The locomotive model designation is interpreted as follows: B (B type truck arrangement, 2 axles per truck) 40 (4000 horsepower) -8 (the generation when it was designed, in this case meaning the late 1980s) W (Widecab).
ATSF was the only railroad to order the B40-8W, and a B unit (cabless booster unit) was almost made with it, but because the price would have been the same for B40-8Ws with cabs or without, they decided to order units with cabs only. [citation needed]
All of ATSF's B40-8Ws became part of BNSF Railway, and many of them were repainted into BNSF's "Heritage 2" paint scheme, although several units still retain their "Warbonnet" paint scheme from their previous careers with ATSF. Some units got repainted into the newer Heritage 4 scheme.
Disposition
While originally built for high-speed intermodal service, by the mid-2000s the B40-8Ws had been bumped to local service.
In mid-2010, BNSF put 15 B40-8Ws up for sale. These units were on long-term lease and were returned to their lessor. Four units have been sold to the Providence and Worcester Railroad in Massachusetts.[1][2][3] The PW sold one of their B40-8Ws to the Arkansas-Oklahoma Railroad.[citation needed] The rest of BNSF's B40-8W fleet is, as of 2019, undergoing rebuild and refreshment at GE as preparation for their new role as local freight units.[4]
