A BNSF Dash 8-40BW.
(Jim Hamilton, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)
GE DASH 8-40BW (B40-8W) DIESEL-ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVE
The Dash 8-40BW, or B40-8W, is a four-axle diesel locomotive built by GE Transportation for the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway (ATSF) in the late 1980s and the early 1990s. It is part of the GE Dash 8 Series of freight locomotives.
The locomotive model designation is interpreted as follows: B (B type truck arrangement, 2 axles per truck) 40 (4000 horsepower) -8 (the generation when it was designed, in this case meaning the late 1980s) W (Widecab).
ATSF was the only railroad to order the B40-8W, and a B unit (cabless booster unit) was almost made with it, but because the price would have been the same for B40-8Ws with cabs or without, they decided to order units with cabs only.
All of ATSF's B40-8Ws were passed on to BNSF Railway, with some later sold to other railroads.
ATSF GE B40-8 501 at Corwith Yard, Chicago, Illinois, on October 19, 1990. Photographer: Warren Calloway.
(Craig Garver, Public domain, https://www.flickr.com/photos/digitalrailartist/51050541408/)
Original owners
| Railroad | Quantity | Road numbers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway | 83 | 500-582 | 531 was wrecked at Tejon, NM on December 1995. 576 Destroyed in Cajon pass on December 1994. 537 preserved at the Railroading Heritage of Midwest America. |
| General Electric | 1 | 809 | wide cab prototype and testbed, rebuilt from B39-8E No. 808 |
Current owners
| Railroad | Quantity | Former ATSF/BNSF Numbers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| BNSF Railway | 60 | Ex-Santa Fe; Nos. 500-559. | Unit 537 donated in 2023. Units 560-575, 577-582 sold |
| Providence and Worcester Railroad | 3 | Ex-BNSF 561, 562 and 582 | |
| Nashville and Eastern Railroad | 4 | Ex-BNSF 568, 573, 574 and 579 | To RJ Corman |
| Arkansas - Oklahoma Railroad | 3 | Ex-BNSF 567, 578, and 581 | |
| Great Western Railway of Saskatchewan | 2 | Ex-BNSF 575 and 563 |
ATSF GE B40-8 516 at Joliet, Illinois, June 13, 1998. Photographer: Dennis Schmidt.
(Craig Garver, Public domain, https://www.flickr.com/photos/digitalrailartist/51050547431)
Preservation
On June 14, 2023, BNSF donated unit No. 537 to the Railroading Heritage of Midwest America in Silvis, Illinois. It is the first of the type to be preserved. Plans call for the locomotive to be eventually repainted back to its ATSF Warbonnet colors.
Overview
Type and origin
Power type: Diesel-electric
Builder: GE Transportation
Model: Dash 8-40BW
Build date: 1988; 1990-1992
Total produced: 84
Specifications
Configuration: AAR B-B
Gauge: 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Wheel diameter: 40 in (1.016 m)
Wheelbase: 9 ft 0 in (2.74 m)
Length: 66 ft 4 in (20.22 m)
Width: 10 ft 1.5 in (3.09 m)
Height: 15 ft 4.5 in (4.69 m)
Locomotive weight: 280,000 lb (127,006 kg)
Prime mover: GE FDL
Performance figures
Maximum speed: 70 mph (113 km/h)
Power output: 4,000 hp (3,000 kW)
Tractive effort: 68,000 lb (30,844 kg)
Career
Operators: See tables above
Class: B40-8W
Locale: western United States
Disposition: one preserved (No. 537)
