Eastern Railroad Discussion > Retired ex-QNS&L Pan Am SD40s heading west

In late 2015, Pan Am Railways acquired 5 SD40-2 units built by GMDD in 1975 with large fuel tanks for the QNS&L. Unlike many of the used locomotives Pan Am acquired, these 5 diesels arrived in resplendent Pan Am dress blue and became instant fan favorites. CSX recently retired the units which had recently seen service on G&W's Berkshire & Eastern (ie Pan Am Southern). One unit, #3400 has been scrapped but the remaining four were gathered up at Waterville ME and shipped west by CSX to Selkirk and beyond. At 0808 Wednesdy 3/12/25, they are DIT passing Virtual Railfan's Fairport cam on Columbus OH-bound M635 CSX junk freight (lots of loaded C&D gons!) on the West Shore route that bypasses Rochester. Unclear (to me) where these 50 year old locomotives are going but rumors range from getting scrapped somewhere to being re-manufacutred as hydrogen powered locomotives. Perhaps their destination is CSX shops at Huntinton WVA?

In photo 2 & 3, in happier times newly arrived sparkling blue 3400 and 3401 lend a hand powering Pan Am train EDPO through Ayer MA on November 13, 2015.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 03/13/25 04:23 by JPB.

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One source says enroute to Huntington to be stripped and scrapped by their owner CSX.

Some of my favorite SD40's. Did they come from CP or directly from QNSL?

CPR_4000 Wrote:
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> Some of my favorite SD40's. Did they come from CP
> or directly from QNSL? 

I believe ownership sequence was built for QNS&L in 1975 and then sold (?) to NREX in 2011 (?) and then sold to PAR in 2015. 


 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/12/25 08:32 by JPB.

mvrr10 Wrote:
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> One source says enroute to Huntington to be
> stripped and scrapped by their owner CSX.

That source is incorrect.   Hydrogen rebuild cores.  

Roger that.