GP38 and GP38-2 Differences GP Differences thread. I knew I had seen that somewhere. It's old, from 2004, so some of the pictures might be missing. Maybe we could get some update pictures here.
Yes the inspection glass was a dead giveaway for the dash 2. I also read somewhere too that the short hood was 8 inches longer on the dash 2 as well.
Actually, from this side the easiest tell would be the cab. The roof on a GP-38 terminates at the back cab wall, but on a -2 has an angled piece thet joins the long hood a few inches behind the cab. These are GP-38's. Tom
there are actual electrical differences. But as for the spotting features, you have the small overhang of the cab roof and the sight glass. That is a true -2 spooting feature on both the SD and GP versions of dash 2's. Up untill the SD-50 and GP50only the dash 2's had the sight glass. The SD50 was built with the sight glass and dash 2 features even thou it was not called SD50-2. But on the same side of the coin, I know that some roads when they rebuilt units they added the sight glass window. This is true particulary with the SOU /NS GP49's. THere are other units that where built with the sight glass window but I guess that is a totaly differnet topic for another day. Hope that some of this info was of use.
The sight glass was an option made standard on the -2 line. SP and IC both have pre -2 units with the sight glass. With the advent of the SD70 series and the betterment of electronic monitoring, the sight glass ecame superfluous. Easiest way to tell a GP38 from a 38-2 is to look at the dynamic brake hatch. On the 38-2, EMD saved costs by using a full length hatch (i.e, the hatch is the same length as on other models), therefore it extends into the radiator compartment. The GP38 has an abbreviated blister that terminates at the end of the prime mover compartment. SOU GP39Xs were built with a sight glass, it wasn't added during the rebuild to GP49 standards... There are a few true -2 spotting features applicable to all -2s, early or not, one is the cab overhang, the other is the battery box compartment extending under the cab on the conductors side.
Those are GP38s. The older GP38s had the rear roof fans spaced apart, while the newer GP38s and all GP38-2s have the fans closer together.
No GP38 or GP38AC has the closer fan spacing... GP38-2s made in 1972 used the GP38/38AC fan hatch (with ~70" fan spacing) and two piece wire-rake grills. In 1973, EMD went to the one-piece wire-rake grill (one-half a SD45-2 grill) and the closer spaced fans (~56" fan spacing)
Positive... pictures courtesy Fallen Flags (please donate) Mar-1970 built GP38 http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/sout/sou2815ags.jpg Sept-1971 built GP38AC http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/ns/ns2839amr.jpg Mar-1972 built GP38-2 http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/ns/ns5046asb.jpg Oct-1973 built GP38-2 http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/ns/ns5103bmr.jpg
Ok, you were right. Only thing I noticed is, on NS 5046, the fans are spaced as on GP38s. Whats up with that? I'm under the impression ALL GP38-2s (unless they are GP38s rebuilt to -2s) have the fans close together.
