Difference Between Locomotives

[piesawackin]

I'm new to model railroading so please have mercy on me. Can you tell me the difference between the EMD GP40 (63556) and the B23-7/B30-7 (61352) locomotives. I am looking to buy some new N scale engines and would like to know which one is a better value. Thanks.

[ACY]

They are more or less equal in quality, just whichever one looks better to you or is cheaper.

[jward]

model wise, they should be about the same. as for the real ones, there was a world of difference. the gp40 was built by emd, a division of general motors, and was a very good locomtive in its day. it first appeared in 1966 and many are still running to-day. the b23-7 and b30-7 were both general electric products first appearing in 1977. they quickly earned a reputation for being junk power. when i worked for the railroad, we'd often have either type in our locomotive consists. the gp40s built in the 1960s were more reliable than the dash 7s which were 10-15 years younger. norfolk southern has since rebuilt and upgraded many of the gp40s to work in the yards where they work to-day, while the dash 7s were retired and sold off shortly after i left the railroad in 2003. one thing the dash 7s were notorious for was carbon buildup which would result in them shooting flames out the stack.

[Joe Satnik]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYpXwLg5GeM&playnext=1&list=PLC1878BC504E6B17C&index=14

Not much to see after 25 seconds (halfway).

[jward]

thanks joe. that video shows a flameout rather well. btw, the locomotive appears to be a dash 8 of some sort.....they replaced the dash 7s  in general electric's catalog.

[Jim Banner]

I don't know about stateside, but there are a number of GP-40s running on the RockMountaineer up here in Canada.

http://www.discoverholidays.ca/images/tour/RMML.jpg

Jim

[jward]

bnsf, union pacific, norfolk southern, kcs all have gp40s rebuilt and upgraded. buffalo & pittsburg, boston & maine, florida east coast, wheeling & lake erie still run unrebuilt ones. there are many others, these are just off the top of my head.