CSXT 2430 switching at DeWitt Yard in East Syracuse, NY.

  CSXT 2430 is a SD40-2 built by Electro-Motive Division (EMD) in March 1974. Built for the Louisville and Nashville Railroad (L&N), it became part of CSX through a series of mergers. After the L&N, the locomotive became Seaboard System (SBD) 1259 before becoming SBD 8163 and then CSXT 8163. CSXT 2430 is forty-eight years old but is still going strong and even features a few upgrades since being built.
 
CSXT 2430 works a cut of intermodal cars on the Departure Yard Lead at DeWitt Yard
CSXT 2430 works a cut of intermodal cars on the Departure Yard Lead at DeWitt Yard.

  The SD40-2 series was designed and built for hauling trains over the mainline. Built from 1972 to 1989, it was one of EMD's best-selling locomotives. However, newer and more fuel-efficient locomotive designs have caused many SD40-2s to get sent to the scrapper or to serve a secondary use, such as switching duties in rail yards.

The front of CSXT 2430
The front of CSXT 2430.

  CSX 2430 features a few upgrades since being built. One new feature is a remote-control system, allowing the locomotive's crew to operate it outside the cab. The remote-control antenna is mounted on a pole sticking out from the top front of CSXT 2430. I don't recall ever seeing an antenna setup like this before. 

A close up of the Dometic air conditioners and the remote-control antennae on 2430's cab.
A close up of the remote-control strobe, remote-control antennae, and Dometic air conditioners on 2430's cab.

Other additions to this old locomotive are two Dometic air conditioners (AC) mounted on the top of 2430's cab and EcoTrans Technologies' K9 auxiliary power unit (APU). The K9 APU is an idle reduction system that automatically shuts off and starts the locomotive's prime mover to save on fuel. The APU is a smaller engine that maintains power to critical systems. Before being painted in its current scheme, the locomotive featured lettering on the side saying, "EcoTrans Technologies K9 APU Equipped."

Photographs taken on May 29, 2022, at East Syracuse, New York.

Comments

  1. Interesting info about the Remote Control System.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Shelly. Glad you found it interesting.

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