As with many railroads, when EMD unveiled the SD40-2 locomotive, Missouri Pacific embraced it in a big way. Between 1973 and 1980, the MP purchased 306 of these 3000 horsepower diesels. Built in August 1978, MP 3226 is pretty "plain vanilla" - no extra lights, no dynamic brakes ... not even any drop steps! It is also the second SD40-2 to carry this road number on the MoPac (the first 3226 was built in August '76 and had dynamic brakes.) This second MP 3226 would, with the Union Pacific/Missouri Pacific/Western Pacific merger in 1983, become Union Pacific 4226 (and, later, UP B4226, then UP 8951 before being sold in November 2003 to Larry's Truck Electric).
