EMD SD45 series official thread (covers all variations)

[SSW9389]

The last one EMD #5740 was scrapped at Paducah several years ago. The six SP units were gone by the early 1980s.

[trainiac]

That photo was taken in 1989.

[emd_SD_60]

Was that what the SD45-2 was supposed to be like?

[TerryC]

The date above the locomotive model says 9/18/2004. Look on the left.
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... x?id=47962
keep asking keep learning

[TerryC]

I belive the SD45X was just a 4,200 hp locomotive experiment built in the early 1970s. that was about 17 years before the C40-8 came out.

keep asking keep learning

[GOLDEN-ARM]

THAT DATE WAS THE DATE THE PHOTO WAS SUBMITTED, FOR POSTING. LOOK IN THE MIDDLE, ON THE TOP, THE DATE THE PHOTO WAS TAKEN, WAS '89. THEY ARE ALL SCRAPPED. THEY WERE LIKE A 45, BUT HAD 600 MORE HORSEPOWER, AS I REMEMBER. THE 45'S WERE 3600, THE "X" WAS 4200. THERE WERE 5 OR 6 ON THE SP, MAYBE 1 OTHER EXISTED SOMEWHERE ELSE. IT'S ALL HISTORY NOW.....

[SSW9389]

Experiments with the SD45Xs on Donner Summit led SP and EMD away from the SD45X design. The SD45X was to be the SD55 in EMDs 1972 catalog. Instead so called elephant ears were installed by Southern Pacific on a dozen SD45s and a pair of SD45Xs to test the idea of drawing air from lower on the carbody to increase engine cooling. The end result was the tunnel motor design that drew cooling air lower on the carbody of the locomotive.

A total of seven SD45Xs were built. Three for Southern Pacific and four EMD demonstrators. Three of the demonstrators were sold to Southern Pacific. The last demonstrator at EMD was #5740 as shown in the earlier photo. That was the last one that was scrapped at Paducah, Kentucky several years ago. Several of the Southern Pacific units were rebuilt as SD40-2s for lease service.

Southern Pacific and Cotton Belt purchased 486 of the 559 tunnel motors built. The story that started with the SD45X ended, but another successful design resulted from it.

[SSW9389]

The SD45X was supposed to be the SD55.

Was that what the SD45-2 was supposed to be like?

[emd_SD_60]

I was doing a little searching and came across this oddity, an SD50M-3:



And here it is leading one of the Austrailian SD50S's:


It looks like a totally overhauled SD45, DM&E has a couple.
Also I wonder if this has desktop control stands...

http://www.visi.com/~mfrahm/dme/roster/ ... /5000.html

[Bryanjones]

There is only one such unit like this, MPCX #5000. It is classed SD50M-3 and is powered by a 3500hp 16-645F3B prime mover as is the SD50. This particular unit was rebuilt from a former ATSF SD45B with a spare cab leftover from the aborted MK5000C program. The unit was painted and lettered for the DME where it initially tested before being sent back. It has a standard AAR control stand insde the cab and is now used in lease service.

Bryan Jones

[BlackDog]

too bad, they looked beautiful in WC paint.

Yeah, they looked good, especially when there was a pair of them back to back. However, they were not real popular with the crews. Every guy who worked on 1 has a crease across the top of his head due to the low nose door. Every guy did it once, quite a few were repeat offenders.

Also, they didn't seem to pull as well as a straight SD45, they seemed more prone to wheel slip.

They did have nice big cabs though. After 12 hours they were not quite as confining as a straight 45.

[Engineer Spike]

I used to see an NYS&W F45 in Ill., when I worked for BN. This is when they were running the TP&W. This would be in about 99-00. We were still running some ATSF units then too. They wanted them to trail because they were afraid of someone falling off the side ladder. This is strange because you could go through the nose (and past the tiolet.)

[n01jd1]

The last NYSW F45 is 3636 in Utica. It hasn't run since the mid 90's. But some think it may be resurrected soon .

Well the NYSW has a spare prime mover since they fried the electrical cabinet on the 3022.

[ANDY117]

So that's why i haven't seen 3022 down here in Bingo!

[emd_SD_60]

What # of the ATSF SD45B was the 5000 built from?