The EMD SD40-2 is a 3,000-horsepower (2,200 kW) C-C diesel-electric locomotive built by EMD from 1972 to 1989.

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Quick Facts Type and origin, Power type ...

EMD SD40-2
Montana Rail Link XDM SD40-2 diesel locomotive 250 at Everett, Washington, United States, January 1994
Type and origin Power type Diesel-electric Builder GM Electro-Motive Division (EMD) General Motors Diesel (GMD) Material y Construcciones S.A. (MACOSA) Equipamentos Villares S.A. (EVSA) Model SD40-2 Build date January 1972 – October 1989 Total produced 3,982
Specifications Configuration: ​  • AAR C-C  • UIC Co′Co′  • Commonwealth Co-Co Gauge 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge 5 ft 3 in (1,600 mm), Brazil 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) metre gauge, Guinea and Brazil Driver dia. 40 in (1,016 mm) Wheelbase 43 ft 6 in (13.26 m) between bolsters; 13 ft 7 in (4.14 m) between axles in each truck Length 68 ft 10 in (20.98 m) over the coupler pulling faces Width 10 ft 3+1⁄8 in (3.13 m) over the grabirons Height 15 ft 7+1⁄8 in (4.75 m) Loco weight 368,000 lb (167,000 kilograms) or 184 short tons (164 long tons; 167 t) Fuel type Diesel Fuel capacity 3,200–4,000 US gal (12,000–15,000 L; 2,700–3,300 imp gal) Prime mover EMD 16-645E3 Engine type V16 diesel engine Aspiration turbocharged Cylinders 16
Performance figures Maximum speed 65 mph (105 km/h) Power output 3,000 hp (2,240 kW) Tractive effort Starting: 115,000 lbf (52,163 kgf) @31.5% Continuous: 82,100 lbf (37,240 kgf) @11 mph (18 km/h)
Career Operators Various Locale North America, Mexico, Brazil, Guinea, Mauritania

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The SD40-2 was introduced in January 1972 as part of EMD's Dash 2 series, competing against the GE U30C and the ALCO Century 630. Although higher-horsepower locomotives were available, including EMD's own SD45-2, the reliability and versatility of the 3,000-horsepower (2,200 kW) SD40-2 made it one of the best-selling models in EMD's history, edged out only by the GP9, and was the standard of the industry for several decades after its introduction. The SD40-2 was an improvement over the SD40, with modular electronic control systems similar to those of the experimental DDA40X.

Peak production of the SD40-2 was in the mid-1970s. Sales of the SD40-2 began to diminish after 1981 due to the oil crisis, increased competition from GE's Dash-7 series and the introduction of the EMD SD50, which was available concurrently to late SD40-2 production. The last SD40-2 delivered to a United States railroad was built in July 1984, with production continuing for railroads in Canada until 1988, Mexico until February 1986, and Brazil until October 1989.

The SD40-2 has seen service in Canada, Mexico, Brazil and Guinea. To suit export country specifications, General Motors designed the JT26CW-SS (British Rail Class 59) for Great Britain, the GT26CW-2 for Yugoslavia, South Korea, Iran, Morocco, Peru and Pakistan, while the GT26CU-2 went to Zimbabwe and Brazil. Various customizations led Algeria to receive their version of a SD40-2, known as GT26HCW-2.

This section may contain an excessive amount of intricate detail that may interest only a particular audience. (October 2022)

As the SD38, SD39, SD40, and SD45 shared a common frame, so too did the SD38-2, SD40-2, and SD45-2. It was 3 ft (0.91 m) longer than the previous models, giving a length of 68 ft 10 in (20.98 m) over the coupler pulling faces. The SD38-2 and SD40-2 shared the same basic superstructure, since they used the same 16-645 engine (in Roots-blown and turbocharged form respectively); the long hood was 18 inches (457 mm) longer than the SD38 and SD40, but since the increase in frame length was even greater, the SD38-2 and SD40-2 had even larger front and rear "porches" than the earlier models. These empty areas at front and rear are spotting features to identify the Dash 2 models of both units. The SD40-2 can be distinguished from the SD38-2 by its three roof-mounted radiator fans instead of two, and a single large exhaust stack instead of two smaller stacks.^[1]

The increase in the frame length between the preceding 40 Series and the 40-2 Series six-axle locomotives was made to accommodate the new HT-C truck design, in which the traction motors all face the same direction, making the trucks longer. After a series of derailments involving Amtrak SDP40F units that were equipped with "hollow bolster" HT-C trucks, applied only to the SDP40F, Conrail ordered the SD40-2 units and several orders of SD50s with the older Flexicoil trucks, but the HT-C truck was vindicated and it ultimately went under most 40 Series, 50 Series and 60 Series six-axle locomotives, and this truck is still found under many remanufactured locomotives. ^{[citation needed]}

Some SD45 and SD45-2 units have been modified by replacing their 20-cylinder engine with the 16-cylinder removed from scrapped SD40-2 units; this was common on Union Pacific and possibly other railroads. In many cases these are identified by the owner as SD40-3, SD40M-2 or some such. Confusingly, what appears to be an SD45 is labeled as an SD40-2. Older SD40-2 units used in low-power modes such as yard switching or hump service have been de-turbocharged, resulting in the mechanical equivalent of a SD38-2. Units so modified may or may not be re-labeled. ^{[citation needed]}

There are several variations of the SD40-2 such as the SD40T-2s (Informally: T for tunnel motor; the actual EMD designation is "SD40-2 With Cooling System Modification", as stated on this model's EMD manuals) bought by the former Southern Pacific, and Denver and Rio Grande Western railroads; now operated by Union Pacific. The SD45 tunnel motor equivalent, the SD45T-2 model, was also utilized by Southern Pacific. Many tunnel motors were rebuilt and sold second-hand to a handful of American shortlines including, Bessemer and Lake Erie, Illinois Railway and Missouri and Northern Arkansas, as well as Canadian shortline Goderich-Exeter Railway. There is the SD40-2W (W for the 4-Window Safety Cab) bought and operated by the Canadian National railway. High-nosed versions of the SD40-2 were bought by Norfolk & Western, & Southern Railway. These units are now operated by the Norfolk Southern Railway (Resulting merger of N&W and Southern Railway). A narrow gauge version produced for Ferrovia Central Atlantico in Brazil is the BB40-2. ^{[citation needed]}

Three cabless SD40-2Bs were also rebuilt from standard SD40-2s by the Burlington Northern Railroad in the early 1980s. The units had been in collisions and BN decided that it was more economical to rebuild them without cabs. Canadian Pacific also owns a few SD40-2Bs. These were created by welding metal plates over the cab windows of many of its ex-Norfolk Southern and some of its original SD40-2s. ^{[citation needed]}

• SD40-2 production variations
• 
  NS 3204, an example of a SD40-2 built with a high short hood.
• 
  NS 3408, which rides on Flexicoil C trucks.
• 
  Ohio Central Railroad System 5855 was built with an extended rear deck.

A number of SD40-2s have been rebuilt into other models. Some of the most unusual are the metre gauge BB40-2s for use in Brazil. ^{[citation needed]}

Conversely, several other models of EMD locomotive have sometimes been rebuilt to SD40-2 standards, including the SD40, SD45 and SD45-2. Normally, this consists of electrical upgrades (-2) and replacing the 20-cylinder prime mover with a 16-cylinder version, often built for GE Capital in Poland using EMD's manufacturing drawings and specifications. An outgrowth of this may be GE Transportation's second-sourcing of EMD repair parts. ^{[citation needed]}

The unusually troublesome SD50 have also been rebuilt into the equivalent of SD40-2s, rather than scrapping them. The 645F block and crankshaft are inherently good designs (indeed, the lessons learned with the 645F became part of the 710G); lowering the rating from 3,500 horsepower (2,600 kW) at 950 rpm to 3,000 horsepower (2,200 kW) at 900 rpm solved the mechanical and electrical reliability issues. ^{[citation needed]}

Union Pacific donated SD40-2 9950 to Western America Railroad Museum in Barstow, California in 2004. 9950 was built in 1980 for the Missouri Pacific as their 3320.^{[citation needed]}

In June 2009, Union Pacific had donated 3028 (former Chicago & North Western 6847) to the Illinois Railway Museum in Union, Illinois. The unit still wears its original factory paint from when it was built for the CNW in March, 1974. CNW 6847 was patched by UP in February, 2003, to UP 3028, and retired in December, 2008.^[10]

In 2014, Union Pacific traded SD40-2C 3105 and other equipment to the RailGiants Train Museum at Fairplex in Pomona, California for 4-8-8-4 Union Pacific 4014 "Big Boy", which UP restored to operational status in 2019. Locomotive 3105 was originally built in 1979 as Missouri Pacific 6027, and one of the few that the Missouri Pacific ordered with dynamic braking.^[11] This is the only operational locomotive in the museum.

In the Fall of 2018, Canadian Pacific donated SD40-2 5903 to the Canadian Railway Museum in Delson, Quebec, making it the first SD40-2 to be preserved in Canada. ^{[citation needed]}

In June 2020, Norfolk Southern donated SD40-2 6162 to the Kentucky Steam Heritage Corp. 6162 was originally built for the Norfolk and Western in 1978 as N&W 6162.^[12]

In 2022, Dieselmotive of California saved Milwaukee Road SD40-2 156 from scrap and had it moved to the Oklahoma Railway Museum. Built as Milwaukee Road 3026 in 1972, the locomotive was one of 90 SD40-2s on the MILW roster, outnumbering all other diesel models. Later renumbered as MILW 156, it was painted as Milwaukee Road's Bicentennial unit in 1975 for the two-year celebration that began the following year. It wore that paint job for just a few years before being repainted back into MILW orange and black. It ended up in New England in the 2010s. The museum plans to restore the locomotive back into its Bicentennial paint scheme, as well as make it fully operational again.^[13]

• List of GM-EMD locomotives
• List of GMD Locomotives
• EMD GT26CW-2, export variant