The SP SD45T-2 is different looking they are not many of them around anymore since they are like 40 years old. Its weird to see it operating up here because they were built for the Western US railroads. Its amazing how John keeps things going on his layout these days. Danny
They are designed with the air intake for the radiators in the lower portion of the locomotive body vs being up top. A regular loco with the radiators intake up top would be in taking hot exhaust fumes in a long tunnel and would cause it to stall out in certain situations. With the intake grills down low (the grills at the locos rear) it is in taking cooler air allowing it to operate more efficiently. They nicknamed them Tunnel Motors because of this feature
The lower intake does have the added benefit that, less exhaust fumes will circulate through the radiator(s), therefore they won't build up as much soot. Soot insulates to some degree, reducing the efficiency of the radiators. Therefore, they don't need to be cleaned as often. Same can be said for your household A/C system. It's not a bad idea to spray down the condenser coils once a year, on the outside unit. Helps keep it efficient.
You probably have it right man. I do not know where the unit came from. I know it sat in Goderich for almost a year before they got it fixed and read to run again.
Thank you John for he nice reply. Not many tunnel motors left. They are not spring chickens anymore built back in 1972ish. I remember you having a couple of them in your collection. I might get one last one for myself. Athearn is only brand that makes them and they recently cancelled this years production of them sadly. I might get the Rio Grande or a Kansas City Southern one I found them for a good price and from the runs before athearn's quality control dipped.
go to Brasil….there is many ex SP and rio grande SD40T-2s...as well as 1 SD45T-2, over 300 C30-7s, and some SD45-2s....ALL runs the SD40T-2 in metric...VL! runs them in metric but with 2 4 axle trucks on each end...there is a few SD40T-2s in Australia...
Actually, both M&NA and GEXR were owned by RailAmerica, which has been recently bought by Genesee and Wyoming. The paint schemes are on many engines throughout North America. Just so ya know.
tunnel motor comes from when SP and DRGW had problems with locomotives overheating in the tunnels because the intake fans being high up on the back of the long hood of the locomotive frame would suck in allot of hot air and so SP and DRGW took this to EMD and they came up with the SD40T-2, SD45T-2 and I think the GP15-1 is a baby tunnel motor because it's built similar to the SD40T-2 and SD45T-2. But anyway EMD developed the tunnel motors and lowered the air intake to be at the rear bottom of the locomotive long hood so that it would suck in less hot air and suck in cooler air so they didn't heat up as much
That's one thing I never got was before they painted over the lettering of the Southern Pacific and those rlk and gatx units. Anyword on what GEXR is doing with the ex southern pacific unit. When CN takes back the Guelph Sub?
