SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — D&I Railroad SD40-2 No. 3023, one of five SD40-2s new to the railroad’s roster, leads an eastbound train at Sioux Falls, S.D., on April 13, 2022. Photographer Kevin J. Ryan says it is believed to be the locomotive’s first revenue trip on the railroad. The 138-mile D&I, a wholly owned subsidiary of L.G. Everist, a producer of construction aggregates and landscaping stone, operates between Sioux City, Iowa, and Dell Rapids, S.D. It interchanges with BNSF Railway, Canadian National, and the Union Pacific in Sioux City via BNSF trackage rights, and with BNSF in Sioux Falls.
the SD40-2 diesel locomotive has always been a favorite among railroaders and railfans
KRIS — Wondering why the SD40-2 is a fan favorite — is it the lines of the loco or the sound of the diesel engine? I have nothing against it but to me it’s like being a fan of the way too common Boeing 737, as opposed to something unqiue like a Lockheed Super Constellation, an Airbus 380, the Concorde, or a Douglas DC-7C Seven Seas.
In decades past I preferred the GE’s for aesthetics. As for sound, bring on any diesel, I enjoyed both of the (then, decades past) very different sounds of the EMD and the GE. They sounded nothing alike.
So for those of us from out of town, what does D&I stand for?
Stumped me. I looked it up. Dakota and Iowa.
Sharp looking, always felt the SD40-2 was one of the best looking units in any livery.