Union Pacific Diesel Locomotives
Jenks SD40-2R Life Extension Program
This page was last updated on July 9, 2006.
List of Units, Sorted by Road Number
List of Units, Sorted by Completion Date
Between late 1990 and late 1999, Union Pacific reconditioned a total of 423 units in its original fleet of 686 EMD SD40-2s. The reconditioning effort was considered to be a recapitalization for tax purposes and was only completed on Union Pacific's own fleet of units, rather than on any of the units of its MP, MKT, C&NW or SP merger partners.
The program started in late 1990 when seven UP SD40-2s (UP 3135, 3154, 3160, 3161, 3174, 3192, and 3199) were each given a major overhaul by the road's Jenks Shops at North Little Rock. UP also initiated a new model designation, "SD40-2R", meaning SD40-2, Rebuilt. In addition to the initial UP 3174 (UP 7050), six other units were completed during the December 1990 through April 1991 time frame. The new SD40-2R model designation was adopted on April 31, 1991 to differentiate these recapitalized units from the unrebuilt SD40-2s.
This program received publicity with the completion of UP 3174 as a newly rebuilt UP 7050. During the program's planning process, UP decided to renumber the units into the 7000 class, and generated an internal document that showed a list of the original road numbers, along with their planned 7000 class numbers. Before specific instructions could be issued to begin the renumbering, and upon the completion of its rebuild, UP 3174 was renumbered into its new 7050 number slot by the Jenks paint shop on 21 December 1990. For reasons unknown, the renumbering plan was not adopted, and all subsequent rebuilt units kept their original numbers after being rebuilt. UP 7050 was renumbered back to UP 3174 on 10 January 1991, only 20 days after getting its new number.
After a one-year evaluation period of these first seven SD40-2R units, in May 1992 UP began what it called the "Life-Extension" program. One unit was completed in May 1992, and one in June. From July on, at least six units were completed every month. The program was planned to rebuild as many as 200 older SD40-2s, most of which were approaching 20 years of age. As originally planned, the work was to be spread out over a two year period, about half of which was to be contracted out. The planned groups of units included UP 3123-3287 (165 units) and 4115-4163 (49 units, ex MP 3115-3163). Several SD40-2 units were retired in 1990 and 1991, but were reinstated to be included in the then-newly established Life Extension program.
The overhaul program was to include a thorough reconditioning of each unit's engine, generator, traction motors, trucks, air brake equipment, and wiring, but would not include any upgrade features. The former MoPac units without dynamic braking were to have that feature added, but this was found to be too expensive, and the units were dropped from the program. UP expected to get an additional 10 to 12 years of additional life from the rebuilt units.
The program ended in December 1999 with the planned delivery of new SD70M units, which began arriving in May 2000.
During early July 2006, due to its badly worn paint job, UP 3135 was discovered to have been renumbered to 7012, with the rebuild number being plainly visible under the current road number. No 7000 series rebuilt SD40-2s are known to have entered regular service.
