Posted by J. C. Smith, Jr. on December 1, 2008 
Southern Pacific 2650 is a Morrison-Knudsen rebuild, termed an SD40M-2, built from any variety of EMD 645-engined, six-axle locomotives (SD40, SD45, SDP45, SD38, etc.,) collected by M-K from a myriad of sources. In this case, the core locomotive was a 20-cylinder, 3600 h.p. SD45 that lost its flared radiator, because the newly installed, 16-cylinder, 3000 h.p. engine block did not require the additional radiator. However, M-K needed the bigger radiator for a concurrent project, elongated GP40s with HEP power plants (with F45-style noses,) for MARC So the SD40M-2 got the GP40 cooling system in exchange for its own SD45 system. Note the additional overhanging sheet metal, behind the dynamic brake grid, which is a remnant of the casing that blended the SD45 d/b into the now-gone flared radiator. The SP's SD40E program, which was completed by SP's own Sacramento, CA shops, used only SP SD40's, and the result still looked like an SD40.
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