Bowser SD40-2.

[drolsen]

Mar 28, 2021 10:16:05 GMT -8 @mec567 said:

First photo of #261 I reviewed on rrpicturearchives.net seems to indicate mostly black stanchions on the side, with grey stanchions in front of the cab:

www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=562692

With the weathering, it's difficult to tell if the side ones are black or grey?

There's a later photo there from '06, where 261 is between 2 of the orange and grey units, and it's a long angle, but does appears to have black stanchions on the side?

Pretty sure it's just grime combined with the shadow created by the U-channel shape of the stanchions. If you zoom in and look at the very bottom portion of the stanchions, you can see that they're painted to match the black frame stripe.

Dave

[cprail3000]

I see some more of these have been delivered in the last week or so. Anyone received any of the CP models yet and what are your initial thoughts? As good as previous versions?

[fishbelly]

I really like the QNS&L SD40-2's. They are cool. I like the NREX and HLCX version where they removed the straight up shin buster step wells and installed standard step wells like all US SD40-2's.

There is one detail missing on these models. No big deal though and can be simulate with a detail from the Cannon & Co. fuel tank detail kit. There is a small box shaped detail just behind the generator compartment door down near the deck. It covers a pipe. Sometimes it is missing and the pipe is exposed.

Great looking models and I do like the Bowser version. I am really tempted to get three of them. Repaint them into my Copper State Railway. I had started three of the NREX and HLCX versions for my railroad and then Bowser came out with their version and put the brakes on the ones I was building.

[Deleted]

Bowser has posted good clear photos of the latest run units on their website.

The 2021 production units are from the new factory (which replaced the one that went out of business).  I'm very picky about fit and finish of assembled models, and at least the ones from February 2021 were exceptionally well done.

I have the HESR 3390 and an FURX 3052 both from the February 2021 run, and they are fantastic. I'm confident the ones newly arrived will be also. The Loksound 5.0 decoders of the February 2021 run provide much improved and clearer sound over the previous versions.

Also, Bowser has said that they are still considering reviving the GMD SD-40 project, but I believe they want to get the RS-3 to market first.

[sp8234tim]

I have 1 HLCX & 1 First Union & I am very happy with them. The only reason I don't have more is I model West Coast early 90s to about 2006 SP, UP & BNSF the Bowser GMD SD40-2 doesn't offer a lot or correct units for me.
Nice units that look different in a consist.

Tim
Hanesworth

[Deleted]

The only reason I don't have more or haven't kept more Bowser units is I'm finally doing what I once said I'd never do: In my quest to remain at least "somewhat modern" I'm finally embracing BNSF modern diesels and the swish paint scheme units. If you can't beat them...

I have friends, now dead and gone, who never gave in to "modern railroading" which for them was anything after the February 1968 Penn Central merger.

If/when a GMD SD40 comes along and if I can find that BNSF had any, I'd of course get them too.

[cemr5396]

Jul 27, 2021 11:17:57 GMT -8 @mec567 said:

If/when a GMD SD40 comes along and if I can find that BNSF had any, I'd of course get them too.

Well then you are in luck, BNSF had a bunch of ex-CN rebuilt SD40s that they got in the late 90s, and ran until the mid/late 2000s. 

 

now, whether Bowser would take on this version with the 'Americanized' steps is a question. When you look at their GMD SD40-2, they have not done versions (HLCX, FURX, Wisconsin Central) which had similar modifications. 

[Deleted]

Interesting. I'll have to research this more and get more photos. Thank you!

[sd40dash2]

^ I never understood why the prototype went to the expense and bother of changing the steps and headlight location on such old units with a limited remaining lifespan.

As for Bowser, I don't think Lee wants to enter the fray of US SD40-2s. This would be a better project for someone focused on US SD40-2s, despite its GMD heritage. IMO of course.

[cemr5396]

Jul 27, 2021 13:16:59 GMT -8 sd40dash2 said:

^ I never understood why the prototype went to the expense and bother of changing the steps and headlight location on such old units with a limited remaining lifespan.

As for Bowser, I don't think Lee wants to enter the fray of US SD40-2s. This would be a better project for someone focused on US SD40-2s, despite its GMD heritage. IMO of course.

well the first thing BNSF did when they bought them was send them to Alstom for a full rebuild, I assume the headlight and steps were done as part of that so it probably wasn't a big deal in the grand scheme of things.

[cemr5396]

As for whether Bowser or someone else should be the one to take on these units, it all hinges on one question - for me at least.

From a tooling perspective, is it easier to take an 'EMD' model and make all the changes needed to make it look like a 'GMD' unit, or take a GMD model and change only the steps? To me at least, I think it would be easier for Bowser to take their existing SD40-2 and make a new walkway for it with the modified steps than it would be for anyone else to do it.

I'm fairly sure that the Canadian GMD units have slightly different front and rear pilot sheets than US EMD ones, so someone like Athearn or SXT couldn't even use their existing SD40-2 walkway to replicate them. with all the differences between GMD and EMD have units above the deck, that basically means starting from scratch if someone (other than Bowser) wants to make these ex-Canadian locos.

I think this difficulty of using an EMD unit as a starting point for GMD ones is a big part of the reason we never got a good Canadian SD40-2 before Bowser made theirs. And the same reason we likely won't get a Canadian 'straight 40' until the Bowser one.

[sd80mac]

On a related note, BNSF also had a couple of former GTW SD40s in that same group as the ex CN units. These were "vanilla" US EMD SD40s, other than the single rear headlight.