WP 3514 rolls westbound with the CCVX through a very wet Grays Flat, deep in the Feather River Canyon on November 26, 1982. The 3514 was one of the units upgraded by the Morrison/Knudsen rebuild project, which was designed to bring the early GP40s up to the same standards the rest of the fleet. Evident in this photo is the new lighting package, cab-mounted air conditioning and a fresh coat of Imron New Image paint. Notice the total lack of a pilot plow!
After the merger, the 3514's nose
signal light assembly will be removed and a new coat of Armour Yellow paint
applied along with the number 663. (Ken Rattenne photo)
n
1980 Western Pacific entered into an agreement with the Morrison/Knudsen
Company of Boise Idaho to rebuild 15 GP40s. The units chosen were the oldest
on the roster: 3501-3516 (remember, 3505 was destroyed)
. These 15 engines represented the first two GP40 orders and their rebuilding
would ensure their survival on the Union Pacific well beyond the rest of
the fleet.
M/K was just finishing up rebuilding WP's entire GP35 fleet when the first GP40 was started. The units were upgraded electrically, equipped with "clean cabs" and bullet-proof glass; they also had their headlight package upgraded.
These early units had been delivered with a simple Pyle National reflective-bulb headlight mounted on the cab. Since then the railroad had standardized its on a lighting package that featured a dual-sealed beam cab-mounted headlight and an oscillating signal light mounted on the nose. To that end, WP instructed M/K to equip each rebuild with the now standardized lighting package.
Interestingly, two minor modifications were said to be influenced by Union Pacific. One was the installation of an alarm bell silence button, allowing enginemen to silence a ringing alarm bell. The other was a set of modifications having to do with drain valve circuitry.
As each unit was completed, it was repainted in WP's "New
Image" paint scheme then shipped back to the railroad in Stockton.
WP 3509, 3506 and 3514 were amongst the units sent to Morrison/Knudsen for rebuilding. Seen westbound in the Feather River Canyon in this April 16, 1983 photo. (Ken Rattenne Photo)