What is a "Snoot" ?

The SD-40s came with 88" and (IIRC) 108" low hoods. The longer ones were called "snoots", I suppose because that's a word for "long nose", as in "snooty" (== hold one's long nose up in the air so as not to notice the lesser folk.)

Any CPRail SD-40 will be a stand-in for the actual engines, which differed in many details from the standard production model (and, over time and after trips to the shop, from each other.) But at the usual viewing distances, who cares? If it looks right to you, and brings back those memories, that's all that matters. :-)

According to Canadian Trackside Guide 1997, CPRail had 15 SD-40s, 5400,

5401 built in 1968, and 5402-5414 built in 1971. Per CTG 1986, these engines were all acquired from the QNS&L in 1985. AFAIK, none were snoots, but any corrections are requested.

HTH

Here is a link to pictures of these units if this is of any help:

Cheers, John

I don't think any SD40's had snoots. That wasn't until the later SD40-2. Also, I believe SD40's had 81" noses, which was standard on all EMD's. The 88" nose came about when "clean cab" was adopted, sometime in the mid 70's. This rearranged a few things in the cab to make them safer. Anyway, the 5400 and 5401 were typical SD40's, albeit with Canadian style details. The 5402-5414 actually had extended fuel tanks, that had the sides extended up to the walkway sills, displacing the air tanks that are normally at that location, into the long hood. Made them look a little more unique :) If you're interested in snoots, you'll need SD40-2's, and I believe Kato made them, in CP paint. Although supposedly the CP snoots were different length than the one Kato did. I believe they're the later built ones, around the 5900-6000 series, but I don't know for sure.

[...]

These are ex-Soo units, and none of them AFAIK were ever assigned to Canadian divisions. Mind you, I like the various paint schemes CPRail tried on its ex-Soo locos. :-)

Thanks for that.

Thanks for that - very useful data.

Per CTG 2001:

SD-40s CPRail 5388-5398 (no 5391), blt 1978, ex-Ontario Hydro. CPRail 5400-5414, blt 1968/71, ex-QNS&LRy

SD40-2 ex-D&H in the 5565-6080, blt 1972 to 1979. Lots of notes, but nothing about length of nose.

Re: John Fraser's link to CPRail SD40 pictures: Soo Line/CPRail engines are numbered with 3 digits: SD40: 736-756 SD40-2: 757-789 These are all equipped to lead trains in Canada, so should show up here once in a while.

HTH

Check further down:

a.. SD-40 5401 - E Lansing MI - 10/18/91 - {Dennis Schmidt Photo} a.. SD-40 5405 - Superior WI - 08/27/97 - {Bill Navari Collection} a.. SD-40 5405 - - 10/92 - {Greg Dickinson Photo} a.. SD-40 5405 - Bensenville IL - 11/90 - {Stanley Sienicki Photo} a.. SD-40 5406 - E Lansing MI - 11/16/91 - {Dennis Schmidt Photo} a.. SD-40 5407 - E Lansing MI - 11/24/90 - {Dennis Schmidt Photo} a.. SD-40 5408 - St Joseph MI - 08/03/90 - {Dennis Schmidt Photo} a.. SD-40 5408 - Bensenville IL - 11/90 - {Stanley Sienicki Photo} a.. SD-40 5409 - - 10/92 - {Greg Dickinson Photo} a.. SD-40 5410 - Bensenville IL - 11/90 - {Stanley Sienicki Photo} - note the large fuel tank a.. SD-40 5411 - Gibson NY - 12/91 - {Greg Dickinson Photo} a.. SD-40 5412 - E Lansing MI - 11/24/90 - {Dennis Schmidt Photo} a.. SD-40 5414 - Calgary AB - 1985 - {Richard Parlby Photo} - (Ex-Quebec North Shore & Labrador)

and others.

Cheers, John

[...] [...]

Yeah, I did eventually. It's a big page. I bookmarked it for future reference, so thanks for the link. :-)

Thanks everyone, for all the great information.

Robert B (who trys not to be snooty)

Thanks everyone for help regarding locos and "snoots."

Wow, retirement is great (39 yrs with the Feds). Now I get to do two things I love, read books and play with my trains :-)

Spent some time in British Columbia during the 80's, and enjoyed the trains in the Thompson and Fraser river valleys (as well as many other places). Because of the terrain, everything goes through the valleys. Like (duh!) the rivers, and also the highway, and CP and CN railroads, where one could also see mixed blue and stainless VIA passenger trains pulled by emd F's and alco FP's. It was quite a wonderful show!

Red CP "pacman" and CN Zebras, each on their own side of the river. According to the story, the CP came through first and therefore always had the best side of the river. Some places, the CN obviously really had to work and blast to get a precarious foot hold on the steep river banks.

There is that famous location "Cisco" where the CP and CN swap riversides over two bridges:

The CP grain trains were memorable. I counted over one hundred round hoppers on one. The red Wheat Board cars were the most prevalent. And the trains had just two locos up front, and periodically through the train there were single, individual helpers ( I think up to three). No helpers on the end, but a yellow caboose. I suppose this was due to the place where they were operating. A twisting road along side the river with no straight snap track :-) all curve sections. Put all your power up front and you'd either break a coupler or pull cars off the rails. Put all you helpers in the back and you would push cars off.

The trains traveled west (down river) and very slowly. Maybe this was why they put so many cars on each train. Riding along the highway, one would see the beginning or end of a train disappearing around a bend. Go 'round the bend, and there's more of the train, disappearing around another bend, and so on, and so on, until you finally get to the other end of the train.

My train won't be quite as ambitious. I've got a nice assortment of the Model Power 52' models, in eight different Canadian color schemes, and yes, most of them are the red Wheat Board scheme. No, they are not as nice as the Intermountain models but they were far less costly and allowed me to get about three dozen (!) This was also back in the eighties, after I returned home from BC. They are smooth runners.

Best Regards and Thanks Again,

Robert