GP39-2?

From what I understood, the biggest difference in appearance from GP38-2 to GP39-2 p1 was the 39 has a GP40-2 style dynamic brake hatch, and GP35-style radiator grilles. Starting with an Athearn non-dynamic GP38-2, it was a fairly simple kit conversion - add the '40 hatch and cut the '38 hatch to fill the gap, and cut off or smooth the radiator grille and replace with Cannon parts. Now I believe someone's selling a factory GP39-2.

Allen Hazen wrote:Mr. Know-it-all:
Thank you for the informative post! F.w.i.w., I believe that a few of the last GP38-2 built had the tapered bulge like the (later?) 50-series

I googled it..found the last GP38-2 built:

Texas Mexican Railway
867 is the last EMD GP38-2 built in 5/85.

from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EMD_GP38-2

Serial # 847025-1
Built Date 05.85
Model GP38-2
Road No. TM 867
(to) Road No. HLCX 3714
(to) Road No. HLCX 3814

Yep..here she is with the "SD50 style" blower:
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... ?id=140633

TM 867 was a 1-unit order..the other TM GP38-2's were several years older.
Looks like there might have been only ONE production GP38-2 with that style of blower!
the next oldest GP38-2's according to:
http://www.trainweb.org/emdloco/gp38-2.htm

are two SOO units from 1983, which have the traditional blower housing:
http://www.fuzzyworld3.com/pictures3/ra ... o4402.html


Scot

Looks like there might have been only ONE production GP38-2 with that style of blower!

CP had several dozen GP38-2's built by GMDD with that style of blower duct, some built as late as 1986.

Allen Hazen wrote:Mr. Know-it-all:
Thank you for the informative post! F.w.i.w., I believe that a few of the last GP38-2 built had the tapered bulge like the (later?) 50-series: the published claim was that it offered less resistance to the blown air, and so improved energy efficiency ("by an epsilon," I suspect: by a very small quantity).

yep, that is true..
here is a late GP38-2 showing the "50-series" blower bulge:

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=1848271

(these might have been built at GMD..)

Scot