Western Railroad Discussion > EMD Demo SD70ACe How many? Link

Shot this in the KCS yard in E.St Louis about an hour ago. How many demos are painted up?



Thanks
Brian

railtrekker Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> How many demos are painted up?


Hi Brian-

There were a total of four SD70ACe's painted up in the blue and white scheme that you saw (GM 70 to GM 73). There were also two SD70M-2's painted up in a completely different scheme (GM 74 and GM 75).

I took this picture on New Years Day this year in UP's North Yard in Denver, CO. The unit was waiting to head south to the testing facility outside Pueblo, CO.

Kevin Morgan
The Front Range
http://www.drgw.ws/

---

Was it GM72 that fell over about 6-9 months ago? Looks as if it has been "detailed"

Mike

There is also an SD70M-2 #76, for a total of 7 demos in the series.

Interestingly, the marketing people call them "SD70M-2" but the decals read "SD70DCe" on the GM 74-76.

Also, GM 70 and GM 73 were physically renumbered "GMDX70" and "GMDX73" while working the the CP. "GM" is not a valid reporting mark. They also say that letters as part of the road number are not FRA-compliant (Desert Western has renumbered their WFU-1 to WFU-3 series SD40's to 601-603 for that reason) but yet these things are still out there.

I could never understand why they called it a SD70M-2 instead of a SD70DCe. Seems like a more consistent scheme would be SD70ACe and DCe. Just a thought.

mcdeo Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I could never understand why they called it a
> SD70M-2 instead of a SD70DCe. Seems like a more
> consistent scheme would be SD70ACe and DCe. Just a
> thought.

Perhaps because while DCe follows a theme, it spells nothing. Like ACe spells ACE. Yet SD70M is a former production model with DC traction, so making the new one a -2 follows another existing theme appropriately, and doesn't have to worry whther it forms a pronounceable mnemonic.

Since they are no loger GM - EMD are the demonstrators going to get repainted? Or at least remove the GM on teh side of the long hood?

-Mike

If SD70M-2, then why not SD70MAC-2?

Mister Owl, how many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsee roll pop? :-)