EMD SD45
Encyclopedia
The EMD SD45 is a six-axle diesel locomotive
built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between December, 1965, and December, 1971. Power was provided by an EMD 645E3 twenty-cylinder
engine which generated 3,600 HP. This locomotive shared the same common frame with the EMD SD38
, EMD SD39
, EMD SD40
, and EMD SDP40
.
A total of 1,260 units were built for American
railroads. Following this, the SD45-2
was released as its upgraded replacement. Additional models, like the SD45T-2
, featuring the Tunnel Motor
design, were released.
SD45s had several teething problems. Reliability was not as high as anticipated, due to the twenty-cylinder prime mover's propensity to break its own crankshaft. Even though it created an extra 600 hp from the 16-645 in the SD40
, some railroads felt it just wasn't worth it, even after EMD redesigned the block to reduce crankshaft flexing.
Buyers included the Southern Pacific
, Santa Fe
, the Great Northern Railway and the Northern Pacific Railway
. (Contrary to what many believe, the SD45 was not a "gas guzzler." It produced more power per unit of fuel than its 3000 hp counterpart, the SD40.) Many SD45s can still be found, some rebuilt with sixteen-cylinder 645s, operating for lease companies. SD45s and SD45-2s owned by Montana Rail Link have maintained their 20 cylinder prime movers. Wisconsin Central used to roster a large fleet of SD45s, but its sale to CN
has recently retired the entire fleet, with mass scrappings. Montana Rail Link is now also starting to sell some engines for scrap.
Locomotive
A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between December, 1965, and December, 1971. Power was provided by an EMD 645E3 twenty-cylinder
Cylinder (engine)
A cylinder is the central working part of a reciprocating engine or pump, the space in which a piston travels. Multiple cylinders are commonly arranged side by side in a bank, or engine block, which is typically cast from aluminum or cast iron before receiving precision machine work...
engine which generated 3,600 HP. This locomotive shared the same common frame with the EMD SD38
EMD SD38
An EMD SD38 is a 6-axle diesel locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between May 1967 and October 1971. Power was provided by an EMD 645 16-cylinder engine which generated 2000 horsepower . As compared to the EMD 645E3 engine that was turbo-charged and produced 3000HP from the...
, EMD SD39
EMD SD39
An EMD SD39 is a 6-axle diesel locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between August 1968 and May 1970. 54 examples of this locomotive model were built for American railroads....
, EMD SD40
EMD SD40
The EMD SD40 is a 6-axle diesel locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between January 1966 and August 1972.-Design:Like its predecessor in EMD's catalog, the SD35, the SD40 is a high-horsepower, six-motor freight locomotive....
, and EMD SDP40
EMD SDP40
An EMD SDP40 is a 6-axle passenger diesel locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between June 1966 and May 1970. Although few were produced, they enjoyed long service lives.-Design:...
.
A total of 1,260 units were built for American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
railroads. Following this, the SD45-2
EMD SD45-2
An EMD SD45-2 is a 6-axle diesel locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division beginning in 1972. Power was provided by an EMD 645E3 20-cylinder engine which generated . Part of the EMD Dash 2 line, the SD45-2 was an upgraded SD45.The main spotting difference between an SD45 and an...
was released as its upgraded replacement. Additional models, like the SD45T-2
EMD SD45T-2
The EMD SD45T-2 is a 6-axle diesel locomotive conceived in early 1972 by EMD at the request of the Southern Pacific Railroad. Like the similar SD40T-2, this locomotive model is nicknamed a "tunnel motor". 247 of this model were built from February 1972 to June 1975. Out of the total, 84 units were...
, featuring the Tunnel Motor
Tunnel motor
Tunnel motor may refer to:* EMD SD40T-2 locomotive* EMD SD45T-2 locomotive...
design, were released.
SD45s had several teething problems. Reliability was not as high as anticipated, due to the twenty-cylinder prime mover's propensity to break its own crankshaft. Even though it created an extra 600 hp from the 16-645 in the SD40
EMD SD40
The EMD SD40 is a 6-axle diesel locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between January 1966 and August 1972.-Design:Like its predecessor in EMD's catalog, the SD35, the SD40 is a high-horsepower, six-motor freight locomotive....
, some railroads felt it just wasn't worth it, even after EMD redesigned the block to reduce crankshaft flexing.
Buyers included the Southern Pacific
Southern Pacific Railroad
The Southern Pacific Transportation Company , earlier Southern Pacific Railroad and Southern Pacific Company, and usually simply called the Southern Pacific or Espee, was an American railroad....
, Santa Fe
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often abbreviated as Santa Fe, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The company was first chartered in February 1859...
, the Great Northern Railway and the Northern Pacific Railway
Northern Pacific Railway
The Northern Pacific Railway was a railway that operated in the west along the Canadian border of the United States. Construction began in 1870 and the main line opened all the way from the Great Lakes to the Pacific when former president Ulysses S. Grant drove in the final "golden spike" in...
. (Contrary to what many believe, the SD45 was not a "gas guzzler." It produced more power per unit of fuel than its 3000 hp counterpart, the SD40.) Many SD45s can still be found, some rebuilt with sixteen-cylinder 645s, operating for lease companies. SD45s and SD45-2s owned by Montana Rail Link have maintained their 20 cylinder prime movers. Wisconsin Central used to roster a large fleet of SD45s, but its sale to CN
Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
has recently retired the entire fleet, with mass scrappings. Montana Rail Link is now also starting to sell some engines for scrap.
2010
- 2 locomotives (numbers 853 and 855) sent from BrazilBrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
to MozambiqueMozambiqueMozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
and converted from gauge to gauge. Perhaps 20 locomotives will be sent in all.
Preserved locomotives
- Great Northern Railway 400. The first production SD45 named Hustle Muscle. Owned by the Great Northern Railway Historical Society, the unit is operable.
- Erie LackawannaErie Lackawanna RailwayThe Erie Lackawanna Railway , known as the Erie–Lackawanna Railroad until 1968, was formed from the 1960 merger of the Erie Railroad and the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad...
3607/ConrailConsolidated Rail CorporationThe Consolidated Rail Corporation, commonly known as Conrail , was the primary Class I railroad in the Northeast U.S. between 1976 and 1999. The federal government created it to take over the potentially profitable lines of bankrupt carriers, including the Penn Central Transportation Company and...
3607. St. Louis Museum of TransportationMuseum of TransportationThe Museum of Transportation of the St. Louis County, Missouri, United States Parks Department is a museum located in the Greater St. Louis area. It was first founded in 1944 by a group of individuals dedicated to preserving the past and has a wide variety of vehicles from American history...
. Restored to EL colors, this unit is a static display.
- Norfolk & WesternNorfolk and Western RailwayThe Norfolk and Western Railway , a US class I railroad, was formed by more than 200 railroad mergers between 1838 and 1982. It had headquarters in Roanoke, Virginia for most of its 150 year existence....
1776. This high hood unit is a static display at the Virginia Museum of TransportationVirginia Museum of TransportationThe Virginia Museum of Transportation is a museum devoted to the topic of transportation located in Downtown Roanoke, Virginia, U.S.A..- History :...
.
- Southern Pacific 8800/7457. This locomotive is a static display at the Utah State Railroad Museum.
- Wisconsin Central 7525. This locomotive is at the Illinois Railway MuseumIllinois Railway MuseumThe Illinois Railway Museum is the largest railroad museum in the United States and is located in Union, Illinois, northwest of Chicago...
and is operable. It is one of two WC SD45 units to be painted in an Operation LifesaverOperation LifesaverOperation Lifesaver is an organization originally started in Idaho in 1972 as a six-week, one-time public awareness campaign sponsored by the office of Governor Cecil Andrus, the Idaho Peace Officers and Union Pacific Railroad after years of increasing grade crossing accidents.As a result of...
scheme.
- Wisconsin Central 7495. This unit is at the Lake Superior Railroad MuseumLake Superior Railroad MuseumThe Lake Superior Railroad Museum is a railroad museum in Duluth, Minnesota.The museum has seven steam, fourteen diesel and two electric locomotives, and over 40 other pieces of rolling stock...
in Duluth, Minnesota, and is operable. It is the Northern PacificNorthern Pacific RailwayThe Northern Pacific Railway was a railway that operated in the west along the Canadian border of the United States. Construction began in 1870 and the main line opened all the way from the Great Lakes to the Pacific when former president Ulysses S. Grant drove in the final "golden spike" in...
3617. Plans call for it to be repainted to its former NP colors.