Why are Cowl Units Extinct?

[nanaimo73]

CN and BCR had Cowl Dash 8-40CMs built in the 1990s. I think CN would have more built if not for the extra constuction costs.

[chad thomas]

I would say it has to do with cost. It could also be a safety issue with crew members being exposed to things like crankcase explosions.

I really miss the Cowls on the Santa Fe. Out of the 5 SF locos in my fleet 3 are Cowls, 2 FP45s and a F45. I used to have a couple more F45s but they got painted for a freelance roadname and ended up staying on my dads layout.

[BNSF4ever]

I'm not an expert but my understanding was that cowl units like the F45 were built to safely provide crew access to internal components in bad weather. That said, no new cowl units are produced. Are they no longer necessary with widecabs or modern electronics?