Southern was not afraid to try some different offerings from manufacturers. Here is a great example: This is the class unit! Harold
These units were originally painted for the Southern Railroad and were equipped with a 2800hp 12 cylinder engine. All were rebuilt to GP49 standards in 1982 (and repainted to NS). Harold
At first glance, they look like a GP50, except that these units have 2 radiator fans and GP50's have 3. Harold
NS only had 6 units: 4600 to 4605. All were retired in 2001, according to a Withers Publishing book I have. Harold
Yeah, I remember the first one I saw... it had confused me. I knew the number was off from the GP38-2's, but it looked like a GP50, except for the two fans with the weird spacing. I think they were the forerunners of the GP59, which NS apparently liked. Harold
What was the different between the GP-39/39-2 and this 39X and what does converting them to 49X mean? There are tons of GP-39-2s running around. I see them on BNSF and I used to see them on Portland&Western/Willamette&Pacific all the time. 39/39-2s are 2300HP turbo 645E V-12s I think.
I think the 39X designation was just EMD's way of denoting an experimental model, which was based on an existing model. The 39X looked like a 39-2, only uprated to 2800 hp. I guess when they decided on the final GP49 specs, that is what the units were rebuilt to. (According to what I have read, the modifications were internal only). Harold
The GP40X's were the testbeds / forerunners of the GP50's, except they had a really cool, flared radiator section, such as on the old SD45's or new SD70M's. Harold [ April 18, 2005, 08:07 PM: Message edited by: chessie ]
Wait wait wait wait. I though the Santa FE GP40X was the forerunner to the GP-50 with Flared Radiators and a 3500HP rating? I really need to get a Diesel spotters guide.
Santa Fe, Southern, UP, and SP all tried out the GP40X's The GP39X's were rated at 2600 hp originally, then bumped to 2800 when rerated to GP39 specs. Harold
Ah, that makes more sense then. So if NS rebuilt them as 40X, did they then replace the 12 cylinder Prime mover with a 16 cylinder?
The GP39X had a 12 cylinder prime mover, even when re-rated to 2800 hp and GP49 designation. The GP40X had a 16 cylinder 3500 hp prime mover. I guess I had better brush nup on my history and get some GP40X pictures out. Harold
In much the same way the GP40X had a higher hp version of the 16 cylinder 645, the GP39X was the same. It was intended tp be a lower cylinder replacement for the GP40-2, but it never caught on. As for differences between a GP39-2 and a GP39X... well, that's tricky. Katy had the last GP39-2s built. These were built in the GP49 carbody. They were built after 1982, so they have the laundry chute (angular) blower duct and the straight sided frame, but retain the 2300hp 12-cyl prime mover. Alaska was the only road that purchased GP49s, after the SOU/NS GP39Xs had been uprated and renamed GP49s, these were also built after 1982, so the above applies to them as well. Earlier GP39-2s are different from the GP39X in that they use the GP38-2 radiator door arrangement and fan spacing/grill. All post-77 GP39-2s (and any 12 cylinder EMD as well) have the prime mover physically further back towards the radiator compartment than the 16 cyl counterpart. There is a noticeable gap between the cab and blower duct on these units. On the GP39X/49/59, this gap is lessened, mainly becuase the radiator compartment is physically longer (take a good look at a GP59 and a 60, and a GP49 and 50) The reasoning behnd this was to better balance the unit front to rear.
robbman, good to see you up here.... I know you have been busier than a one-armed paper hanger with an itch... BTW love the M4D stuff, looking to acquire some c40-9w cabs very soon
