermodal. 

Also Lake State Railway and CPKC recently ordered/purchased SD70ACe-T4s. If youre willing to drive to the great lakes or up by New York then there are some other options. 

CSX sent theirs back to PRLX and then to Mexico. From what I heard CSX crews didn't like it (?).

BrandonRC Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Grover Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I'm an East coast "motorhead" and railfan.  I
> > wish to experience a SD70AH-T4 locomotive with
> EMD
> > 1010J prime mover under load.  Where can one
> go,
> > with reasonable odds, to catch one of these
> > locomotives?  NS cancelled their order, I
> believe
> > CSX sent their demos back.  UP's roster
> implies
> > they have a some; however, I'm not aware of
> their
> > status.  Can someone help me plug my bucket
> > list? 
>
> I believe at least in my neck of the woods UP uses
> them regularly on unit coal/iron ore moves. For
> you depending where you are you can catch a
> runthrough one on a intermodal. 
>
> Also Lake State Railway and CPKC recently
> ordered/purchased SD70ACe-T4s. If youre willing to
> drive to the great lakes or up by New York then
> there are some other options. 
>
> CSX sent theirs back to PRLX and then to Mexico.
> From what I heard CSX crews didn't like it (?).

I heard the opposite. But with only 10 they were "orphans" and CSX wasn't buying anything new at the time.

Posted from Android

Once again, Thank you all for your informed responses!  I'm pleasantly surprised by the number of "motorheads" out there; I'm feeling more normal already!

Grover Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Once again, Thank you all for your informed
> responses!  I'm pleasantly surprised by the
> number of "motorheads" out there; I'm feeling more
> normal already!

You are definitely not alone! 

UP 3000-3003 (ex EMDX 1502-1505), and 3012, 3014-3090, 3092-3096 is the series.  All others cancelled.

Bill Miller
Galt, ON

I Agree with "Funnelfan". NOTHING quite like a set of EMD V16s in notch 8 screaming up a hill, taking off from a dead stop with a 10,000 ton train or with whaling dynamics coming to a stop.