EMD SDP45
Encyclopedia
The EMD SDP45 was a six-axle, C-C, 3600 hp diesel locomotive
built by General Motors' Electro-Motive Division of La Grange, Illinois
. It was fundamentally a passenger-hauling version of the SD45
on a stretched locomotive frame
and with an extended, squared-off long hood
at the rear, aft of the radiators, giving space for a steam generator
for passenger train heating. This steam generator placement followed the pattern set by the SDP35
and SDP40
.
A few SDP45s remain in service, rebuilt to SD40-2
standards.
ordered their ten on May 9, 1966 with the units being placed in service between May 24 and July 26, 1967, initially on the City of San Francisco
between Oakland and Ogden
, and eventually used system-wide. As built, each unit carried 2500 gallons of fuel and 3000 gallons of steam generator water in a partitioned underframe tank. The steam generator was a Vapor Model OK-4740
. SP's units were built with Pyle National Gyralights on the leading end, came with Nathan P-3 horns
, and cost $317,156 each (SP's straight SD45's
from the same period cost $290,788 each). Ordered with 62:15 gearing with the overspeed set at 72 MPH, the gearing was changed to 60:17 (overspeed at 83 MPH) during 1968-1969. All except 3201 and 3207 would eventually be re-geared back to 62:15 once they entered commute service. After Amtrak
took over long-distance routes in 1971, various units were leased to Amtrak for West Coast service (primarily on the Coast Starlight
) until Amtrak purchased their SDP40F
locomotives, while the rest were used in freight service and on Company specials. Beginning in 1974 the SDP45s were used for commuter service on the San Francisco Peninsula
, replacing the Fairbanks-Morse Train Masters
. SP's commuter service was very demanding work and the locomotives required electrical modification in order to meet those demands. A "Passenger Start" switch was installed inside the cab electrical cabinet; in the "COMM" position the units were held in Parallel, in the "FRT/PASS" position normal transition was made. They stayed on the commute route (often working in freight service on weekends) until 1985 when Caltrain
equipment arrived, and they were placed into freight service until their retirement, initially working out of Roseville
, then in local and hauler service in the Los Angeles Basin
. All were retired between 1986 (3208) and 1990 (3204) and sold for scrap
.
The Great Northern Railway purchased eight SDP45s in 1967, to replace older F-units
on the Empire Builder
. Normally paired back-to-back, they were also used singly leading F-units
. These joined six smaller SDP40
locomotives ordered in 1966 for the Western Star. After the startup of Amtrak
in 1971, Great Northern Railway successor Burlington Northern Railroad
converted all fourteen SDP passenger locomotives to freight service.
The Erie Lackawanna Railroad ordered 34 AC130s in 1969 and 1970. Intended only for freight service, these units had a pointed long metal head end; the extra space aft of the radiators had concrete ballast. Their longer frames permitted a larger fuel tank which gave the locomotives a greater range between fueling stops. Some sources say the second order for 15, delivered in 1970, were designated model AC130 by EMD rather than SDP45.
SDP45 (photo of BN 6599) was retrofitted with an articulated four-axle truck by EMD, converting it to an A1A-B+B wheel arrangement
. The middle traction motor in the lead truck was removed and placed in the rear truck. The rear truck, called the HT-BB, for High Traction B+B arrangement, was tested successfully (closeup of HT-BB truck) but has not been produced for sale to date (February 2008). This testing was not related to the development of the HTCR three-axle radial truck first seen under SD60
EMD 3 and SD60MACs, and made standard on the early SD70
series.
Southern Pacific Railroad
8691-8696 were SD40M-2 rebuilds done by Morrison-Knudsen. They were ex-EL
36??, 3668, 3666, 3665, 3662 and 3659. It is this group that most surviving SDP45s belong to.
Erie Lackawanna
3637 was wrecked and rebuilt into a slug.
. However their collection listing does not show it.
Diesel locomotive
A diesel locomotive is a type of railroad locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine, a reciprocating engine operating on the Diesel cycle as invented by Dr. Rudolf Diesel...
built by General Motors' Electro-Motive Division of La Grange, Illinois
La Grange, Illinois
La Grange, a suburb of Chicago, is a village in Cook County, in the U.S. state of Illinois. The population was 15,608 at the 2000 census.-History:...
. It was fundamentally a passenger-hauling version of the SD45
EMD SD45
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...
on a stretched locomotive frame
Locomotive frame
A locomotive frame is the structure that forms the backbone of the railway locomotive, giving it strength and supporting the superstructure elements such as a cab, boiler or bodywork. The vast majority of locomotives have had a frame structure of some kind...
and with an extended, squared-off long hood
Long hood
The long hood of a hood unit-style diesel locomotive is, as the name implies, the longer of the two hoods on a locomotive.-Equipment:...
at the rear, aft of the radiators, giving space for a steam generator
Steam generator (railroad)
Steam generator is the term used to describe a type of boiler used to produce steam for climate control and potable water heating in railroad passenger cars...
for passenger train heating. This steam generator placement followed the pattern set by the SDP35
EMD SDP35
An EMD SDP35 is a 6-axle diesel locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between July 1964 and September 1965. Power was provided by an EMD 567D3A 16-cylinder engine which generated 2500 horsepower . Essentially this locomotive was an EMD SD35 equipped with a steam generator,...
and 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 few SDP45s remain in service, rebuilt to SD40-2
EMD SD40-2
The EMD SD40-2 is a C-C locomotive produced by EMD from 1972 to 1989.The SD40-2 was first introduced in January 1972 as the mid-range offering in EMD's six-axle "Dash-2" series, competing against the GE U30C and the MLW M630...
standards.
Original Owners
The Southern Pacific RailroadSouthern 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....
ordered their ten on May 9, 1966 with the units being placed in service between May 24 and July 26, 1967, initially on the City of San Francisco
City of San Francisco
The City of San Francisco was a streamlined passenger train operated jointly by the Chicago and North Western Railway, the Southern Pacific Railroad, and the Union Pacific Railroad...
between Oakland and Ogden
Ogden, Utah
Ogden is a city in Weber County, Utah, United States. Ogden serves as the county seat of Weber County. The population was 82,825 according to the 2010 Census. The city served as a major railway hub through much of its history, and still handles a great deal of freight rail traffic which makes it a...
, and eventually used system-wide. As built, each unit carried 2500 gallons of fuel and 3000 gallons of steam generator water in a partitioned underframe tank. The steam generator was a Vapor Model OK-4740
Steam generator (railroad)
Steam generator is the term used to describe a type of boiler used to produce steam for climate control and potable water heating in railroad passenger cars...
. SP's units were built with Pyle National Gyralights on the leading end, came with Nathan P-3 horns
Train horn
Train horns are audible warning devices found on most diesel and electric locomotives. Their primary purpose is to alert persons and animals to the presence of a train, especially when approaching a grade crossing. They are also used for acknowledging signals given by railroad employees Train horns...
, and cost $317,156 each (SP's straight SD45's
EMD SD45
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...
from the same period cost $290,788 each). Ordered with 62:15 gearing with the overspeed set at 72 MPH, the gearing was changed to 60:17 (overspeed at 83 MPH) during 1968-1969. All except 3201 and 3207 would eventually be re-geared back to 62:15 once they entered commute service. After Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
took over long-distance routes in 1971, various units were leased to Amtrak for West Coast service (primarily on the Coast Starlight
Coast Starlight
The Coast Starlight is a passenger train operated by Amtrak on the West Coast of the United States. It runs from King Street Station in Seattle, Washington, to Union Station in Los Angeles, California. The train's name was formed as a merging of two of Southern Pacific's train names, the Coast...
) until Amtrak purchased their SDP40F
EMD SDP40F
The EMD SDP40F was a 6-axle Diesel-electric locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division from 1973 for Amtrak service. Power was provided by an EMD 645E3 16-cylinder turbocharged Diesel engine, which generated 3000 tractive horsepower .-Origins:The SDP40F was the first locomotive...
locomotives, while the rest were used in freight service and on Company specials. Beginning in 1974 the SDP45s were used for commuter service on the San Francisco Peninsula
San Francisco Peninsula
The San Francisco Peninsula is a peninsula in the San Francisco Bay Area that separates the San Francisco Bay from the Pacific Ocean. On its northern tip is the City and County of San Francisco. Its southern base is in Santa Clara County, including the cities of Palo Alto, Los Altos, and Mountain...
, replacing the Fairbanks-Morse Train Masters
FM H-24-66
-External links:* * * *...
. SP's commuter service was very demanding work and the locomotives required electrical modification in order to meet those demands. A "Passenger Start" switch was installed inside the cab electrical cabinet; in the "COMM" position the units were held in Parallel, in the "FRT/PASS" position normal transition was made. They stayed on the commute route (often working in freight service on weekends) until 1985 when Caltrain
Caltrain
Caltrain is a California commuter rail line on the San Francisco Peninsula and in the Santa Clara Valley in the United States. The northern terminus of the rail line is in San Francisco, at 4th and King streets; its southern terminus is in Gilroy...
equipment arrived, and they were placed into freight service until their retirement, initially working out of Roseville
Roseville, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Roseville had a population of 118,788. The population density was 3,279.4 people per square mile...
, then in local and hauler service in the Los Angeles Basin
Los Angeles Basin
The Los Angeles Basin is the coastal sediment-filled plain located between the Peninsular and Transverse ranges in southern California in the United States containing the central part of the city of Los Angeles as well as its southern and southeastern suburbs...
. All were retired between 1986 (3208) and 1990 (3204) and sold for scrap
Scrap
Scrap is a term used to describe recyclable and other materials left over from every manner of product consumption, such as parts of vehicles, building supplies, and surplus materials. Unlike waste, scrap has significant monetary value...
.
The Great Northern Railway purchased eight SDP45s in 1967, to replace older F-units
EMD F-unit
EMD F-units were a line of Diesel-electric locomotives produced between November 1939 and November 1960 by General Motors Electro-Motive Division and General Motors-Diesel Division. Final assembly for all F-units was at the GM-EMD plant at La Grange, Illinois and the GMDD plant in London, Ontario...
on the Empire Builder
Empire Builder
The Empire Builder is a passenger train route operated by Amtrak in the Midwestern and Northwestern United States. It is Amtrak's busiest long-distance route and busiest daily train, carrying more than 500,000 travelers annually since 2007. Overall, it is the railroad's 10th-busiest line. Before...
. Normally paired back-to-back, they were also used singly leading F-units
EMD F-unit
EMD F-units were a line of Diesel-electric locomotives produced between November 1939 and November 1960 by General Motors Electro-Motive Division and General Motors-Diesel Division. Final assembly for all F-units was at the GM-EMD plant at La Grange, Illinois and the GMDD plant in London, Ontario...
. These joined six smaller 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:...
locomotives ordered in 1966 for the Western Star. After the startup of Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
in 1971, Great Northern Railway successor Burlington Northern Railroad
Burlington Northern Railroad
The Burlington Northern Railroad was a United States-based railroad company formed from a merger of four major U.S. railroads. Burlington Northern operated between 1970 and 1996....
converted all fourteen SDP passenger locomotives to freight service.
The Erie Lackawanna Railroad ordered 34 AC130s in 1969 and 1970. Intended only for freight service, these units had a pointed long metal head end; the extra space aft of the radiators had concrete ballast. Their longer frames permitted a larger fuel tank which gave the locomotives a greater range between fueling stops. Some sources say the second order for 15, delivered in 1970, were designated model AC130 by EMD rather than SDP45.
Roster
| Order | Built | Serial Numbers | Quantity | 1st No. | 2nd No. | 3rd No. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7955 | 5/67-7/67 | 32849-32858 | 10 | SP 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.... 3200-3209 |
Dispositions vary | ||
| 7979 | 7/67-8/67 | 33041-33048 | 8 | GN 326-333 | BN Burlington Northern Railroad The Burlington Northern Railroad was a United States-based railroad company formed from a merger of four major U.S. railroads. Burlington Northern operated between 1970 and 1996.... 9856-9863 |
BN Burlington Northern Railroad The Burlington Northern Railroad was a United States-based railroad company formed from a merger of four major U.S. railroads. Burlington Northern operated between 1970 and 1996.... 6592-6599 |
Dispositions vary |
| 7174 | 5/69-6/69 | 34976-34994 | 19 | EL Erie Lackawanna Railway The 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... 3635-3653 |
CR 6667-6684 | NS 6667-6684 | EL 3637 wrecked. Rest to CR and NS and eventually scrapped or traded in. |
| 7246 | 7/70-8/70 | 36658-36665 | 8 | EL Erie Lackawanna Railway The 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... 3654-3661 |
CR 6685-6692 | VMVX 6685-6692 | May have been model SD45M, Dispositions vary |
| 7246 | 8/70 | 36880-36886 | 7 | EL Erie Lackawanna Railway The 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... 3662-3668 |
CR 6693-6699 | VMVX 6693-6699 | May have been model SD45M, Dispositions vary |
Rebuilds
One Burlington Northern RailroadBurlington Northern Railroad
The Burlington Northern Railroad was a United States-based railroad company formed from a merger of four major U.S. railroads. Burlington Northern operated between 1970 and 1996....
SDP45 (photo of BN 6599) was retrofitted with an articulated four-axle truck by EMD, converting it to an A1A-B+B wheel arrangement
Wheel arrangement
In rail transport, a wheel arrangement is a system of classifying the way in which wheels are distributed beneath a locomotive.. Several notations exist to describe the wheel assemblies of a locomotive by type, position, and connections, with the adopted notations varying by country...
. The middle traction motor in the lead truck was removed and placed in the rear truck. The rear truck, called the HT-BB, for High Traction B+B arrangement, was tested successfully (closeup of HT-BB truck) but has not been produced for sale to date (February 2008). This testing was not related to the development of the HTCR three-axle radial truck first seen under SD60
EMD SD60
The EMD SD60 is a 3,800 horsepower 6-axle diesel-electric locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division. Intended for heavy-duty drag freight or medium-speed freight service, it was introduced in 1984, and production of SD60 variants ran until 1995.- History and development...
EMD 3 and SD60MACs, and made standard on the early SD70
EMD SD70 series
The EMD SD70 is a series of diesel-electric locomotives produced by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors beginning in 1992. Over 4000 locomotives in this series have been produced, mostly of the SD70M and SD70MAC models. All locomotives of this series are hood units with C-C trucks...
series.
Southern Pacific Railroad
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....
8691-8696 were SD40M-2 rebuilds done by Morrison-Knudsen. They were ex-EL
Erie Lackawanna Railway
The 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...
36??, 3668, 3666, 3665, 3662 and 3659. It is this group that most surviving SDP45s belong to.
Erie Lackawanna
Erie Lackawanna Railway
The 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...
3637 was wrecked and rebuilt into a slug.
Preservation
Erie Lackawanna Railroad 3639, later Conrail 6670, is listed as being preserved at the Virginia Museum of TransportationVirginia Museum of Transportation
The Virginia Museum of Transportation is a museum devoted to the topic of transportation located in Downtown Roanoke, Virginia, U.S.A..- History :...
. However their collection listing does not show it.