GE Dash 8-40BW

The GE 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.

GE Dash 8-40BW
A BNSF Dash 8-40BW
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) Loco 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 Class B40-8W Locale Western United States Disposition One preserved, most in storage, remainder in service

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.

Disposition

While originally built for high-speed intermodal service, by the mid-2000s the B40-8Ws had been bumped to local service.

In mid-2010, BNSF put 15 B40-8Ws up for sale. These units were on long-term lease and were returned to their lessor. As of 2016, three units are operated by the Providence and Worcester Railroad in New England. The rest of BNSF's B40-8W fleet is, as of 2019, undergoing rebuild and refreshment at GE as preparation for their new role as local freight units.

Original owners

Railroad	Quantity	Road numbers	Notes
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway	83	500-582	531 was wrecked at Tejon, NM in December 1995. 576 Destroyed in Cajon pass in December 1994. 537 preserved at the Railroading Heritage of Midwest America.
General Electric	1	809	wide cab prototype and testbed, rebuilt from B39-8E #808

Current owners

Railroad	Quantity	Former ATSF/BNSF Numbers	Notes
BNSF Railway	60	Ex-Santa Fe; no's 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

Preservation

On June 14, 2023, BNSF donated unit #537 to the Railroading Heritage of Midwest America in Silvis, Illinois. It is the first of the type to be preserved. In October 2024, the locomotive was repainted back to its ATSF Warbonnet colors.

See also

• List of GE locomotives

References

• McDonnell, Greg (2008). Locomotives: The Modern Diesel and Electric Reference. Erin, Ontario: Boston Mills Press. ISBN 978-1550464931.
• Solomon, Brian (2003). GE Locomotives: 110 Years of General Electric Motive Power. St. Paul, MN, USA: MBI Publishing. ISBN 9780760313619.
• Solomon, Brian (2010). Modern Locomotives: High Horsepower Diesels 1966–2000. New York: Crestline. ISBN 978-0785826811.