The three familiar ex-Baltimore & Ohio GP40s--3702, 3717 and 3733--were off for a major overhaul between New Year's and fall 2001.  They returned in 2002 as SLR GP40s 3001, 3002 and 3003 respectively, with 3001 and 3002 in fresh SLR paint.  GP40 3000 remained in service during that time.

Several more GP40's also started being leased in 2002, including ex-DRGW 3004, ex-SBD 3202 and ex-RI units 3203-3208 and 3211.  GP40's can now be seen on all SLR freights, their high horsepower helping with trains 393 and 394 which often have over 80 cars.  They are known, as are all turbo EMD units, for their deep and loud roaring engines.  Upon the arrival of SLR's new slug sets, several units in the 3200-series were sent to other railroads.  Recordings of these units are reserved for a separate section--see recordings page.

All recordings are 22050 Hz unless otherwise noted.

Recorded August 2000, 44 seconds
Re-transferred September 27, 2006
22,050 Hz compressed, 300 KB
44,100 Hz, 1,893 KB

GP40 3000 has a "hybrid" Nathan P12R3 horn.  The P12R4 is supposed to sound a major triad (C#, E, A from bells 1, 2 and 4) but the top note is too low, resulting in a diminished chord (C#, E, F# from bells 1, 2 and 3).  Following GP40 3000 was an ex-BRC LLPX GP38-2, GP40 #3733, and the second ex-BRC GP38-2.

The usual pleasing EMD engine sounds are evident as the engines pass, but for the first part of the recording the lower-pitched "droning" of 3000 is dominant.  A mechanical problem caused this unit to run at a much-reduced rpm until sometime in October 2000.

Recorded March 11, 2005, 53 seconds
Re-transferred October 07, 2006
22,050 Hz compressed, 364 KB
44,100 Hz, 2,297 KB

Battling the 1% grade in Waterville, QC at 10 mph, SLR GP40 3000 (not running), SLR GP40 3002, IC SD40 6002 and SLR GP40 3003 put on an impressive show.  The train had 71 cars, which would not normally slow down three locomotives this much.  However, the train had stopped midway up the grade about a kilometre short of the Waterville crossing, and was still in the process of accelerating when it reached the crossing.  By the time the train had mostly passed and was in flatter terrain, the three operating units had brought the speed up to 30 mph or so.

Recorded September 2000, 1 minute 10 seconds
Re-transferred September 27, 2006
22,050 Hz compressed, 479 KB
44,100 Hz, 3,024 KB

Going by at 10:00 at night (sounds like it, too) is a train with classic EMD sounds, coming from what sounds like a pair of GP40s, led by GATX #3702, and an M420W.  3702's Canadian tuned Nathan K3HR3 is unique among the ex-B&O GP40's, and was retrofitted when the unit was leased to CN in prior years.  (Previsouly, it had a Leslie S3L).  The first whistle blast produces a spectacular echo over 4 seconds long.  The engines were leading train 394, passing at night due to track work.

This distant sound (taken from my back porch) is perhaps even more pleasing than at the crossing, with a sudden burst of sound as the locomotives come out from behind the trees and into the open.

SLR had a total of four GP40's in 2000--the most powerful units on the line at the time--and all were on this train.  Straight GP40 lashups, commonplace now, were very rare in 2000.  Before arriving, the units were in Run 6, then increased the throttle twice to run-8.  The units were crossing the Courval road crossing, at the foot of the Waterville, QC grade, and managing 30 mph.

This recording was made in the same location as above.

If ever you wondered what differentiates Canadian horns from the Leslies or major-tuned Nathans of the US, this recording gives the answer.  This is a classic Canadian diesel freight train sound, and one of my most haunting recordings.  Out blasts the echoing Nathan K3H of GATX GP40 3702, blaring past on the last of the loud whistles with a nighttime 394 freight. The cold air lowered the horn pitch while increasing the engine speed, and the brilliant headlights lit up the snow-covered forest near the track.

GP40 3702 led the other GATX-painted unit (3717) and two GP38 variations.  One was one of the ex-BRC twins: LLPX GP38-2 2232, a common sight on the SLR.  The other, which only stayed on the St. Lawrence & Atlantic for a matter of weeks, was MPEX GP38m-4 (also called a GP38-4) #2001.

Captured on tape is the very impressive lot of noise created by the four locomotives.  As usual, at least one driver couldn't wait to cross before the train reached the crossing.  This was taken at Courval Road, at the foot of the 1% Waterville, QC grade.

Recorded November 2000, 46 seconds
Re-transferred September 27, 2006
22,050 Hz compressed, 316 KB
44,100 Hz, 1,994 KB

Here's 3717 and its blasty Leslie S3L horn, pulling a short freight in November 2000 in run 5.  Older Leslie S3L's such as this one often sound a diminished chord (C, D#, A), rather than the intended B major 7th (B, D#, A).  The whistles are long.

Recorded June 04, 2002, 38 seconds
Re-transferred September 27, 2006
22,050 Hz compressed, 261 KB
44,100 Hz, 1,647 KB

The paint has changed, but the unit, now #3002 and painted in SLR colours, has the same horn.  Unlike in past recordings though, no engine sounds came from the GP40 in this recording, though that's not evident with GP40X 3209, GP40s 3003 and 3208, and GP40X 3210 following with their loudly roaring engines in full throttle.  3002 was simply being pushed along, not necessary in maintaining the train's 30 mph speed.  The five yellow-painted Geeps--a very uniform lash-up--were on the front of an average sized (70-plus cars) 394 freight.

Recorded June 21, 2003, 1 minute 7 seconds
Re-transferred October 29, 2006
22,050 Hz compressed, 454 KB
44,100 Hz, 2,867 KB

This was the first of many trains seen during the summer of 2003 (several were recorded) where the engineer had fun with the horn, seeing me taking pictures.  This train had run-8 SLR GP40s 3002, 3002 and 3208 speeding along a 64-car Eastbound freight South of Lennoxville, QC.  The whistle blasts at the beginning of the recording were for a private crossing before Courval road, North of Waterville, QC.

Recorded July 2000, 41 seconds
11,025 Hz compressed, 163 KB

The horn on 3733 was a Leslie S3L lacking the bottom note, giving a completely different character from what it is now as #3003, with the bottom note regained.  (See samples below.)  Following it on this train was SLR GP40 #3000 (droning under a restricted rpm at the time), an SLR-painted M420W, and LLPX GP38-2s 2231 and 2232, all in run 8.  The driver of the car at the beginning of the recording was impatient and floored his Mercedes Benz to get past the crossing just as the engine was finishing the first whistle.  Another driver arrived a little too late--just as the engines were going by with their 101 cars in tow.

This is the sound of the horn on GP40 3003 (ex-3733) after it received a new number early in 2002.  The bottom note was regained, but squawks frequently--this recording has the finest squawks I have on tape of this horn.  Behind the lead GP40 were sisters 3203 and 3204, along with GP40X 3209, all roaring past in run 8 with a 65-car freight.  This was recorded at Courval Road, North of Waterville, QC.

Recorded September 09, 2006, 1 minute 31 seconds (Recording 1)
Added September 27, 2006
22,050 Hz compressed, 622 KB
44,100 Hz, 3,930 KB

1 minute 27 seconds (Recording 2)
Added September 27, 2006
22,050 Hz compressed, 595 KB

A late-running 394 freight, led by GP40's 3003 and 3202, GP40M-3 3806 and RM-1 805 is barely making 15 mph after the GP40M-3 quit because of insufficient cooling water.  Here, the train was passing over the Courval Road crossing North of Waterville, QC, and it later came to a standstill as it headed into the 1% Waterville grade.

The second recording was taken a few hundred feet from the Courval Road crossing, about an hour later.  After dropping off the first few cars in Waterville, the crew backed the remaining train to just before Courval Road, in order to get a run at the grade.  At the start of the recording, the units had just been revved up to run-8, and were doing about 3 mph as they inched over the crossing.  By the end of recording the speed was 15-20 mph.