C40-9w

[Triplex]

In the mid-90s, Norfolk Southern didn't want increasingly high-horsepower locomotives, nor did they want wide noses. GE satisfied their request with the C40-9 (Dash 9-40C), the last standard-nose engine GE produced.

Its most obvious distinguishing feature from the C40-8 it replaced are its high-adhesion (known to some railfans as "rollerblade") trucks.

http://users.thot.net/lalande/jamesleo/dash9trk.htm High adhesion truck

http://railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=160026 Left side
http://railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=162429 Right side

After the C40-9, NS finally ordered its first widenose engines. (Deliveries of standard-nose SD70s would continue for some time.) They still didn't want the higher horsepower of the C44-9W, so GE built the C40-9W.

The C40-9W can only be distinguished from the C44-9W by its headlights. The C40-9W has cab-mounted headlights, while the C44-9W has nose-mounted headlights.

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=163674 C40-9W nose
http://railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=158970 C44-9W nose for comparison
http://railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=158877 C40-9W and C44-9W

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=162992 NS

The C40-9W was replaced by the ES40DC.