Westbound PAR freight pulling into Rigby Yard

[dutchtrainmanserie22]

Cool

[GP9railfan]

643 sat up here in the Brunswick yard last month idling all night,(until about 4:30AM). I could hear it idling almost 2 blocks away!! Sounded really good while it was there. Nice low rumble. Too dark for any good pics though. Oh-well.

[drc930]

@GP9railfan Really?! I never remember that, didn't think 6 axles were allowed up the branch. Do you remember the approximate date?

[GP9railfan]

I've got 643 in N scale. Very cool video!

[armyof11]

Thats cool, becuse I never new they had wide bodys back in 77!? I thought that was a 1994 thing? Whoops! Thanks for the info.

[maineboy1979]

Indeed, the first locomotive with a safety cab was the MLW M420W, first built in 1973 for Canadian National. Following the success of the M420W, EMD came up with safety cab versions of the GP38-2 and GP40-2 in 1974. It wasn't until the early '90s that the safety cab began showing up on locomotives ordered by U.S. railroads. The term "wide body" is actually incorrect, as the body is no wider than any other unit. Just the nose of the cab is wider.

[armyof11]

Ok, one more question please. I am completely unaware of the GP-40-2W? What is it and when did it become? Thanks. I just got back into the train game recently and have to play catch up a bit. Thanks

[maineboy1979]

The GP40-2W (also known as the GP40-2L) is basically the same as a stock GP40-2, except it has a "safety cab" -- referred to as a "wide cab" or "comfort cab" by some. They were built between 1974 and 1977. Canadian National Railway (CN) was the only railroad that purchased that model. CN began retiring them in the late '90s and quite a few have ended up on various shortline and regional railroads throughout North America.

[armyof11]

Nice catch. how old is that SD-26? I was talking to my dad the other day and he told the guys out at CSX before he retired they should not get rid of the smaller GP type units becuse they would need them for yard work. The yard master told him the Wide Bodys would work just fine. He told me one time he made them bring him a smaller engine becuse the GE's were no good for yard work.

[maineboy1979]

It was built in 1960 as an SD24, and rebuilt in the mid-'70s as an SD26. So it's almost 49 years old overall, and about 30-35 years old if you just count the internal stuff (engine, electrical system, etc).

[Hickler90]

Nice job, liking the SD26 and GP40-2W alot.