I didn't know such a thing existed until yesterday. I drive a truck and one of my stops is inside of a local rail yard. So I get to see all kinds of stuff out there. Well yesterday I saw what I thought was a freshly painted UP GP38-2. But as I was driving along side it it was labled as a GP38-3. Am I just behind on the times or what?
Gp38-3?
- Thread starter 65GASSER
- Start date
Hi 65GASSER,I with you on this one, I never knew there was such thing as a GP38-3.
Does the GP38-2 and GP38-3 look the same or similar?
I didn't get to stop and check it out like I usually do in the yard. But it looked just like a 38-2 from the truck. Surely UP didn't mis-label it? It was awfully clean as well.
It must be a new model or a re-build as mr. bubbles said then cause theres no may that Union Pacific would mislabble an engine.
Maybe someone else here knows something about this "new" engine??
Maybe someone else here knows something about this "new" engine??
I just searched it as well and it does seem that they are rebuilds. This one was rebuilt in '96 as a GP38-3 from a GP40. http://www.visi.com/~mfrahm/dme/roster/locos/4axle/GP38-3/3833.html
Yup, those are rebuilds.
UP isn't the only one. NS also has a GP38-3 rebuild program in which they de-turbo and derate the prime mover on their former Southern Rys. GP50's.
UP isn't the only one. NS also has a GP38-3 rebuild program in which they de-turbo and derate the prime mover on their former Southern Rys. GP50's.
When you think about it, it makes a lot of sense to rebuild a gp40-2 into a gp38. You rebuild the engine and remove the turbo in the process. They would have to put in new pistons to raise the compression back up to compensate for the lack of a turbo, but the whole thing would be a lot less expensive than selling a relatively worthless gp40-2 and then buying a brand new gp38-2 or something similar for switching and branchline work. Emd came out with the gp38-2 for that work, but the class one railroads have a bunch of obsolete turbo charged power that isn't powerful enough for mainline work anymore, but unnecessary for branchline or local switching. The final advantage to the rebuilds is that naturally aspirated diesel engines are more reliable than turbo charged diesel engines.