Colorado RR Museum gets D&RG SD40-2T

  The High Plains 3 Railers will have our O scale modular layout running at the museum October 6 & 7th. I'm sure we will have our Rio Grande SD-40 's running to celebrate the new arrival.

I think you mean SD40T-2.

Gadzooks...  I remember when tunnel motors were new.

It's somewhat scary to see this and other "modern" power show up in museums.

"Time, time time, see what's become of me..."

Rusty

Glad to see a tunnel motor is going to a museum for preservation, really would like to see a Espee tunnel motor go to either OERM (Perris) or Rail Giants at Pomona.

Too bad they didn't add something of interest from Colorado's wealth of railroad history.

 Once to my surprise, I spotted an old tunnel engine (SP?) coming into the Niagara Falls yard. I believe that's a very rare sight (only one I've seen in person)? I only look when driving past. She looked well worn and weathered. Just another reason I am so fond of those diesels. 

They seem to last forever. I can't imagine the total miles they traveled thru some very harsh conditions. IMO, I think she's getting well deserved recognition for a place in RR history. 

Rusty Traque posted:

Gadzooks...  I remember when tunnel motors were new.

It's somewhat scary to see this and other "modern" power show up in museums.

"Time, time time, see what's become of me..."

Rusty

I always think about how certain Amtrak trains are now older been around longer than many of the trains they replaced in 1971. 

CB&Q/D&RGW/WP California Zephyr (before 1949 Expo Flyer) 1939-1970 31 years

Amtrak California Service (later moved back Moffat 1983 California Zephyr) 1971-2018 47 years

all I have ever known is Amtrak. 

colorado hirailer posted:

Too bad they didn't add something of interest from Colorado's wealth of railroad history.

Such as?

I too, like Rusty, remember when they were brand new. The first time I seen them, I was in the Denver yards bumming around and saw a pair making a transfer run to another yard and I was a little surprised that the back end looked like a GE unit.

Erik C Lindgren posted:

I always think about how certain Amtrak trains are now older been around longer than many of the trains they replaced in 1971.  CB&Q/D&RGW/WP California Zephyr (before 1949 Expo Flyer) 1939-1970 31 years; Amtrak California Service (later moved back Moffat 1983 California Zephyr) 1971-2018 47 years

all I have ever known is Amtrak. 

Would that you could have experienced the variety and, in some cases, the "incomparable panache" of the great trains during the Post War - pre-Amtrak era.  Your art reflects the best of it all.

What I found interesting is that SP ordered lots of SD40 and 45-2's with special cooling packages.  Keeping them in the mountains made sense.  Running them into Houston did not.  Even the Cotton Belt had them.

Did the cooling pakage help cool the prime movers better on the deserts?

And I have heard the special cooling package worked to cool better IN the tunnels, or to cool BETWEEN tunnels?  Which is it?

On some GP's, the D&RGW had a water spray system to cool things down in the summer.  Was there any consideration to place this as an option on SD's?

And IF the cooling package was so good, way didn't BN and CP buy any for the long tunnels they had?

The idea is to draw cooler air down lower in tunnels. GP-40's and SD-45's had a habit of shutting down in tunnels from overheating. There were sucking in hot exhaust at roof level.

Maybe why BN and other roads didn't order them because they didn't have tunnel after tunnel for miles on end. There are over 30 tunnels between Denver and Winter Park. (Moffat tunnel is over 6 miles long)

Dominic Mazoch posted:

What I found interesting is that SP ordered lots of SD40 and 45-2's with special cooling packages.  Keeping them in the mountains made sense.  Running them into Houston did not.  Even the Cotton Belt had them.

Did the cooling pakage help cool the prime movers better on the deserts?

No.

And I have heard the special cooling package worked to cool better IN the tunnels,

No.

or to cool BETWEEN tunnels?  Which is it?

Yes, since the cooling system modification sucked cooling air in from a much lower level, plus the cooling fans were on the pressure side of the cooling radiators, and FORCED the cooling air through the radiator fins. The rapid cool-down was very beneficial to the SP Donner Pass line, which had lots of snow sheds & short tunnels, thus the cooling system modification work its magic. For long tunnels, there was no real difference over a standard cooling system.

On some GP's, the D&RGW had a water spray system to cool things down in the summer.  Was there any consideration to place this as an option on SD's?

Yes, their SDs had the same water spray system.

And IF the cooling package was so good, way didn't BN and CP buy any for the long tunnels they had?

Because the cooling system modification was NOT designed/developed for long tunnels. Plus, long tunnels have forced ventilation with automat doors at the up-hill end of the tunnel, in order to keep the air stationary within the tunnel, thus the locomotives are always progressing through clean/cool air.

 

Rapid Transit Holmes posted:

Erik C Lindgren posted:

I always think about how certain Amtrak trains are now older been around longer than many of the trains they replaced in 1971.  CB&Q/D&RGW/WP California Zephyr (before 1949 Expo Flyer) 1939-1970 31 years; Amtrak California Service (later moved back Moffat 1983 California Zephyr) 1971-2018 47 years

all I have ever known is Amtrak. 

Would that you could have experienced the variety and, in some cases, the "incomparable panache" of the great trains during the Post War - pre-Amtrak era.  Your art reflects the best of it all.

Thank you for the words. 

Chuck Sartor posted:

The idea is to draw cooler air down lower in tunnels. GP-40's and SD-45's had a habit of shutting down in tunnels from overheating. There were sucking in hot exhaust at roof level.

Maybe why BN and other roads didn't order them because they didn't have tunnel after tunnel for miles on end. There are over 30 tunnels between Denver and Winter Park. (Moffat tunnel is over 6 miles long)

Ex GN Cascade is 7 to 8 miles long.