SD45/45-2/45T-2
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SD45
The Electromotive Division SD45 is a 6 axle, 3,600 HP diesel-electric locomotive built by EMD from 1965 to 1971. It used a 20 cylinder 645E3 engine rated at 3,600 HP. At the time, it was the most powerful single engine locomotive built. It debuted in 1965/66 with the rest of EMD's then new locomotives featuring the all new 645 engine. It was the only locomotive to use the 20 cylinder 645.
The first SD45 built was Great Northern's 400, nicknamed "Hustle Muscle" due to it's ability to haul fast freights with plenty of horsepower to spare.Picture of GN 400, the first SD45 in St. Paul, MN.To provide sufficient cooling to the big 20 cylinder engine, the SD45 utilized a flared radiator design similar to the style used on the recent DD35. All together, 1,260 SD45's were built. Unfortunantly, the SD45 proved to be very problematic. Because it produced so much horsepower, the 20 cylinder 645 had a tendancy to break it's crankshaft. The 20 cylinder engine also consumed more fuel than the 16 cylinder SD40, and after the SD45's problems began to surface, railroads began ordering far more SD40's than SD45's. Many felt the additional 600 horsepower wasn't really worth the expense.
The problems associated with the SD45 were eventually ironed out, but their reputation remained. Many railroads began retiring their SD45's in the early 1980's as fuel prices rose and traffic levels dropped. Many were rebuilt with 16 cylinder 645's or had their engines derated to 3,000 HP. Few unrebuilt SD45's remain today. Wisconsin Central once operated the largest fleet, with over 100 second hand units, but after the aqcuisition of WC by CN, all were retired and many were scrapped. One ex WC SD45, WC 7525 (painted in a special Operation Lifesaver scheme), was donated to the Illinois Railway Museum in operating condition Picture of WC 7525 at IRM while another, WC 7495, was donated to the Lake Superior RR Museum. Since 7495 is an ex Northern Pacific unit, the plans are to return it to it's NP colors. A few others have been preserved, including N&W 1776, a high hood SD45 painted in N&W's "Bicentennial" scheme. Montana Rail Link once operated a large fleet of SD45's (with some rebuilt as "SD45-2's"), but in recent years they have begun retiring some of the units. Others still ply the rails for Class 1's and in lease service, but they've been rebuilt with 16 cylinder 645's and upgraded to Dash 2 or Dash 3 specs.
EMD also built 7 experimental SD45X's, 6 of which were used by SP for a short time. The SD45X had an experimental 20 cylinder 645E3A engine that was rated at 4,200 HP. Though extremely powerful, the engines were plauged with reliability issues and were returned to EMD.
SD45-2
The Electromotive Division SD45-2 is a 6 axle, 3,600 HP diesel-electric locomotive built by EMD from 1972 to 1974. Like the SD45, it used a 20 cylinder 645 rated at 3,600 HP. When EMD introduced their Dash 2 line of 645 powered locomotives in 1972, the SD45-2 replaced the SD45. The main physical difference from an SD45 was that the SD45-2 had no flared radiators, instead using larger conventional ones.
Though much more reliable than the SD45, the SD45-2 did not enjoy much sucess. While the SD40-2 sold over 4,000 units, EMD built just 136 SD45-2's, with 90 going to Santa Fe, 18 to the Clinchfield, 15 to Seaboard Coast Line and 13 to Erie Lackawanna. There just wasn't a market for a high horsepower 20 cylinder locomotive at the time the SD45-2 was offered, and many railroad's still had a bad taste in their mouth's from troublesome SD45's. They viewed the 16 cylinder 3,000 HP SD40-2 as plenty adequete. Picture of NREX 6451, an ex ATSF SD45-2.
As locomotives go, the SD45-2's were good units. A fabled haunt of Conrails ex EL SD45-2's for years was helper service on Horsehoe Curve out of Altoona, PA. On the Santa Fe, a few were painted up in a "Bicentennial" livery for 1976 and pulled ATSF's famed "Super C" from LA to Chicago. ATSF also rebuilt a few SD45-2's into cabless SD45-2B's, which still remain in service for BNSF today. BNSF has largely reduced the number of SD45-2's they roster, selling them off to leasing companies.
SD45T-2
The SD45T-2 was a varient of the SD45-2 built by EMD from 1972 to 1975. The SD45T-2 used the same "Tunnel Motor" design that the SD40T-2 used. The SD45T-2 was developed by request for Southern Pacific, who found that conventional locomotives tended to overheat when operating through long tunnels because their radiators were located along the top of the locomotive. Moving the radiators down near the walkway of the locomotive forced cooler air into the engine compartment and effectively solved the overheating problem. SP was impressed with the units and ordered 247 units, the entire unit production, 84 of which went to it's Cotton Belt subsidiary. In addition to the Tunnel Motor radiators, the locomotives featured SP's distinct "5 Light Package" on the nose of the engine, which included a headlight, gyra light and mars light. While some SD45T-2's remain in service for Union Pacific, many have been sold off to leasing companies and shortline and regional railroads, several of which have rebuilt them with 16 cylinder 645's and re-designated them "SD40T-3". Ex SP SD45T-2R (rebuilt SD45T-2) 6819 was donated to the California State RR Museum in 2003 by UP. Picture of CEFX 9392, an ex SP SD45T-2 now leased to the Chicago, Fort Wayne & Eastern.
SD45X
The SD45X was an experimental version of the SD45 which was rated at 4,200 horsepower. A few were tested by EMD and Southern Pacific, but the locomotives were deemed to unreliable. All are believed to have been scrapped.
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