MP SD40-2 #3145 - was built as C&EI #3145 February 1974. It was renumbered to MP 3145 in 1975. MP 3145 is seen in San Antonio in 1986 after 31 cars from this train derailed causing the closure of several streets, and the evacuation of several hundred people. - Jay Glenewinkel Photo

MISSOURI PACIFIC SD Story
SD40, SD40-2, SD40-2c & SD50
440 Units from 1967-1984
By Jay Glenewinkel

Between March and April 1967, Missouri Pacific's first EMD C-C units arrived on the road. Twenty SD40's numbered as MP 700-719 came with a 16-cylinder, V-Type turbocharged 645-E3 prime mover. With a 62:15 gear ratio, these 3000 HP units had appeared to be quite a success. A year later, fourteen more were on the way. MP SD40s #720-733 arrived in early 1968, for a total of SD40s.

Again in 1969, the MoPac went back to EMD for twenty more SD40s. MP #734-753 were delivered in February of that year, followed by an additional 16 units (MP 754-769) in January 1970. The quest for the EMD 3000 HP units continued in 1971, with the delivery of the final twenty SD40s between March and April as MP #770-789.

During August and September of 1973, Missouri Pacific took delivery of their first twenty-five SD40-2s. These units were purchased in two seperate orders, the first for twenty, and the second for five. The second order of five SD40-2s were delivered first. These units were numbered directly above the SD40s as MP 790-794. The first order then arrived, and were numbered as MP #795-814.

Eleven more SD40-2s arrived in February 1974 as MP 3139-3149. The Chicago & Eastern Illinios also began recieving the SD40-2s in 1974. Fourteen units were delivered between February and March of that year as C&EI #3150-3163. This brought the total to 74 SD40-2s on the MoPac roster.

During the first quarter of 1975, thirty-eight more units arrived on the road as MP 3164-3201. At this time, the grand total was raised to 112 of these SD40-2s, and the SD40/SD40-2 fleet had become the standard road power. In August 1975, another fourteen units were delivered as MP 3202-3215.

The next order of SD40-2s was in a step of a different dirrection. They were delivered with dynamic brakes, and constructed identical to Burlington Northern's standards. These arrived in two groups. The first order was for five as MP 3216-3220. The second order was delivered as MP 3221-3235. These units, at first, were numbered above the existing fleet of SD40-2s, but were reclassified as SD40-2Cs. The "C" symbolized the intended service on unit coal trains. They were used in coal train service to and from the Powder River Basin in Wyoming. This allowed the units to be compatible with the Union Pacific, Burlington Northern and Chicago & Northwestern units. They also came with a headlight package that was somewhat new to the MoPac, with headlights between the number boards as well as having oscilating headlights in the nose, similar to the light arrangement on the Denver & Rio Grand Western. It was later decided to keep these units seperate from the non-dynamic brake equipped units, and were renumbered as MP 6000-6019.

In mid-1978, the Missouri Pacific bolstered their 6-axel fleet with the addition of fifty non-dynamic brake equipped SD40-2s. The first order of thirty-six were numbered as MP 3216-3235 followed by 3236-3265 in two individual groups. The units were delivered between August and September 1978.

More Dash-2s were added to the roster in May and June 1979, with the arrival of MP 3266-3291. This order of 26 units brought the total to 202 SD40-2s. Shortly after, the delivery of thirty more dynamic brake equipped SD40-2Cs began arriving for coal service as MP 6020-6049. These units did NOT have the headlight package as the first groups did. The next order of ten SD40-2s were delivered as MP 3292-3301. This forced the renumbering of the U30C fleet into the 2900 series. Four more dynamic brake equipped units arrived around the same time in June 1979 as MP 6050-6053. In December 1979, another ten units were delivered without dynamic brakes as MP 3302-3311.

Finally, in April 1980, two groups of SD40-2s were purchased. Ten units without dynamic brakes were delivered as MP3312-3321, along with 20 units equipped with dynamic brakes as MP 6054-6073. The final count totaled 306 SD40-2s without dynamic brakes, and 74 with dynamic brakes. MoPac 6073 was the very last SD unit to be delivered in "Jenks Blue"

The final chapter on the Missouri Pacific SD fleet was the SD50. Between November and December 1984, Union Pacific purchased 60 EMD SD50s for the Missouri Pacific. These units were delivered as MP 5000-5059, and at first, replaced the SD40-2s on the San Antonio and Houston coal trains. Painted in Union Pacific's armour yellow, with "Missouri Pacific" lettering, these units housed a 16-cylinder 645F3B turbocharged power plant. SD50 number 5059 was the final SD unit delivered to the Missouri Pacific.

From a "Legend in Blue", to a shield of "Canaries", as we say, the rest is history.

SD40
Missouri Pacific SD40 #700 - was built in March 1967. It was later renumbered to MP #3000 in the late 1970s. It wore the MP yellow paint scheme as MP 3000. It was retired in January 1989, and rebuilt by Morrison Knudsen as an SD40-2, and then leased to the Canadian Pacific. - Location unknown, Mike Bledsoe Slides/Jay Glenewinkel Collection

SD40-2
MP 3147 - an SD40-2 shares the burden with UP 2854 at North Platte, Nebraska, not long after America's Bicentennial this day of July 18, 1976. This unit is still almost new at just two years old, being built in February, 1974. The photographer, Glen Beans has posted many of his works to ABPR - © copyright Glen Beans, used with permission. Note: this is a high-res file (349 kb) with excellent image detail.

SD40-2c
MP 6070 - these SD40-2c's pull through a sanding facility at Fort Worth, Texas in February 1984 - Mike Bledsoe Photo/Jay Glenewinkel Collection.

SD50
MP 5042 - is an early model of the SD 50 locomotive. It's in its "as delivered" paint of armour yellow with "Missouri Pacific" block lettering on the sides. 3/22/86 - © copyright Chris John