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Hi everyone,
For those of you not following weather in Texas, June 2004 has yielded the second highest monthly rainfall total on record, at least in the DFW area. For that to happen, rain comes from clouds, and clouds make for less than spectacular railroad photography, especially for those who primarily shoot rosters like myself. I did get out some, but rather than use photos from this month, I have opted to catch up on some earlier digital photos. All five of today's photos are of the SD40 or SD40-2 variety. I have seen several ex-SF SD40's (aka SD40u after rebuilding) such as SD40 #6312, but this is the only one I have caught front uncoupled. I also have three SD40-2's, including two overhead shots of SD40-2 #6810 and SD40-2 #7069 that bring up an interesting question. Are those yellow walkways? The first few Heritage I C44-9W's had red, and later it was decided orange was more appropriate, and later yet green became the standard for now. I believe I have noted this once before, and have seen it noted elsewhere that some of these units (all SD40-2's to my knowledge) indeed have yellow walkways. This is not the norm, but an interesting variation. Last photo is the most interesting, as when first faced with cataloging a photo of a unit from this series, I had a tough time deciding whether to call it a SD40 or a SD40-2. While the carbody is obviously a SD40, internal upgrades are enough for the BNSF to consider it a SD40-2, and note that SD40-2 #7316 is stenciled "SD40-2" on the frame. For modelers, note that since the carbody is still a SD40, a SD40 model would best represent this unit. Enjoy! |
