GE Dash 8-40C


The GE C40-8 is a 6-axle road switcher diesel-electric locomotive built by GE Transportation Systems between 1987 and 1992. It is part of the GE Dash 8 Series of freight locomotives, and its wheel arrangement is of a C-C type.
This locomotive model is often referred to as a Dash 8-40C or simply "Dash 8". "Dash 8" in general refers to the electrical control series, "Dash" being a carryover from the older syntax of C40-8. The "40" refers to the baseline horsepower rating of the unit, although some units may be re-rated to.
Later units were supplied with a wide-nose cab and are designated Dash 8-40CW, the "W" indicating a wide-nose cab.

C41-8

Some railroads, the Chicago and North Western Railway in particular, upgraded some of their units to ~ and designated them as C42-8. This designation was modified by the Union Pacific Railroad to C41-8 after its takeover of C&NW in 1995. Former C&NW units are usually identified by a grab-iron on the front nose just above the Union Pacific shield logo, and/or the "C41-8" designation on the cab side. The final three C&NW C40-8s were built with, and the prior 32 units were similarly modified as well. Although none of these units were ever officially classed as C41-8 by GE, a safety cab version was built as the Dash 8-41CW.

Current and former owners

The companies that still own C40-8 locomotives as of 2006 include: CSX Transportation with 146, the Norfolk Southern Railway with 88, and the Union Pacific Railroad with 298. In 2010, CN bought 35 C40-8 locomotives from UP and 67 C40-8W locomotives from BNSF. Another 42 C40-8s were bought by CN in 2013 marking all 77 of the ex CNW Dash 8-40Cs now owned by CN. CN has 6 C40-8s that were painted for the 15th anniversary and they are numbers 2107, 2112, 2113, 2115, 2124, and 2128.
In 2016, Pan Am Railways bought 20 C40-8 locomotives from CSX. In 2017, Pan Am Bought 4 More C40-8s: 7500, 7575, 7594, and 7595. As of early 2019, Pan Am has painted numbers 7518, 7552, and 7635 into their Phase 3 paint. In 2018, the Providence and Worcester Railroad bought 4 C40-8 locomotives from Norfolk Southern. All units are painted in the Genesee & Wyoming orange paint scheme. As of early 2020, Pan Am has painted 4 more C40-8s: 7523, 7542, 7561, and 7585 into the Phase 3 paint.