Nostalgia & History > SP riding low on the nose

This is about as low as you can paint SP on the nose without putting it on the walkways. The nose light package is mounted low on the nose to start with. I believe its a Rio Grande tunnel motor but why is the nose so different? It looks like a blotched nose job from some Beverly Hills body shop.

---

5388 is old DRGW.

>>MC

I love it I noticed Gyralite is great. :)

Sharp paint job too Bob!

photobob Wrote:
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> This is about as low as you can paint SP on the
> nose without putting it on the walkways. The nose
> light package is mounted low on the nose to start
> with. I believe its a Rio Grande tunnel motor but
> why is the nose so different? It looks like a
> blotched nose job from some Beverly Hills body
> shop.


yes that is a former DRGW unit, it carried the same number as a DRGW unit. The nose looks different because the nose mounted headlight is mounted on a box protruding from the nose and is also mounted lower on the nose than other DRGW units. Unts #5386-5397 were all like this. On other units the nose mounted light was mounted in the upper portion of the nose and was recessed as well. The July-August 2002 issue of Diesel Era had a really good article on the DRGW SD40T-2 fleet.

Bryan Jones

redneckrailfan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> photobob Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > This is about as low as you can paint SP on the
> > nose without putting it on the walkways. The
> nose
> > light package is mounted low on the nose to
> start
> > with. I believe its a Rio Grande tunnel motor
> but
> > why is the nose so different? It looks like a
> > blotched nose job from some Beverly Hills body
> > shop.
>
>
> yes that is a former DRGW unit, it carried the
> same number as a DRGW unit. The nose looks
> different because the nose mounted headlight is
> mounted on a box protruding from the nose and is
> also mounted lower on the nose than other DRGW
> units. Unts #5386-5397 were all like this. On
> other units the nose mounted light was mounted in
> the upper portion of the nose and was recessed as
> well. The July-August 2002 issue of Diesel Era had
> a really good article on the DRGW SD40T-2 fleet.

I read over that article in Diesel Era, and though the photos where nice, I found the text sorely lacking. No coverage nor mention of PTC traction control which provided significant performance benefits to DRGW's SD40T-2 fleet. PTC was a very visible modification on the fireman's side of these units with a Huge box mounted behind the ECAFB, and axle wheelslip sensors mounted externally on all six axles.

Also, the article made no mention of the changes to the oscillating light cluster between orders, nor the fact that the nose light cluster did in fact oscillate! The more I see it, it seems as if Diesel Era writes their articles using a simple computer program.. plug in the unit type, roster numbers, delivery date, and presto.. another boring diesel article with no new information in it that hasn't been seen elsewhere in print before.

Cheers,
Harry

Hey Bob,
Did they put your name on that front fake MU receptacle? :>)

Yep, still has the Rio Grande style number boards. Looks funny on an SP unit (not to mention the low Gyra-Lite).

redneckrailfan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> yes that is a former DRGW unit, it carried the
> same number as a DRGW unit.

photobob Wrote:
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> why is the nose so different?

The unit is from the first group of Rio Grande SD40T-2s that came with Pyle Gyralights instead of Mars Signal Lights.

The Gyralights on these units were mounted inside this box, for some reason. Later units with Gyralights weren't.

Seem to remember some of the D&RGW T-2's being bought for specific coal contracts with some sort of mitigating equipment requirements. Similar reasons for the C&S SD40-2's showing up with bizarre light packages, etc. Quite different than buying 700 locomotives in one contract.



topper Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> photobob Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
>
> > why is the nose so different?
>
> The unit is from the first group of Rio Grande
> SD40T-2s that came with Pyle Gyralights instead of
> Mars Signal Lights.
>
> The Gyralights on these units were mounted inside
> this box, for some reason. Later units with
> Gyralights weren't.

tracktime Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------


> the photos where nice, I found the text sorely
> lacking.

> plug in the unit type, roster
> numbers, delivery date, and presto.. another
> boring diesel article with no new information



Yes, that be Diesel Era 'style'.

This unit was in one particular order of SD40T-2s which were built by EMD without the Gyralite on the low nose from the factory. The Rio Grande added the Gyralite after delivery, at Burnham Shop in Denver.

The reason for the "box" on which the headlight is mounted is simplicity in mounting the light. The "regular" mounting approach involved EMD building a boxlike shape INTO the low nose. The Rio Grande took the easy way out and simply added a boxlike structure on the OUTSIDE of the nose.

Esthetically, these units were in my opinion quite ugly because of the Gyralite mounting arrangement.

How could an order of SD40T-2s come from EMD without the Gyralight installed? Actually, quite easily, since EMD like any locomotive builder manufacturers locomotives to a customer approved specification which calls out all standard features plus any customer "extras". Someone at the Rio Grande did not pay attention to what EMD wrote into the spec document for that order, or EMD misinterpreted it.

greendot Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> This unit was in one particular order of SD40T-2s
> which were built by EMD without the Gyralite on
> the low nose from the factory. The Rio Grande
> added the Gyralite after delivery, at Burnham Shop
> in Denver.
>
>

This is the first time this perspective has come up, can you supply proof of this as such as builders photos without the gyralight? The SD50 gyralights were added later by Mid-America in KC, but I believe these came from EMD with the box light.

still a drgw unit, it has sublettering

GLC Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> greendot Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > This unit was in one particular order of
> SD40T-2s
> > which were built by EMD without the Gyralite on
> > the low nose from the factory. The Rio Grande
> > added the Gyralite after delivery, at Burnham
> Shop
> > in Denver.
> >
> >
>
> This is the first time this perspective has come
> up, can you supply proof of this as such as
> builders photos without the gyralight? The SD50
> gyralights were added later by Mid-America in KC,
> but I believe these came from EMD with the box
> light.

To date, I have never seen a well documented explanation as to why the 4th order of D&RGW SD40T-2's ended up with box mounted nose lights.  The only thing that makes sense is a screw-up in the order specs so the light package had to be added later rather than at the factory like the previous orders.

Cheers, Jim