This Quebec North Shore & Labrador SD40-2 (SD40-2CLC) has an unsuall arrangement with no air reservoirs above the fuel tank, which looks similar to the Erie Lakawanna/Conrail SD45-2s. There's also a pipe surrounding the 3 rear fans too.
http://www.locophotos.com/PhotoDetails.php?PhotoID=147002
It appears that NREC rebuilt it to a SD40-3 from QNS&L SD40-2 250. They appear to have been built with the extra large fuel tank, however. Judging by the standard nose length and shorter front porch, I think it is a safe bet the air reservoirs are inside the long hood somewhere. The pipe above the radiators also predates the rebuild, but I am unsure of its purpose. Many of its former siblings are running around as leasers.
Thank You
If you look at http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1658469
you'll get a very clear view of a non-standard set of louvers on the back two doors and also see that the piping on the roof goes down into the back end of the long hood. Both of these are fairly good clues - though not a proof - that the air reservoirs are tucked in the back of the long hood. Somewhat similar piping was typical for "torpedo tube" GP9s, for example Sam
They were ordered originally from GMD Canada with the larger fuel tanks in order to be able to make a complete round trip from Sept-Îles to Schefferville and return without refuelling in ore service. The two main reservoirs were moved up inside the carbody behind the compressor. The rear door on the right side with the louvers allows the automatic purge valves to vent the moisture from the compressed air and access to the related equipment including the main reservoir safety valve.
The 5 original SD40s (200-204) had the usually seen main reservoir arrangement used by almost every other road and were not equipped with automatic purging valves equipped with heating elements when built. The main reservoir air would freeze below -40F. The current auto purge valves with heating elements to allow moisture to be purged from the air supply without freezing were originally developed and tested in-house and their use became universal. These features were retained on the rebuilds and an air dryer was added to the compressed air supply as well. The piping seen up top is the normal compressor aftercooling piping loop to main reservoir number 1 moved to the ouside of the carbody as the space it would normally occupy beneath the frame is taken up by the enlarged fuel tank and it makes eminent good sense to move it there given the interior location of the two main reservoirs.
I worked on these locomotives from 1970 to 1997. Tough beasts, and very reliable. They had very noisy cabs until they were rebuilt at AMF.
Steve Callaghan
Thanks!
I also have worked on these in Ogden locomotive shop in Calgary, the air compressor is air cooled, so that's why there is louvers in the long hood doors, not liquid cooled, as most SD40's are. so the air tanks are in the compressor area, and that's why the fuel tanks are a little larger.
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