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What happened to the TP70 (08 replacement) project?

Class450/4DES

Class450/4DES

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Back in 2022 there was a concept of a locomotive rebuilt from a SD40-2 called the TP70. There was going to be a C, BB and CC variants. But it seems after 2022 it vanished. So is it still going? Is the loco still in the UK?
As a GE/EMD export loco fan, I am quite curious.

I posted on twitter to see if I can get any answers too.
Any info will be great! :)
(Twitter link: https://twitter.com/AliTrains/status/1754244374454542737)
 
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wickham

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Surely the Clayton locomotive mentioned above is the Class 18, but although all 15 of the current order are built, none are in service yet.
 
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D7666

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Class450/4DES said:
Oh, okay. Thanks mate.
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The maker did indeed befuddle the issue by referring to C BB and CC locos in it's publicity blurb, and I can see how some sort of misunderstandings occurred. Almost fell into that one myself when I first read of the TP70 project. One look at the image says no, that ain't a SD40, and I'd doubt a very heavily rebuilt SD40 would make any sense in GB, even if it could be made to fit it would be so far removed from an SD40 you'd not recognise it.

The equivalent GB solution is to take a 47 or 37 bogie and build on it likewise. But, then, why do that when an 08 chassis is not /that/ different to a single bogie, and probably more simple to adapt.
 
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Class450/4DES

Class450/4DES

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D7666 said:
The maker did indeed befuddle the issue by referring to C BB and CC locos in it's publicity blurb, and I can see how some sort of misunderstandings occurred. Almost fell into that one myself when I first read of the TP70 project. One look at the image says no, that ain't a SD40, and I'd doubt a very heavily rebuilt SD40 would make any sense in GB, even if it could be made to fit it would be so far removed from an SD40 you'd not recognise it.

The equivalent GB solution is to take a 47 or 37 bogie and build on it likewise. But, then, why do that when an 08 chassis is not /that/ different to a single bogie, and probably more simple to adapt.
Click to expand...
I see.
 
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WestCountry

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Class450/4DES said:
Oh okay. I really hoped for some rebuilt SD40-2's...
Click to expand...

D7666 said:
One look at the image says no, that ain't a SD40, and I'd doubt a very heavily rebuilt SD40 would make any sense in GB, even if it could be made to fit it would be so far removed from an SD40 you'd not recognise it.
Click to expand...
These have of course been operating in the UK for decades. ;)

A Class 59 is an SD40-2 squashed into a tube with a few compromises for loading gauge, some shared with the metre-gauge BB40-2 variant.
 
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D7666

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WestCountry said:
These have of course been operating in the UK for decades. ;)

A Class 59 is an SD40-2 squashed into a tube with a few compromises for loading gauge, some shared with the metre-gauge BB40-2 variant.
Click to expand...
Yes, but that is a wholly different thing to taking an existing full size full weight US gauge SD40 and trying to rebuild one to fit GB - more than "a few compromises" to do such a rebuild; packing SD40 elements and components into a different new build structure to make a GB 59 is a chalk and cheese comparison.
 
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D7666

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Class450/4DES said:
Isn't the BB40-2 from Brazil?
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In Brasil yes, for metre gauge,

Nothing to stop it from being supplied elsewhere, or on other gauges.

It just happens Brasil was the lead customer country - and no-one else bought them.

59s were lead customer GB until someone else did buy them, IIRC the first two went to Sweden.

Now multi axle SD40 versions mentioned, if you want an actual SD40 to run in GB even before looking at loading gauge, it would need to be BBBB for around the same 21 ton axle load as a 66.
 
Class450/4DES

Class450/4DES

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D7666 said:
In Brasil yes, for metre gauge,

Nothing to stop it from being supplied elsewhere, or on other gauges.

It just happens Brasil was the lead customer country - and no-one else bought them.

59s were lead customer GB until someone else did buy them, IIRC the first two went to Sweden.

Now multi axle SD40 versions mentioned, if you want an actual SD40 to run in GB even before looking at loading gauge, it would need to be BBBB for around the same 21 ton axle load as a 66.
Click to expand...
I see.
 
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