Model Railroading > Changes thru the years on SP noses

Here is a 1970s era on the left, with "L" shaped windshield, no nose initials, and the full light package of headlights, gyralights, and a red gyralight for an emergency braking function, plus classification lights.
On the right is a 1987 nose with the big logo, an amber "blinky" light, and a little more light gray paint on grabirons and uncoupling levers.
The 8000s were all painted yellow by the UP so this is a ghost from the past.
The 5300s had a long service life on the SP with very few changes in appearance and no re-numbering, although it is a bit of a stretch to claim they ever worked beside the 8000s.
On the left is an Athearn SD-39 just out of the box and a light weathering, I hope to give it some windshield wipers and change the lamps to LEDs some day.
On the right is an Atlas Dash 8 40 B with a bigger snow plow and an added rooftop air conditioner.
Actually I cringe when posting images here as they blow up to larger than life size, and things I don't see on the layout come out to haunt me.  Rivet counters, fire away!
Thanks for looking, have a safe trip.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/08/21 13:29 by railstiesballast.

---

railstiesballast Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The 5300s had a long service life on the SP with
> very few changes in appearance and no
> re-numbering, although it is a bit of a stretch to
> claim they ever worked beside the 8000s.

it's no stretch at all.  The SP B39-8Es arrived in 1987, with Cotton Belt B40-8s following shortly afterwards. While some of SPs SD39 fleet was off of the roster around that timeframe (lease returns), and the remaining units bumped down to hauler duty, they soldiered on, and it's not inconceivable one would have locked couplers with a B39-8E/B40-8 at some point, especially seeing several SD39s lasted in service past the UP takeover.  

BEAUTIFUL track work!

Kent in CArmel Valley

Nice touch with the Nathan M5 horn on the SD39.
The late Karl Rogoza was a trainman based at West Colton where the 5300s were maintained and he 
had a variety of old horns on many of those units.

Regards, Jim Evans

Jim:
Thank Athearn for the M5.  I just took it out of the box.