SD40-2 Locomotives and Cabooses in 2016

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brad_in_omaha

Active Member
SD40-2 Locomotives and Cabooses in 2016

It's great that we an still photograph SD40-2 Locomotives (or SD40N now)and Cabooses in 2016! The SD40-2s are sharp looking too, nice paint and not tagged!

1. 2/20/2016, I caught the 1988 in Downtown Omaha
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by Brad Williams, on Flickr

2. 2/23/2016, I caught a pair of Amtrak Locomotives in Downtown Omaha.
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by Brad Williams, on Flickr

3. 2/28/2016. An SD40-2 in front of the Omaha Skyline
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by Brad Williams, on Flickr

4. Former Missouri Pacific Caboose in Action in Downtown Omaha
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by Brad Williams, on Flickr

5. Better light on the MP Caboose
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by Brad Williams, on Flickr

6. Not sure what all this UP power is doing over on the track that goes to the Union Station
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by Brad Williams, on Flickr

7. The pair of SD40-2s in Downtown Omaha

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by Brad Williams, on Flickr

8. UP1623
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by Brad Williams, on Flickr

9. UP1583
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by Brad Williams, on Flickr

10. The pair of UP SD40-2s in Downtown Omaha
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20160228SC8A5725
by Brad Williams, on Flickr
 
Great photos.

I got tired of the hordes of look-alike SD40-2's that made up the rail scene of the 70's and 80's. Fast forward 30-40 years: I am now getting tired of the hordes of look-alike GE units. You can say things are even worse now with further diesel standardization and the disappearance of many Class I railroads through mergers and other acquisitions. I look forward to seeing older units like the Geeps on locals that pass through my town and the SD40-2's that you photographed in Omaha.
 
Thanks! I liked the modern "Wide Nose" units when they were new, but now I would much rather see a SD40-2. Its easily my favorite "Modern" locomotive.
 
Those old MoPac transfer cabeese are cool.

Back in the 70's and 80's, US railroads worked to eliminate cabooses. Nebraska was one of the last states to require cabooses on road freights. After UP acquired the MP, it dumped its iconic yellow cupola cabooses and used those MP transfer cabooses for minimal compliance with the Nebraska law. I believe they were attached to trains in Cheyenne and removed in Omaha or Council Bluffs. I recall seeing the MP transfer cabooses on UP trains in Nebraska back then as I was cruising I-80 between the Midwest and the West Coast.
 
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I'm sure in this day and age the "cupola" is an insurance/workman's comp nightmare...

The BNSF uses a few old cupola cabooses in the Puget Sound region as switching platforms on locals and MoW extras. They cannot be much fun to ride in as all the windows are boarded up.
 
The BNSF uses a few old cupola cabooses in the Puget Sound region as switching platforms on locals and MoW extras. They cannot be much fun to ride in as all the windows are boarded up.

They still use them here too, in fact they just put one on its side not too long ago. Around here the lower windows are boarded up, but the cupola is still open.
 
I wonder if the UP SD40-2s find it insulting to be re-numbered like former Missouri Pacific GP 15-1s?
 
If you notice, the doors are welded shut. These are purely shoving platforms for the trainmen to stand and have a place to control the air (i.e. dump the air in case of an emergency).
 
If you notice, the doors are welded shut. These are purely shoving platforms for the trainmen to stand and have a place to control the air (i.e. dump the air in case of an emergency).

I see that now, thanks. The BNSF cabooses that use these tracks still use the couple which I am sure is much nicer in the rain/snow/cold.

Only steam locomotives have feelings. Diesels are cold hearted machines. Great Pictures Brad.

Lol! Thanks!

Awesome shots Brad.

Thanks!
 
Those old MoPac transfer cabeese are cool.

Back in the 70's and 80's, US railroads worked to eliminate cabooses. Nebraska was one of the last states to require cabooses on road freights. After UP acquired the MP, it dumped its iconic yellow cupola cabooses and used those MP transfer cabooses for minimal compliance with the Nebraska law. I believe they were attached to trains in Cheyenne and removed in Omaha or Council Bluffs. I recall seeing the MP transfer cabooses on UP trains in Nebraska back then as I was cruising I-80 between the Midwest and the West Coast.
Although they look like transfer cabooses, they were built for road service. They were equipped just like any other caboose, except I don't think they had bunks. Although I once saw a original UP cupola caboose about 1983/84 on a train, it makes sense that some of those Mop cabooses may have been used in Nebraska. They would've been some of the newest cabooses on the expanded UP roster.

UP's last new cabooses were built similar to the MP type. I believe the first of that last UP class caboose might still be in the Omaha/Council Bluffs area. At least it was in the last year or so. I've seen it on an outlying local around Seymour or Woody. It's doors weren't welded shut, the crew could still access the interior.

Some of UP's cabooses have been outfitted with extra seats and used to haul crews between terminals when roads are bad and the vans aren't available. They are called, "blizzard buses." Others, especially a lot of the MP's "transfer" style cabooses have been outfitted for use by maintenance gang trains. They also have extra seats and desk and storage space to make them rolling offices. (Many have also been "personalized" by the gangs they are assigned to. Meaning someone has placed a propane grill on the "porch" so they can have fresh, hot food for lunch.)

Jeff

PS. On that early 1980s visit to Fremont, not only did I see the caboose but also the last of UP's yellow stock cars. They were on just about every storage track there.
 
I saw a few of those new UP cabooses pass through Sacramento in the early 80's after the UP-WP merger. I thought they were larger than the MP cabooses, which in my mind made them look more like road cabooses. The small size of the MP cabooses immediately brought "transfer caboose" to mind.
 
I remember those Mo=Pac cabooses well. We used to jump on them at 60th and Center and ride them all the way down to 72nd & Q street in Omaha, then walk over to the super slide! Back then the crews were pretty cool about it and didn't really care. I remember one time we were trying to hop on and we could not catch up. The brakeman slide the window open and yelled at us that we had to run faster today, it's the engineer's birthday and he wants to get home!

Growing up in the 60th & L street part of Omaha was a pretty damn good location for a young railfan back in the 70's.
 
I remember those Mo=Pac cabooses well. We used to jump on them at 60th and Center and ride them all the way down to 72nd & Q street in Omaha, then walk over to the super slide! Back then the crews were pretty cool about it and didn't really care. I remember one time we were trying to hop on and we could not catch up. The brakeman slide the window open and yelled at us that we had to run faster today, it's the engineer's birthday and he wants to get home!

Growing up in the 60th & L street part of Omaha was a pretty damn good location for a young railfan back in the 70's.

Great Story! That would have been nice. CNW and UP to your north, Missouri Pacific to you west, and the CB&Q to the south. The Rock Island wasn't too far either.
 




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