The SOU sd40-2's are starting to get their admiral cab treatment. I suggest we mass-mail NS asking for them to set aside one for a museum but all options are on the table as of now.

Okay, if we do that, then where does it go?

Where would it best fit a museum or rail line's mission statement in SR territory? Virginia Museum of Transportation, North Carolina Spencer, TVRM, Southeastern Railway Museum, Heart of Dixie, KRM, and others all theoretically qualify.

Or if they're smart, the EL Dining Car Preservation Society will grab one and "trade" it to VMT for the ex-EL SDP45....... >;-)

I would suggest NOT mass-emailing the fine folks at Norfolk Southern. It'll only annoy them.

If you want one preserved, put together an organization, put together a plan and then talk to the right people (but don't badger them, they're busy professionals as well).

What was even the point of a high nose.

As one who built a few custom SD40-2 models (and had a friend who was obsessed with such) how many nose configurations are worth saving? Original, long, longer, high? SOU, CPR, UP et al?

I don't mean to be argumentative, so don't take it that way. Think about this... if you could save three SD40-2's, which would they be? What would be #1?

Rob

PS: And I agree, don't email NS. Come up with a business plan. NS has done a 180 in terms of its outward celebration of its history... and if you have been watching carefully, you'll know a lot of historic equipment has been donated/sold-reasonably under the current management's watch. There's a lot more to their passion for corporate history than is obvious on the Interwebs. It's pretty cool to see.

I also agree, don't go emailing NS about this. Come up with a well written preservation plan in conjunction with an established museum or historical society. Then submit it through appropriate channels. They would then at least give it due consideration. NS's attitude towards preservation is light years ahead of what it was a decade ago, but you need to have your act together both factually, historically, and financially on any proposed project. They are also very big on co-operation between organizations and look favorably on partnership projects. I'd talk to Spencer, TVRM, and SERM first. Also, the person at NS whose mailbox would eventually be filled with these requests is a friend of mine. She's got enough to deal with handling the exhibit car, the Facebook pages, OCS logistics, local events, and other community relations stuff. Saving an N&W SD40-2 is on our minds also, but we have some other projects that are a priority

I'd like to see a high-nose preserved at VMOT alongside the high-nose C630 (and perhaps one day a high-nose U-boat!). And perhaps another at Spencer shops with their high-nose GP30.

And to answer another question, I'd love to see a UP "snoot" preserved and a standard one from a fallen flag road- maybe an ex MoPac without dynamic brakes and an ex BN one from the largest fleet of them (is the first one of them still around?).

Wes

Wes, C630 1135 looks really good in her new paint. The other Alcos, T6 CW 10 (nee N&W 40) and RS3 N&W 300 will be repainted in the spring. In July SD45 1776 and CW Baldwin DS4-4-660 #662 are scheduled to debut (I'm working my "caboose" off on the latter)

Great to here Gary, do you think VMOT is interested in one of these locos? Is it woth pursuing with them? And I am truly looking forward to those "debutants?".

Wes

Another SD variant that really needs to be preserved is an SP SD40T-2. CSRM has an SD45T-2R, but the 40T was SPs main stay in there final years.

Wes, Seeds are being planted

Can we- or should we- help to water those seeds?

Wes

Off the top of my head, I know of 2 preserved SD40%-2s. The Utah State Railway Museum has D&RGW 5371, a locomotive that achieved some notoriety as the last unpatched Grande tunnel motor. A quick check of rrpicturearchives.net found her on display, under shelter and in good shape.

The second is a locomotive I'm much more familiar with, former U.P. 2921, previously S.P. 8385, preserved at the Boone and Scenic Valley Railroad, in Boone, Iowa. Donated by the U.P in early 2010, she's in great shape mechanically and cosmetically. She has run since her arrival, and if all goes well she'll eventually end up in the rotation hauling regular excursions.

Quite honestly, I've never understood the hype behind "high-nosed" anything. I like diesels, especially SD40-2s, but I've just never understood why people are always like, "Oooh, it's a high-nose." I mean, what does it matter?

(I should probably run and hide now, shouldn't I)

"I mean, what does it matter?"--Mark Z. Yerkes

Two words--"rarity quotient," or "difference from boring normals."

I think that drives a lot of what makes us rail enthusiasts, everything from unusual or at least new paint jobs to preserving the once common, but now exotic, steam locomotive (and now we are getting around to looking at common freight cars, now that they are not so common).

No need to run and hide, it's not like we're discussing a certain class of Pennsylvania Railroad steam passenger locomotive. . .