Some things don’t change…

Railroads across North America have found a use for 4 axle locomotives between 1700hp and 2200hp as ‘road switchers’ for the last 60+ years…

1973 GMD GP38-2W vs 2013 Progress Rail GP20c-eco, both 2000hp road switchers.

Equally at home on a local freight as switching in a yard or industrial area, these machines are as important as their high horsepower 6 axle thoroughbred big brothers. Whether new or rebuilt, the magic 2000hp mark has been a consistent balancing point starting with the hugely successful GP38 in 1966 with just under 3000 of the original and dash-2 versions built across the US and Canada until 1986. Even recently CN bought some ex-lease GP38s to supplement their GMD built units. Aging GP7s and 9s were rebuilt from the 1970s, more recently GP35s have had maintenance heavy turbos removed and 645 heads fitted, de-rated to the magical 2000hp. The same goes for the highly strung GP50s often de-rated from their 3500hp (who had their turbo’s 645 blocks literally pushed to the max before the GP60 and the 710s replaced them). Today Norfolk Southern and Canadian Pacific have been rebuilding older units through Progress Rail producing models such as CPs GP20c-eco, a V8 turbo 710 offering improved fuel economy, emissions, crew comfort and safety. 

It’s interesting to compare these units with British prototypes, I would argue the closest similar is the Type 3, either Class 33 or 37 and their continued use on the national network. Why have they not been replaced? Because they still fulfil a job that needs doing, yet in numbers that don’t warrant an off the shelf solution. Perhaps one day we’ll see a Type 3 rebuild program over here, like we have with Type 5s, (Class 57s in the noughties with EMD 645 engines and more recently Class 69 with the 710).

On my bench I’m working over an aging Genesis GP38-2W and building a Briggs GP20c-eco. Comparing these prototypes in miniature form is fascinating, and the usefulness of these 4 axles units in our model world is also born out by my eclectic collection of similarly powered models from ex-Santa Fe CF7s to BC Rail CRS20s! I do enjoy working on these North American models as a tonic to the day to day mix of OO gauge etched brass combined with large scale 7/8ths scratchbuilds on the bench as we speak. Until next time, more soon…