SD40-2 steps

[NW Mailing List]

I have over 200 scanned 35mm shots of N&W 6073-6207 SD40-2's in my N&W
collection (and over 400 like shots of ex-N&W/NS SD40-2's 6073-6207).
Here's what I found as to yellow on step edges:

   - No units in my pictures taken prior to 1978 had any yellow painted
   step ends.
   - A builders photo of 6173 at LaGrange in 1978 had the lower step edges
   painted yellow.
   - Only one unit with block NW paint had all step edges painted yellow,
   6203 in 1986.
   - Only one unit painted in the Claytor scheme (Norfolk and
   Western spelled out in white) had all step edges painted yellow, 6127 in
   1987.
   - On ALL former N&W/NS SD40-2 ALL steps edges were painted yellow.

My speculation is:

   - All SD40-2's purchased by the N&W prior to 1978 (1625-1652 and
   6073-6138) were delivered with no yellow on any step edges.
   - All SD40-2's delivered from 1978 to 1980 (6139-6207) were all
   delivered with only the lower step edge painted yellow.
   - Any repaints of SD40-2 from 1978 and beyond had the lower step edge
   painted yellow.
   - 6127 and 6203 with all step edges painted yellow must have been
   performed during a shopping that didn't involve a complete repaint and was
   not common practice.

Ed Painter:  Member #70 from Narrows, VA living in Cohutta, GA

On Thu, May 4, 2023 at 6:27 AM NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
wrote:

> Interesting question Gary.
>
> We do not have a specific drawing in the Archives that addresses those
> specific units. The closest I can find is HS-C03058, which is for
> stenciling EMD switchers, which I assume the standard is the same
> regardless of type of unit or size. That drawing, issued April 10, 1980
> depicts the lowest step with the yellow edge.
>
> The next up is HS-D00878 issued January 10, 1982, which applies to all EMD
> six-axle units except SD-9, depicting the last N&W scheme with the road
> name spelled out across the hood, also shows only the bottom step as yellow.
>
> Then we step into the NS era, with HS-D03560 issued 2-10-1982 with the NS
> scheme that applies to all six-axle EMD units. It shows revision B,
> 5-11-1984 stating to paint step edge in yellow. I’m no expert on NS
> painting practice, but I strongly suspect that even if the bottom step edge
> was not specified to be painted, it was due to habit, if nothing else. We
> do not have the earlier version of the drawing.
>
> Now, on March 28, 1984 a memo was issued with the subject of painting the
> edges of All locomotive steps, stating “The Southern Safety Department
> recently has requested that all locomotive steps be striped with paint.”
>
> I’ve yet to find a definitive date of the application of the yellow paint
> to the lower step, but my suspicion is about 1973. I know the handrails
> being yellow was a 1966 date, as the Wabash and NKP units were all painted
> that way.
>
> Hope this helps
>
> Ken Miller
>
> > On May 3, 2023, at 7:53 PM, NW Mailing List via NW-Mailing-List <
> nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> wrote:
> >
> > On the 6000 series N&W SD40-2, how were the steps painted? I’ve been
> looking at photos and it seems that only the bottom step had a yellow line?
> Was this standard for the 70’s/80’s?
> >
> > Gary P. Price
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