Production

Standard GP40-2 production totalled 861 units, with 817 built for U.S. railroads, and 44 for Mexican roads. In addition, three GP40P-2s, passenger versions of the GP40-2, were built for Southern Pacific in 1974, and 279 GP40-2Ls, equipped with wide-nosed cabs, were built by General Motors Diesel (GMD), for Canadian National and GO Transit between 1974 and 1976. Of the CN units, 233 were built with a taller than standard frame to accomodate a larger fuel tank, and were designated as GP40-2L, while the balance of CN's fleet, 35 units, and the 11 unit GO Transit fleet, were built on standard frames and are often referred to as GP40-2W or GP40-2L(W), though classed as GP40-2L's. Total production of the GP40-2 and it's variations totalled 1,143 units.

Although the GP40-2 was a sales success, it sold fewer units than the earlier GP40 and the contemporary GP38-2 and SD40-2 models. The popularity of high-horsepower 4-axle diesels began to decline with the GP40-2, with 6-axle models gaining in popularity for their superior low-speed lugging performance.

Photo by Bernard Babin