Spotted yesterday in Texas

[santafewillie]

While I'm used to seeing all types of power on the BNSF line near me, this is a first. I believe it's an SD40-2T. I don't recognize the paint scheme.

 

[Russ Bellinis]

I just "googled" HLCX and got a lot of hits. Helm Financial Corp has become one of the leading leasing companies in the business, so HLCX is Helm Leasing. I think that what has happened is that the U.P. has never rebuilt old equipment like Santa Fe or Burlington have. When U.P. bought S.P. and CNW, they have sold off a lot of the old motive power, especially the old S.P. locomotives. Many of these older S.P. units hav gone to leasing companies to be rebuilt or cannibalised for spare parts. When a railroad like BNSF has a power shortage, they can either utilize pool power from other roads or lease power. The problem with pool power is that if you use pool power today, you are going to have to contribute pool power later. With leasing, you just turn the unit back to the leasing company when you are done with it.

 

[LoudMusic]

At least they didn't paint a giant "Rent me for just $39.95 / Day!" on the side of the loco, ala U-Haul

 

[brakie]

Willie,That is a SD40-2 not the SD40T-2

 

[MilesWestern]

At least they didn't paint a giant "Rent me for just $39.95 / Day!" on the side of the loco, ala U-Haul

sign1 That's rich, good thinkin'! I bet you'd get ALOT of calls from railfans all day if you did that to your engines, if youu owned a leasing co. that is! sign1

 

[MilesWestern]

Looks like the old BCRail paint scheme of the 19??'s

 

[MilesWestern]

AHH!! TRIPLE POST!!

 

[santafewillie]

Thanks Larry, the long snoot nose threw me off. I've seen plenty of HCLX equipment on this line before but never in this paint scheme. Thanks Miles for the paint scheme ID.

 

[KCS]

Brakie is correct. That's just a regular old SD40-2. The "T" in the SD40T-2 stands for tunnel motor. Tunnel motors and easy to recognize by large open grills in the side of the hoods in the very back bottom. All in all that first box car bring's out the modernest look with that spray paint tagging. sign1 sign1 sign1

 

[santafewillie]

In retrospect, I wish I had gotten more of that boxcar in the photo, but I was in the car moving about 55 mph when this photo was taken. Here's another taken in the same location on a different day. It's a pair of GP60B's.

 

[Triplex]

Thanks Larry, the long snoot nose threw me off. I've seen plenty of HCLX equipment on this line before but never in this paint scheme.

That's not a snoot nose. All Canadian SD40-2s have a nose almost as long as a snoot.
1972-1976 production: 81" standard nose, 116" snoot, 103" Canadian
1977-1986 production: 88" standard nose, 123" snoot, 110" Canadian