| GE Dash 9-40C | |
| Powertype: | Diesel-electric |
| Builder: | GE Transportation Systems |
| Buildmodel: | GE Dash 9-40C |
| Builddate: | January–April 1995 |
| Totalproduction: | 125 |
| Aarwheels: | C-C |
| Trucks: | GE HiAd |
| Wheeldiameter: | 40inches |
| Wheelbase: | 13feet |
| Length: | 73feet |
| Locoweight: | 410000lb, full supplies - (fuel oil, lube oil, sand). |
| Fuelcap: | 4600USgal |
| Lubecap: | 410USgal |
| Sandcap: | 40cuft |
| Primemover: | GE 7FDL-16 |
| Tractionmotors: | direct-current GE B13B |
| Maxspeed: | 70mph |
| Poweroutput: | 4000hp |
| Tractiveeffort: | 109000lbf (continuous) 140000lbf (starting) |
| Locale: | United States |
| Currentowner: | Norfolk Southern Railway |
| Disposition: | All rebuilt as AC44C6M, one cab reused for a switcher at GE's Erie Plant |
The GE Dash 9-40C, also called a C40-9, was a 4000hp diesel locomotive that was built by GE Transportation Systems of Erie, Pennsylvania, between January 1995 and March 1995. The C40-9 was equipped with the 16-cylinder 7FDL-16 prime mover which is rated at a lower power than the 4400hp GE Dash 9-44CW that debuted a year earlier in 1994.[1] It featured GE's direct current B13B traction motors.[1]
The C40-9 featured the standard cab design and was the only model in the Dash-9 series to do so. It is essentially identical to the wide-cab C40-9W model otherwise. All units had rooftop-mounted air conditioner units which gave them their distinct "top hat" look.
Norfolk Southern Railway (NS) was the sole operator of this model.[2] The company owned 125 units, numbered 8764–8888.[3] NS specifically requested the standard cab and may have purchased more units had the Federal Railroad Administration not required it to purchase the wide-cab C40-9W version instead.[1]
In mid 2015, NS started to upgrade its C40-9s into 4400 hp. C44-9s by upgrading the wattage to 3,281 kW, up from the as-delivered 3,000 kW. The units are being upgraded as they go in for their 184-day maintenance cycle.
Also in 2015, NS 8799 became the first NS GE Dash 9-40C to be rebuilt as an AC44C6M. The locomotive was rebuilt with a new GE wide nose and cab, and had locomotive speed limiter (LSL) and cab signals installed. These traction motor replacements are part of a Norfolk Southern / General Electric project to test the economic feasibility of converting Norfolk Southern's large (125 units), but relatively old Dash 9 fleet to AC traction. (BNSF Railway is also considering a similar upgrade program for its even bigger - originally 1797 units - C44-9W fleet). Work on the 8879 was sub-contracted out to and completed by American Motive Power, Inc. (AMP) in Dansville, NY. Two more units were soon added to the conversion program, NS C40-9 8799 and NS C40-9W 8900.
As of 2023, all C40-9 units have been rebuilt as AC44C6Ms.[4] The cab of NS #8808 would later be reused for a custom-built switcher at GE's Erie plant.