REMEMBER the ads for Uniroyal’s “Tiger Paw” tires? When I was with the Southern Railway, some of us there referred to SR’s U-boats as “Whisperjets” (for the turbocharger noise) and to its SD40s as “Sport Models” (for the platforms). Now, I suggest tagging the Dash-2 SD40s “Tiger Paws.” Those HT-C trucks look as though they’re eating up the rails, as illustrated by this photo of a Burlington Northern SD40-2 leading an SD45 on an eastbound freight at 55 mph between Sandwich and Piano, Ill., on December 15, 1974. As does the big-footed Alco PA, the SD40-2 looks like a kid wearing gym shoes three sizes too large. — Mike Iczkowski, published in the June 1975 issue of Trains Magazine
