Rio Grande's was the only western
road to roster more GP40s than the WP. And like the WP, ordered the model's
successor, the GP40-2. In
1997 there is still a large number of Grande '40s in original colors. Above,
GP40-2 3084 at Warm Springs (Fremont) CA. (Ken
Rattenne photo)
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In 1965 Western
Pacific was in the midst of a unit replacement program that found the railroad
purging its ancient fleet of FT and F7A diesels and replacing them with
GP35s. After taking delivery of 23 of the electrically troubled units in
1964-65, the railroad once again looked to Electro-Motive for the latest
(and hopefully more reliable) in diesel technology.
EMD debuted the GP40 in the fall of 1965 as part of a new catalog of
models based on their new 645 diesel prime mover. WP's
interchange partner Rio Grande ordered 13 units sight unseen, taking delivery
in January of 1966. On the strength of the Grandes' word, WP ordered 10
locomotives of its own for a May 1966 delivery. Trade-ins for these units
were a like number of worn-out FT A and B-covered wagons.
As scheduled, in May of 1966 WP took delivery of GP40s 3501-3510. The
units were basically "off the shelf: While similar in appearance to the
GP35 (which was the first road unit manufactured in any quantity to feature
EMD's new "boxy" look) the trucks were spaced two feet further apart, allowing
for a 3,600 gallon fuel tank (1,000 gallons more than the GP35s). In addition,
the dynamic brake blister was longer and the three exhaust fans on the
topside of the long hood were all of the same diameter.
The power plant of each unit featured EMD's 16-cylinder turbo-charged
645E3 prime mover powering four D77 traction motors, which the railroad
liked enough to eventually standardize on for all its power. One "customized"
feature was the headlight: WP preferred These units leaned heavily on parts
credits from traded-in FT and F7 units.
The most obvious surviving component from the "covered wagons" were
the trucks, which were rebuilt and upgraded with the D77 traction motor,
saving WP a significant amount of money in the process. Also, the
Pyle-National headlights from the units were also utilized, which consisted
of a single large bulb and reflector.
With
white flags flying, WP 3510 poses at the east end of Stockton Yard with
the WPE while waiting for a green signal from the Sacramento dispatcher.
The 3510 was the last unit of WP's first order of GP40s, being delivered
to the railroad in May of 1966. In 1980 it was rebuilt by M/K and after
the merger became UP 659. Today, the unit roams the Midwest as KCS 4773!
(Ken
Rattenne photo). |
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