The EMD SD40-2 is a C-C

diesel-electric locomotive A diesel locomotive is a type of railway locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine. Several types of diesel locomotives have been developed, differing mainly in the means by which mechanical power is conveyed to the driving wheels ...

built by EMD from 1972 to 1989. The SD40-2 was introduced in January 1972 as part of EMD's '' Dash 2'' series, competing against the

GE U30C The GE U30C is a six-axle locomotive built by General Electric from 1966 to 1976. With 600 units sold, the U30C proved to be a viable alternative for customers who were unable to purchase SD40s from Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD) due to production ba ...

and the

ALCO Century 630 The ALCO Century 630 is a model of six-axle, diesel-electric locomotive built by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) between 1965 and 1967. It used the ALCO 251 prime mover. 77 were built: 3 for Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, 4 for Chesape ...

. Although higher-horsepower locomotives were available, including EMD's own SD45-2, the reliability and versatility of the SD40-2 made it one of the best-selling models in EMD's history, edged only by the GP9, and the standard of the industry for several decades after its introduction. The SD40-2 was an improvement over the

SD40 SD40 may refer to: * Canon PowerShot SD40, a digital camera * EMD SD40 The EMD SD40 is an American 6-axle diesel-electric locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between January 1966 and August 1972. 1,268 locomotives were buil ...

, with modular electronic control systems similar to those of the experimental

DDA40X The EMD DDA40X is a 6,600 hp (4,943 kW) D-D locomotive, built by EMD from 1969 to 1971 exclusively for the Union Pacific Railroad. It is the most powerful diesel-electric locomotive model ever built on a single frame, having two 16- ...

. Peak production of the SD40-2 was in the mid-1970s. Sales of the SD40-2 began to diminish after 1981 due to the oil crisis, increased competition from GE's

Dash-7 The de Havilland Canada DHC-7, popularly known as the Dash 7, is a turboprop-powered regional airliner with short take-off and landing (STOL) performance. It first flew in 1975 and remained in production until 1988 when the parent company, d ...

series and the introduction of the

EMD SD50 The EMD SD50 is a diesel-electric locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division. It was introduced in May 1981 as part of EMD's "50 Series"; production ceased in January 1986. The SD50 was a transitional model between EMD's Dash ...

, which was available concurrently to late SD40-2 production. The last SD40-2 delivered to a United States railroad was built in July 1984, with production continuing for railroads in Canada until 1988, Mexico until February 1986, and Brazil until October 1989. The SD40-2 has seen service in Canada, Mexico, Brazil and Guinea. To suit export country specifications, General Motors designed the JT26CW-SS ( British Rail Class 59) for Great Britain, the

GT26CW-2 The GT26CW-2 is the Dash-2 variant of the GT26CW diesel-electric locomotive series created by the Electro-Motive Division (EMD) of General Motors for export to Iran, Israel, Morocco, Pakistan, Peru, South Korea, Turkey and Yugoslavia. Various l ...

for Yugoslavia, South Korea, Iran, Morocco, Peru and Pakistan, while the

GT26CU-2 The EMD GT26 Locomotive Series made their debut in 1967 after the rise in popularity of the American EMD SD40. Designed to meet most First World, Second World and Third World countries, the GT26 Series were now equipped with a turbocharged hig ...

went to Zimbabwe and Brazil. Various customizations led Algeria to receive their version of a SD40-2, known as GT26HCW-2.

Appearance and spotting features

As the SD38, SD39,

, and

SD45 The SD45 is a six-axle diesel-electric locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between 1965 and 1971. It has an EMD 645E3 twenty-cylinder engine generating on the same frame as the SD38, SD39, SD40, and SDP40. As of 2022, mos ...

shared a common frame, so too did the SD38-2, SD40-2, and SD45-2. It was longer than the previous models, giving a length of over the coupler pulling faces. The SD38-2 and SD40-2 shared the same basic superstructure, since they used the same 16-645 engine (in Roots-blown and turbocharged form respectively); the

long hood The long hood of a hood unit-style diesel locomotive is, as the name implies, the longer of the two hoods (narrower sections of the locomotive body in front and behind of the cab) on a locomotive, particularly American-type freight locomotives. ...

was longer than the SD38 and SD40, but since the increase in frame length was even greater, the SD38-2 and SD40-2 had even larger front and rear "porches" than the earlier models. These empty areas at front and rear are spotting features to identify the Dash 2 models of both units. The SD40-2 can be distinguished from the SD38-2 by its three roof-mounted radiator fans instead of two, and a single large exhaust stack instead of two smaller stacks. The increase in the frame length between the preceding ''40 Series'' and the ''40-2 Series'' six-axle locomotives was made to accommodate the new HT-C truck design, in which the traction motors all face the same direction, making the trucks longer. After a series of derailments involving Amtrak SDP40F units that were equipped with "hollow bolster" HT-C trucks, applied only to the SDP40F, Conrail ordered the SD40-2 units and several orders of SD50s with the older

Flexicoil Flexicoil suspension is a type of secondary suspension for railway vehicles, typically having steel coil springs between the bogie trucks and chassis/frame of a passenger coach, goods freight wagon, or locomotive. Suspension systems using ste ...

trucks, but the HT-C truck was vindicated and it ultimately went under most '' 40 Series'', '' 50 Series'' and ''

60 Series 6 (six) is the natural number following 5 and preceding 7. It is a composite number and the smallest perfect number. In mathematics Six is the smallest positive integer which is neither a square number nor a prime number; it is the second small ...

'' six-axle locomotives, and this truck is still found under many remanufactured locomotives. Some SD45 and SD45-2 units have been modified by replacing their 20-cylinder engine with the 16-cylinder removed from scrapped SD40-2 units; this was common on Union Pacific and possibly other railroads. In many cases these are identified by the owner as SD40-3, SD40M-2 or some such. Confusingly, what appears to be an SD45 is labeled as an SD40-2. Older SD40-2 units used in low-power modes such as yard switching or hump service have been de-turbocharged, resulting in the mechanical equivalent of a SD38-2. Units so modified may or may not be re-labeled. There are several variations of the SD40-2 such as the SD40T-2s (Informally: T for tunnel motor; the actual EMD designation is "SD40-2 With Cooling System Modification", as stated on this model's EMD manuals) bought by the former

Southern Pacific The Southern Pacific (or Espee from the railroad initials- SP) was an American Class I railroad network that existed from 1865 to 1996 and operated largely in the Western United States. The system was operated by various companies under the ...

, and

Denver and Rio Grande Western The Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad , often shortened to ''Rio Grande'', D&RG or D&RGW, formerly the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad, was an American Class I railroad company. The railroad started as a narrow-gauge line running south from De ...

railroads; now operated by Union Pacific. The SD45 tunnel motor equivalent, the SD45T-2 model, was also utilized by

. Many tunnel motors were rebuilt and sold second-hand to a handful of American shortlines including, Bessemer and Lake Erie,

Illinois Railway The Illinois Railway , formerly Illinois Railnet, is a shortline railroad operating in Northern Illinois owned by OmniTRAX. It operates of former BNSF Railway BNSF Railway is one of the largest freight railroads in North America. One of ...

and Missouri and Northern Arkansas, as well as Canadian shortline Goderich-Exeter Railway. There is the

SD40-2W The EMD SD40-2 is a C-C diesel-electric locomotive built by EMD from 1972 to 1989. The SD40-2 was introduced in January 1972 as part of EMD's '' Dash 2'' series, competing against the GE U30C and the ALCO Century 630. Although higher-horsepowe ...

(W for the 4-Window Safety Cab) bought and operated by the

Canadian National The Canadian National Railway Company (french: Compagnie des chemins de fer nationaux du Canada) is a Canadian Class I freight railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, which serves Canada and the Midwestern and Southern United States. CN ...

railway. High-nosed versions of the SD40-2 were bought by

Norfolk & Western The Norfolk and Western Railway , commonly called the N&W, was a US class I railroad, formed by more than 200 railroad mergers between 1838 and 1982. It was headquartered in Roanoke, Virginia, for most of its existence. Its motto was "Precisi ...

, & Southern Railway. These units are now operated by the Norfolk Southern Railway (Resulting merger of N&W and Southern Railway). A narrow gauge version produced for Ferrovia Central Atlantico in Brazil is the BB40-2. Three cabless SD40-2Bs were also rebuilt from standard SD40-2s by the Burlington Northern Railroad in the early 1980s. The units had been in collisions and BN decided that it was more economical to rebuild them without cabs. Canadian Pacific also owns a few SD40-2Bs. These were created by welding metal plates over the cab windows of many of its ex-Norfolk Southern and some of its original SD40-2s. File:NS 3204 (3246054426).jpg, NS 3204, an example of a SD40-2 built with a high short hood. File:NS Loco No.3408.jpg, NS 3408, which rides on Flexicoil C trucks. File:Ohio Central System Railroad SD40-2 5855.jpg,

Ohio Central Railroad System The Ohio Central Railroad System is a network of ten short line railroads operating in Ohio and western Pennsylvania. It is owned by Genesee & Wyoming Headquartered in Coshocton, Ohio, the system operates of track divided among 10 subsidiary r ...

5855 was built with an extended rear deck.

Additional specifications

Original owners

Variants

SD40T-2

A variant of the SD40-2 was created for several western railroads for extended periods in tunnels and

snow shed Avalanche control or avalanche defense activities reduce the hazard avalanches pose to human life, activity, and property.Southern Pacific The Southern Pacific (or Espee from the railroad initials- SP) was an American Class I railroad network that existed from 1865 to 1996 and operated largely in the Western United States. The system was operated by various companies under the ...

and Rio Grande railroads, these were transferred to the

Union Pacific Railroad The Union Pacific Railroad , legally Union Pacific Railroad Company and often called simply Union Pacific, is a freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Paci ...

in 1996. They have since found their way into the used locomotive market and many have been sold to regional railroads around the U.S.

British Rail Class 59

Another variant of the SD40-2 was created for

Foster Yeoman Foster Yeoman Limited, based near Frome, Somerset, England, was one of Europe's largest independent quarrying and asphalt companies. It was sold to Aggregate Industries in 2006. History The company was founded by Foster Yeoman, from Hartlepool ...

, a British quarrying and aggregates company, which features a unique body design specifically for the European railway markets. Designated as Class 59 the initial production batch of four locomotives entered service in 1986.

SD40-2W

The GMD SD40-2(W) is a Canadian-market version of the SD40-2

, built for the Canadian National Railway by the Diesel Division of General Motors of Canada Ltd. (formerly

General Motors Diesel General Motors Diesel was a railway diesel locomotive manufacturer located in London, Ontario, Canada. It was established in 1949 as the Canadian subsidiary of the Electro-Motive Diesel division of General Motors (EMD). In 1969 it was re-organiz ...

) of London, Ontario; 123 were constructed between May 1975 and December 1980.

SD40-2F

The

EMD SD40-2F The GMD SD40-2F is a C-C diesel locomotive built by General Motors Diesel. It was fundamentally an SD40-2 in a cowl unit full-width body. A total of 25 units were built solely for the Canadian Pacific Railway. They were delivered in 1988 and 19 ...

was a locomotive operated by Canadian Pacific Railway. It is essentially an SD40-2 with a full cowl hood. CP was the only buyer, buying 25 units, numbered 9000-9024. Most have been scrapped, but 10 were sold to the

Central Maine and Quebec Railway The Central Maine & Québec Railway was a Class II freight railroad operating in the U.S. states of Maine and Vermont and the Canadian province of Quebec with headquarters in Bangor, Maine. It was owned by Railroad Acquisition Holdings, LLC, ...

. When CP acquired CMQ in 2020, the 10 SD40-2Fs became CP’s once again. One unit was rebuilt to a hydrogen fuel cell locomotive in 2021-2022.

Rebuilds

A number of SD40-2s have been rebuilt into other models. Some of the most unusual are the metre gauge BB40-2s for use in Brazil. Conversely, several other models of EMD locomotive have sometimes been rebuilt to SD40-2 standards, including the

and SD45-2. Normally, this consists of electrical upgrades (-2) and replacing the 20-cylinder prime mover with a 16-cylinder version, often built for

GE Capital GE Capital is the financial services division of General Electric. The company currently only runs one division, GE Energy Financial Services. It had provided additional services in the past; however, those units were sold between 2013 and 2018. ...

in Poland using EMD's manufacturing drawings and specifications. An outgrowth of this may be

GE Transportation GE Transportation is a division of Wabtec. It was known as GE Rail and owned by General Electric until sold to Wabtec on February 25, 2019. The organization manufactures equipment for the railroad, marine, mining, drilling and energy generati ...

's second-sourcing of EMD repair parts. The unusually troublesome SD50 have also been rebuilt into the equivalent of SD40-2s, rather than scrapping them. The 645F block and crankshaft are inherently good designs (indeed, the lessons learned with the 645F became part of the 710G); lowering the rating from at 950 rpm to at 900 rpm solved the mechanical and electrical reliability issues.

SD40-3

The Dash 3 suffix is not part of any official lineup, and is a loose designation for rebuilt Dash 2 series EMDs. One example of an SD40-3 rebuild program is the one conducted by

CSX CSX Transportation , known colloquially as simply CSX, is a Class I freight railroad operating in the Eastern United States and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. The railroad operates approximately 21,000 route miles () of track. ...

. It started in 2010 with 10 units upgraded and numbered 4000-4009; in 2011, 20 units went through the program and were numbered 4010-4029 and in 2012 another 20 units followed and were numbered 4030-4049. CSXT 4040-4049 are painted in the new CSX "RAILCAR LOGO" paint scheme. CSX plans to rebuild 300 locomotives (CSXT 4000-4399). The plan has been to have the new units serve an additional 30 years and cost far less than brand new locomotives. The new cabs can withstand crashes better, have new heating and air-conditioning systems, a new control stand, including visual displays, a modern WABCO braking controller, and modernized starting systems. The engine retains the original rating, with rated tractive power increased to from the former rating.

SD22ECO

The SD22ECO is an EMD SD40-2 or similar, repowered with an EMD 8-710-ECO engine. The resulting locomotive is rated at , and meets EPA Tier II emissions regulations.

SD30C-ECO

The SD30C-ECO is an EMD SD40-2 re-powered with an EMD 12-710 prime mover. The locomotive is rated at and meets EPA Tier 0 emissions regulations.

Preservation

Union Pacific donated SD40-2 9950 to

Western America Railroad Museum The Western America Railroad Museum is a railroad museum located in Barstow, California. The museum collects, preserves and shares the history of railroading in the Pacific Southwest. It is located on the east side of the Harvey House Railroad ...

Barstow, California Barstow is a city in San Bernardino County, California, in the Mojave Desert of Southern California. Located in the Inland Empire region of California, the population was 25,415 at the 2020 census. Barstow is an important crossroads for the In ...

in 2004. 9950 was built in 1980 for the

Missouri Pacific The Missouri Pacific Railroad , commonly abbreviated as MoPac, was one of the first railroads in the United States west of the Mississippi River. MoPac was a Class I railroad growing from dozens of predecessors and mergers. In 1967, the railroad ...

as their 3320. In June 2009, Union Pacific had donated 3028 (former

Chicago & North Western The Chicago and North Western was a Class I railroad in the Midwestern United States. It was also known as the "North Western". The railroad operated more than of track at the turn of the 20th century, and over of track in seven states befor ...

6847) to the

Illinois Railway Museum The Illinois Railway Museum (IRM, reporting mark IRMX) is the largest railroad museum in the United States. It is located in the Chicago metropolitan area at 7000 Olson Road in Union, Illinois, northwest of downtown Chicago. Overview Hist ...

in Union, Illinois. The unit still wears its original factory paint from when it was built for the CNW in March, 1974. CNW 6847 was patched by UP in February, 2003, to UP 3028, and retired in December, 2008. The locomotive has since had its UP patches removed, and CNW herald and numbers restored. In 2014, Union Pacific traded SD40-2C 3105 and other equipment to the RailGiants Train Museum at

Fairplex Fairplex has been the home of the L.A. County Fair since 1922. Known prior to 1984 as the Los Angeles County Fairgrounds, it is located in the city of Pomona, California. The L.A. County Fair is held during the month of May since 2022, but the fa ...

in Pomona, California for

4-8-8-4 A 4-8-8-4 in the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives by wheel arrangement, is a locomotive with a four-wheel leading truck, two sets of eight driving wheels, and a four-wheel trailing truck. Only one model of locomotives ...

Union Pacific 4014 "Big Boy", which UP restored to operational status in 2019. Locomotive 3105 was originally built in 1979 as

6027, and one of the few that the Missouri Pacific ordered with dynamic braking. This is the only operational locomotive in the museum. In the Fall of 2018, Canadian Pacific donated SD40-2 5903 to the Canadian Railway Museum in Delson, Quebec, making it the first SD40-2 to be preserved in Canada. In June 2020,

Norfolk Southern The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I freight railroad in the United States formed in 1982 with the merger of Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway. With headquarters in Atlanta, the company operates 19,420 route miles (31, ...

donated SD40-2 6162 to the Kentucky Steam Heritage Corp. 6162 was originally built for the

Norfolk and Western The Norfolk and Western Railway , commonly called the N&W, was a US class I railroad, formed by more than 200 railroad mergers between 1838 and 1982. It was headquartered in Roanoke, Virginia, for most of its existence. Its motto was "Precisi ...

in 1978 as N&W 6162.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Emd Sd40-2

SD40-2 The EMD SD40-2 is a C-C diesel-electric locomotive built by EMD from 1972 to 1989. The SD40-2 was introduced in January 1972 as part of EMD's '' Dash 2'' series, competing against the GE U30C and the ALCO Century 630. Although higher-horsepowe ...

Diesel-electric locomotives of the United States Railway locomotives introduced in 1972 Diesel-electric locomotives of Canada Diesel-electric locomotives of Guinea Diesel-electric locomotives of Brazil Diesel-electric locomotives of Mexico Freight locomotives Standard gauge locomotives of the United States Metre gauge diesel locomotives C-C locomotives Standard gauge locomotives of Canada Standard gauge locomotives of Mexico 5 ft 3 in gauge locomotives pl:EMD SD40 fi:EMD SD40#EMD SD40-2