my ESPEE MODELERS ARCHIVE

California's Railroad to the U.S. 1861 - 1996

D&RGW GP40

3051 - 3093

3131 - 3153

66 units delivered

DRGW's original 43 GP40's were delivered in 4 orders between 1966 and 1971. #3051 - #3080 were delivered in the small Rio Grande lettering, #3081 was the first DRGW unit delivered in the large 'Billboard' Grande lettering.

With the 'merger' of DRGW and SP a common paint scheme was felt required, the choice later came to be called 'Speed Lettering'. For DRGW fans, #3086 had the ignominious fate to become the first DRGW locomotive to be Speed Lettered. Thanks to Bill Miotek, two other units also were Speed Lettered; GP40 #3059 and exConrail GP40 #3138. Atlas has released the HO Scale #3059 in Speed Lettering.

exConrail GP40's:

To provide power for a 1983 UP/MP/WP trackage rights agreement and increased traffic from SP's Ogden, UT. connection; DRGW leased then bought 23 ex Conrail GP40's. Used as is but renumbered so as not to conflict with the existing roster, all old lettering was painted out. These were later cycled through Mid-America Car to receive DRGW paint and lettering and renumbered #3131-3153.

Models available:

• N Scale:
  • Atlas

• HO Scale:
  • Atlas
  • Concor needs faults correcting

• O Scale:
  • ?

Prototype References:

• SP.....into the '90's by Joe.W.Shine, Pages 138 - 141. Has photo's of these units.
• 1995 Southern Pacific Motive Power Annual by Bill Shippen.
• Southern Pacific Rails - a motive power finale by Peter Limas has a number of images and data concerning DRGW GP40's.