GE Dash 8-40C
The GE C40-8 is a 6-axle road switcher diesel-electric locomotive built by GE Transportation Systems between 1987 and 1992. It is part of the GE Dash 8 Series of freight locomotives, and its wheel arrangement is of a C-C type.
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This locomotive model is often referred to as a Dash 8-40C or simply "Dash 8". "Dash 8" in general refers to the electrical control series, "Dash" being a carryover from the older syntax of C40-8. The "40" refers to the baseline horsepower rating (4,000 hp or 3,000 kW) of the unit, although some units may be re-rated to 4,100 hp (3,100 kW).
Later units were supplied with a wide-nose cab and are designated Dash 8-40CW, the "W" indicating a wide-nose cab.
C41-8
Some railroads, the Chicago and North Western Railway in particular, upgraded some of their units to ~4,135 hp (3,083 kW) and designated them as C42-8. This designation was modified by the Union Pacific Railroad to C41-8 after its takeover of C&NW in 1995. Former C&NW units are usually identified by a grab-iron on the front nose just above the Union Pacific shield logo, and/or the "C41-8" designation on the cab side. The final three C&NW C40-8s were built with 4,135 hp (3,083 kW), and the prior 32 units were similarly modified as well. Although none of these units were ever officially classed as C41-8 by GE, a safety cab version was built as the Dash 8-41CW.
Current and former owners
| Railroad | Quantity | Road numbers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canadian National Railway | 77 | 2000-2041, 2100-2134 | All units were originally bought by CNW and sold by UP, 2127 sold to CRIP (revival) |
| Chicago and North Western Transportation Company | 77 | 8501-8577 | 8575-8577 were 4,150 hp (3,090 kW), all units were passed on to UP and later sold to CREX |
| Cimarron Valley Railroad | 7 | 4050-4056 | All units are ex-CSX, painted in a Santa Fe inspired paint scheme |
| Citicorp Railmark Inc. (Citirail) | 42 | 9023-9064 | Originally bought by CNW, sold by UP and sold to CN |
| Conrail | 25 | 6025-6049 | Split between CSX and NS, all units remaining in Conrail colors are retired |
| CSX Transportation | 55 | 7489-7498, 7500-7646 | Classed as C40-8, 7489-7498 are ex-Conrail. All retired from May 2016 to February 2017, most have been sold off to other railroads or have been scrapped. |
| Estrada de Ferro Carajás | 4 | 501-504 | |
| Everywhere West Locomotives Leasing, LLC. | 1 | 9129 | Currently at Mondovi, Washington, for sale or lease |
| GE Capital | 15 | 7516, 7522, 7524, 7533, 7537, 7544, 7560, 7569, 7570, 7586, 7612, 7619, 7629, 7640, 7642 | All units are former CSX, currently on lease to NS except for 7522 and 7612 |
| New Orleans Public Belt Railroad | 4 | 4001-4004 | All units are former NS |
| Norfolk Southern Railway | 89 | 8300-8313, 8689-8763 | 8300-8313 are ex-Conrail. All units were to be rebuilt with a new wide cab, upgraded electronics, etc. 8500-8504, 8506-8513 being rebuilt with an NS "Crescent" nose/cab (The same on the SD60Es), 8505 being rebuilt with a GE widenose and cab. They are classified as a Dash 8.5-40CW but are labeled as D8.5-40CW. However, due to repeated failures, all Norfolk Southern C40-8's will be sold or scrapped, and 47 new ET44AC and three ES44AC locomotives will replace them. Last remaining units retired in 2017. |
| Pan Am Railways | 24 | 7489 7500 7517-7518 7523 7528
7534-7535 7541-7542 7545 7552 7561 7575 7585 7594-7595 7605 7609 7620 7622 7627 7635 7643 |
Classed as C40-8, all ex-CSX. 7489 is ex-Conrail. |
| Providence and Worcester Railroad | 4 | 4050-4053 | All units are ex-NS |
| Union Pacific Railroad | 255 | 9100-9355, 9185 (2nd) | 9185 (first) returned to GE, became testbed. As of early 2019, all units have been sold/auctioned off. |
| Rock Island Rail | 1 | 2127 | Ex-CN, originally built for CNW, and later UP |
The companies that still own C40-8 locomotives as of 2006 include: CSX Transportation with 146, the Norfolk Southern Railway with 88, and the Union Pacific Railroad with 298 (includes former C&NW C41-8 units). In 2010, CN bought 35 C40-8 locomotives (2100-2134) from UP and 67 C40-8W locomotives (2098-2099, 2135-2199) from BNSF. Another 42 C40-8s were bought by CN in 2013 (these 42 units are numbered between 2000-2041) marking all 77 of the ex CNW Dash 8-40Cs now owned by CN. CN has 6 C40-8s that were painted for the 15th anniversary and they are numbers 2107, 2112, 2113, 2115, 2124, and 2128.
In 2016, Pan Am Railways bought 20 C40-8 locomotives (7489, 7517-7518, 7523, 7528, 7534-7535, 7541-7542, 7545, 7552, 7561, 7585, 7605, 7609, 7620, 7622, 7627, 7635, 7643) from CSX. In 2017, Pan Am Bought 4 More C40-8s: 7500, 7575, 7594, and 7595. As of early 2019, Pan Am has painted numbers 7518, 7552, and 7635 into their Phase 3 paint. In 2018, the Providence and Worcester Railroad bought 4 C40-8 locomotives from Norfolk Southern. All units are painted in the Genesee & Wyoming orange paint scheme. As of early 2020, Pan Am has painted 4 more C40-8s: 7523, 7542, 7561, and 7585 into the Phase 3 paint.
See also
External links
Media related to GE C40-8 locomotives at Wikimedia Commons