Okay I have two U50 Awesome power and GP35 Daily Work horse But as long as it's Southern Pacific you can't go wrong:tb-wink:
I'm not much a fan of the SP but the look of their SD40T-2s and SD45T-2s really catch my eye. They are real work horses.
IMHO Steam is king, and six coupled locomotives are among the best balanced esthetically. SP had some beautiful Pacifics. http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg89/6-coupled-steam/P2020007.jpg Courtesy Gene Deimling
While I absolutely love seeing the 4449, I would really like to see more of the GS-2 and GS-3 in the modeling world. The single-headlight adds just a touch of elegance, I think.
Hail to the big F 2-10-2 "Decs". Do you really think that SP would refer to them as "Santa Fe's," LOL? Tom
My favorites are the big steam machines. Here is one you don't see often - ( AC-9).......... This shot was made west of Tucumcari, N.M. on way to Santa Rosa. Sure would like to see these made in n scale other than by Key. Carl
Yes, for all intents purposes they are visually the same locomotive and have the same appeal, just a few minor detail differences for the spotters. SD45 looks substantially different and to me growing up in the early 1970's it spoke SP to me as their signature diesel, only later to be over shadowed by the tunnel motors. BTW, Athearn is just now shipping their latest run of SD45's, this batch has the standard windshields and represents the rebuilt SD45's seen mostly in the 1980's and 90'.s
My favorite Southern Pacific locomotives are the SD-45s (8800-8844). They were the backbone of the SP's fleet in the mid-60s, rated at 3000 hp, and did the job of two Geeps.
I always liked seeing the tunnel motors when I was a kid! I still like them. Just too bad they are painted in Utterly Pathetic.
I don't remember the last time that I saw anything that was not a 6 axle wide nosed loco on a through freight on the Sunset...the local is usally a pair of GP40-2
IIRC, 8800-8844 were only the first order of SD45's which were the only SD45's which were delivered with standard windshields - the rest being delivered wint L-shaped Engineers window. AFAIK, these had 3600 hp, as did all the SD45's in their original configuration. After some of them were rebuilt, they were derated to 3200 or 3400 hp - see Don Strack's UtahRails.net website for details on the rebuild program.
My most favorite sp steam locomotives are 1. SP S-10 switchers:cute:, go figure, right? 2. SP 2-6-0 mogals, and basically everything else. Desil would have to be the cadaliics, f units, and the tunnel motors.
I have to say the F3's are my favorite. They LOOK happy, you can almost see 'em smiling! I have the 5531 and 5541 0n my layout. I have a B unit also but it came un-numbered.I love to watch 'em run. Photo credit; www.drgw.net Max Miller photo.
Until recently I would have gone with the SD45 as THE Southen Pacific loco but now it just has be the Southen Pacific-type 4-10-2 and not just because I've got a pair of Westside brass examples. Diesel-wise, after the SD45, it's either the GP40X with the elephant ears, or the Krauss-Maffei units.
