SD60/60M/60I/60F
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SD60
The Electromotive Division SD60 is a 6 axle, 3,800 HP diesel-electric locomotive built by EMD from 1984 until 195. It used the then all-new 16 cylinder 710 engine rated at 3,800 HP. Though the SD60 looked like an SD50 outwardly, it was completely different inside. The SD60 was a far better locomotive than the SD50, it featured micro-processors that greatly improved reliability over the SD50. It was also more powerful. While the SD60 was a good locomotive, many railroad's looked past it and began purchasing GE's similar 8-40C locomotive. GE had surpassed EMD in sales during the SD50 production, and still holds the number one spot today.
1,138 SD60 varient locomotives were built by EMD and GMD. Most continue in service today. Several former SOO Line SD60's recently found a new life on the regional Indiana Railroad.
Roster of SD60's
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SD60M
The SD60M was a varient of the SD60 built by EMD from 1989 to 1995. The unit was a standard SD60 with a then-new North American Safety Cab instead of the more conventional standard or "spartan" cab used on the SD60 and past engines. Like the SD60, the SD60M used a 16 cylinder 710 engine rated at 3,800 HP.
In the late 1980's, both Union Pacific and the Santa Fe expressed interest in a locomotive with a wide nose "safety cab" similar to the ones used on Canadian railroads. The wide nose cab was more spacious and offered more protection in the event of an accident. EMD built the first SD60M's in 1989 for UP, which featured a 3 window cab similar in appearence to the 4 window Canadian versions. Later on the design was changed to a 2 windshield design with teardrop windows. UP, BN, SOO Line and Conrail all ordered SD60M's, nearly all of which are still in service today.
Roster of SD60M's
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SD60I
The SD60I was a variant of the SD60M built by EMD in 1994 and 95 for Conrail. 81 units were built, with final assembly taking place at CR's Altoona Shops. The SD60I used a widecab like the SD60M, but it was a special type of cab that was seperated from the locomotive body by rubber gaskets. It was called the "Whisper Cab" or "Isolated Cab" (hence the SD60"I") because the seperation made for a much quieter cab than a conventional one mounted directly to the locomotive. An SD60I could be distinguished from an SD60M by the visible line of the rubber gasket across the nose (and the CR standard FRA approved marker lights mounted on the nose and rear). The cab was later used on the SD70I, SD75I, SD80MAC, SD90MAC and later SD70MAC's. Conrail was the only railroad to order SD60I's, and it's 81 units were spilt between CSX and NS in 1999, for whom they continue to work today. Picture of CSX 8750, then the last SD60I in Conrail paint on CSX.
SD60F
The Electromotive Division SD60F was a Canadian variant of the SD60 built by GMD in London, Ontario. The locomotive was basically an SD60 with a cowl and widecab, nearly identical to the SD50F. 60 were built, all for Canadian National. Being much more reliable than their SD50F predecessors, most of the SD60F's continue to work for CN today.
CN's first four SD60F's were built as pre-production units classified as SD50AF's and numbered 9900-9903.
SD60MAC
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