 | | How the heck do I find out what model that engine I see going by is?
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I figured I'd ask that here, since so many people are tossing around model types, I figure someone ought to know... If I see a train go by, and want to know what model it is, how do I find out, short of slogging through hundreds of pictures & model (...) (24 years ago, 14-Mar-01, to lugnet.trains)
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| | Re: How the heck do I find out what model that engine I see going by is?
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(...) If you really want to be able to tell, get a copy of Second Diesel Spotter's Guide. But it's not a critical thing to be able to tell every variant. ++Lar (24 years ago, 14-Mar-01, to lugnet.trains)
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| | Re: How the heck do I find out what model that engine I see going by is?
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(...) I'm not interested in the 'every varient' thing, but I would like to know if there is some way to tell (other than sheer volume of knowledge base, which is how trainheads do it, I assume) what an engine I'm looking at is. Beyond the basic (...) (24 years ago, 14-Mar-01, to lugnet.trains)
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| | Re: How the heck do I find out what model that engine I see going by is?
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(...) I've recently discovered the joys of a Walthers catalog. Walthers is a model railroad distributor, and they publish a very large catalog every year. There are a lot of B/W side shots of rolling stock. This is great for browsing and IDing (...) (24 years ago, 14-Mar-01, to lugnet.trains)
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| | Re: How the heck do I find out what model that engine I see going by is?
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(...) If your close enough to read it the engine might have the class painted on it. I watched a SD40-3 go by the other day. It looked just like an SD40-2 and I was very surprised to see a -3. I am not a train spotter at all, I just didn't know (...) (24 years ago, 14-Mar-01, to lugnet.trains)
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| | Re: How the heck do I find out what model that engine I see going by is?
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(...) I (...) know (...) a (...) That's fine, but up here, the engines tend to being DRS-xx-x or such... (Diesel Road Switcher, I think...) Get a copy of 2nd diesel spotters guide, it is a good resource for use. Otherwise: 4 axles (GE=B, GM=GP) 6 (...) (24 years ago, 15-Mar-01, to lugnet.trains)
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| | Re: How the heck do I find out what model that engine I see going by is?
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(...) An SD40-3 is an updated SD40-2, these locomotves were rebuilt with microprocessor controls among other things. -Harvey (24 years ago, 15-Mar-01, to lugnet.trains)
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| | Re: How the heck do I find out what model that engine I see going by is?
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(...) James, I was just being a sea fish. How often do you get a chance to read the letters of the engine as it goes lumbering by. Chris (24 years ago, 15-Mar-01, to lugnet.trains)
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| | Re: How the heck do I find out what model that engine I see going by is?
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(...) Thanks for the responses, folks. Unfortunately, the answer is what I suspected: "you can't". :/ My level of interest isn't up to the whole slogging through photos thing yet, whether they're photos in a book, or photos on a website. You'd think (...) (24 years ago, 15-Mar-01, to lugnet.trains)
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| | Re: How the heck do I find out what model that engine I see going by is?
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This'll be long: EMD, has an angled cab roof, and a 6 axle EMD is a SD, and a 4 axle EMD is a GP. GE, has a rounded cab roof (with the exception of the Dash 9, AC4400, and AC6000, i'll explain them later), a 6 axle is a C, and 4 is a B. EMD has (...) (24 years ago, 15-Mar-01, to lugnet.trains)
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| | Re: How the heck do I find out what model that engine I see going by is?
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(...) Ah. Yes, it does. It's called the "builder's plate" and if you can find it and read it you'll know a lot about the locomotive. (who built it, what model it is, when it was built) However, railfans (not GOOD railfans) have been known to prise (...) (24 years ago, 16-Mar-01, to lugnet.trains)
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| | Re: How the heck do I find out what model that engine I see going by is?
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And for more... My Favorite train site: (URL) off, the EMD SD's and other 6 axles... SD7, high nose: (URL) curved roof, curved fuel tank, little Dynamic Brake housing (angled vent half way along the long hood). SD9: (URL) Curved roof, curved tank, (...) (24 years ago, 16-Mar-01, to lugnet.trains)
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| | Re: How the heck do I find out what model that engine I see going by is?
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(...) Nope. The -2 means that the electrics/electronics (the control gear) is based on circuit boards, that are individually replaceable and more reliable than the older control gear. Most dash 2 models were new builds, rather than rebuilds. (...) (...) (24 years ago, 16-Mar-01, to lugnet.trains)
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| | Re: How the heck do I find out what model that engine I see going by is?
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(...) Ah, but the WC is great, as long as your not ripping things off, or getting in the way! Josh (...) (24 years ago, 16-Mar-01, to lugnet.trains)
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| | Re: How the heck do I find out what model that engine I see going by is?
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(...) Heh... Yah, I guess that GE isn't too concerned about making sure people know that sleek machine going by is a (whatever), so they know what to ask about at the dealer. :) James (24 years ago, 16-Mar-01, to lugnet.trains)
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| | Re: How the heck do I find out what model that engine I see going by is?
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(...) <snip> (...) Thanks for the info, Josh! I'll confess that I haven't done more than skim it, I got lost after the first couple acronyms. :) I've bookmarked it though, so I'll certainly come back to it when I'm feeling less intimidated. The link (...) (24 years ago, 16-Mar-01, to lugnet.trains)
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