Acquired this slide about 22 +yrs ago...rather then allow it to just languish in a shoe box...thought I'd share it. I understand this loco was a test bed, sorta for EMD...and their newer model SD50 that came out a few years later
SD40X? It has HT trucks. Why is it different from a regular SD40? More importantly, those are really great picture scans!! Alan Curtis and I want to know how you do that?
I would assume that SD40X is like GP40X and GP39X. These were testbed units that bridge the gap between the SD40-2 and the SD50.
Yes I have a new scanner...replacing both my flatbed (Microtek) and slide scanner ...its a Canon 8400F. I bought it online from www.newegg.com based on recommendations from fellow railfans on another site. I have been very pleased with its performance so far...it can scan up to 4 slides at a time...up to 3200dpi. With shipping etc etc...it came out to $125.00 US. It arrived in two days after I placed the online order. This particular slide was scanned at 1600dpi...
The following is a reply to my original post of the KCS pic..." That's an SD40X, predecessor to the SD50 series. What you've got there is actually a very historic locomotive. Only KCS got the SD40X, (KCS700-703...SD50's began a couple of years later at KCS 704). The units ran with an EMD test car for awhile (which is shown in your picture). It appears that they are hooking up some test cables and what have you in this seen. The clutter on the nose was removed shortly after the test period, and that is some type of test equipment. Ironically, despite the "bum rap" of the SD50 series, the KCS SD40X's are still in service, along with their SD50's. I believe all 4 are still service...but...one may have been retired, perhaps somebody can correct me on this. Had an engineer friend with the KCS, who very much liked the SD40-2 (and this model is pretty much what all the KCS guys were used to). Not only he, but all of his friends hated the SD40X's when they first came out. Absolutely hated them. I asked "What could be so different about these than the SD40's...they have the same basic engine and just have 500 extra horsepower?". I was eating with him and some of his engineer buddies on a "bootleg trip" I took with him as a teen. They all started ranting and raving about how horrible the SD40X's were. They spoke of them not having the "zip" of the SD40-2, said the loading was all off, that they did not transition at the appropriate time, bogged down on hills, were too slippery...all sorts of complaints. This is why EMD ran these as SD40X's...as guinea pigs. A lot of tweaking was being done to the electrical systems, and, the "Super Series" system was brand new at this time. It was the data that they gathered from the SD40X trial period that allowed EMD to fine tune all this new gear. A lot of information was learned that allowed them to develop the 50-Series, and later, the 60-Series. The culmination of it was the 70-Series, but a lot of the features, such as "Super Series", were first brought on these 4 historic locomotives (and GE ended up responding with their own wheelcreep/adhesion system, the Sentry, but EMD started the concept). "
Mike Okay, this probably should be on one of the railfan photo forums, but since you're more likely to see it here, let me ask a couple of questions. Note that I have a regular flatbed scanner and have never scanned a slide (although I have a bunch). From the little info I can find on the 8400F, the Canon looks like a regular flatbed scanner. How does it do slides? Is there a separate attachment? A light in the cover? I do need to get something to scan slides one day, as I have a bunch of stuff that I took during the years when I was shooting slide film. Thanks
Hey Ed... Yes there is an adaptor for your slides...that runs from top to bottom...you just lay it flat on the scanner...the white cover? that would normally go over your photograph is removed...when scanning slides...a special scanning light is embedded with the top cover for slides...I hope I made that kinda sorta clear..
Perfectly, thanks. I figured there had to be something else, it just didn't show up in the stuff I turned up. Hmmm, since a couple of the locos I expected to buy this year look like they'll be delayed, maybe I could allocate some of the MRR budget for the year to a new scanner............ Thanks
Nice catch on the SD40X... I always like the "X" locos... Southern / NS had GP39X and GP49X models... somebody has to be the guinea pig! Harold
