EMD SD45T-2

Last updated
EMD SD45T-2
SP 9400 EMD SD45T-2.jpg
Type and origin
Power type Diesel-electric
Builder General Motors Electro-Motive Division (EMD)
ModelSD45T-2
Build dateFebruary 1972 June 1975
Total produced247
Specifications
Configuration:
   AAR C-C
Gauge 4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Length70 ft 8 in (21.54 m)
Fuel capacity4,400 US gal (16,700 L; 3,660 imp gal)
Prime mover EMD 645E3
Engine type V20 diesel engine
Cylinders 20
Performance figures
Power output3,600  hp (2,680 kW)
Career
Nicknames"tunnel motor"
Dispositionmany still in service as of 2010; one donated to California State Railroad Museum

The SD45T-2 is a model of diesel-electric locomotive built by EMD for the Southern Pacific Railroad. Like the later SD40T-2 it is colloquially nicknamed a tunnel motor. 247 total units (including the original EMD/SP joint venture working Prototype) were produced from February 1972 to June 1975, including 84 for SP's subsidiary Cotton Belt. From April 1986 to December 1989, 126 were rebuilt and re-designated as SD45T-2R, including 24 for Cotton Belt.

Contents

The SD45T-2 is a variant of the venerable SD45 that featured the "Dash 2" upgrade components such as improved electronics and high traction trucks, with the "T" denoting its cooling system modifications. The intake for radiator cooling air was moved to the walkway level and the cooling fans themselves were under the radiator cores, instead of above. Tunnel motors were built for mountainous areas in the western United States, where SP had previously encountered repeated overheating issues on their SD45s.

The later SD40T-2 looks similar to the SD45T-2. One spotting difference is the longer hood on the SD45T-2 to accommodate the V20 prime mover vs. the V16 used on the SD40T-2. The SD45T-2's cab is further forward on the frame, so there is less "front porch". This mimics the differences between the SD45-2 and the SD40-2. Another spotting difference is the SD45T-2's three fan access doors on each side above the cooling air intake, while the SD40T-2 has two.

EMD SD45T-2 vs SD40T-2 radiator fan motor access doors EMD SD45T-2 vs SD40T-2 radiator fan motor access doors.jpg
EMD SD45T-2 vs SD40T-2 radiator fan motor access doors

Like their SD40T-2, some of SP's SD45T-2 tunnel motors were obtained by Kansas City Southern Railway, Bessemer and Lake Erie Railroad, Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range Railway, and by the Union Pacific Railroad when it merged the SP in 1996.

Some SD45T-2s were rebuilt and designated to SD45T-3, SD40T-3 and SD40-2T. In addition, some locomotive leasing companies own the SD45 tunnel motor locomotives. They are scattered all over the United States and are an increasingly rare sight.

Rebuilds

SD45T-2R

Starting in the 1977, the Southern Pacific Transportation Company and the St. Louis Southwestern Railway (also known as the "Cotton Belt Route") had begun rebuilding the majority of their EMD SD45T-2 locomotives into what had become the EMD SD45T-2R. [1] [2] [3] Both railroads had rebuilt a total of 126 of their EMD SD45T-2 locomotives into EMD SD45T-2R locomotives, which left a total of 121 EMD SD45T-2 un-rebuilt and they were all renumbered as 6793-6832, 6834-6868 and 6869-6892. [1] [4] [2] [3]

Original owners

RailroadNumber of enginesRoster numbersNotes
Southern Pacific 1639166-9260, 9302-9370 [5] SP 9314 is the rebuild of the wrecked SP 9220. 9340 was wrecked in the 1989 Cajon Pass Runaway and scrapped.
St. Louis Southwestern (Cotton Belt) 849157-9165, 9261-9301, 9371-9404 [5] SSW 9389 was the 600th "45" Series unit delivered to the Southern Pacific System by EMD and wore Bicentennial colors

Preservation

Southern Pacific 6819 (originally 9193) (currently an SD45T-2R) was donated by SP successor Union Pacific Railroad to the California State Railroad Museum in December 2001. [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GE U25B</span> GE U25B 2,500 hp diesel electric locomotive

The GE U25B is General Electric's first independent entry into the United States domestic road switcher diesel-electric locomotive railroad market for heavy production road locomotives since 1936. From 1940 through 1953, GE participated in a design, production, and marketing consortium (Alco-GE) for diesel-electric locomotives with the American Locomotive Company. In 1956 the GE Universal Series of diesel locomotives was founded for the export market. The U25B was the first attempt at the domestic market since its termination of the consortium agreement with Alco.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">EMD GP30</span> Model of American 2250 hp diesel locomotive

The EMD GP30 is a 2,250 hp (1,680 kW) four-axle diesel-electric locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division of La Grange, Illinois between July 1961 and November 1963. A total of 948 units were built for railroads in the United States and Canada, including 40 cabless B units for the Union Pacific Railroad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">EMD F7</span> Model of 1500 hp North American cab diesel locomotive

The EMD F7 is a model of 1,500-horsepower (1,100 kW) diesel-electric locomotive produced between February 1949 and December 1953 by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors (EMD) and General Motors Diesel (GMD).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">EMD SD40-2</span> American diesel-electric locomotive

The EMD SD40-2 is a 3,000-horsepower (2,200 kW) C-C diesel-electric locomotive built by EMD from 1972 to 1989.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">EMD SDP45</span> North American diesel locomotive class

The SDP45 is a six-axle, C-C, 3,600-horsepower (2,680 kW) diesel-electric locomotive built by General Motors' Electro-Motive Division of La Grange, Illinois. It was a passenger-hauling version of the SD45 on a stretched locomotive frame 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">EMD Dash 2</span> Series of EMD diesel locomotives built from 1972

The EMD Dash 2 is a line of diesel-electric locomotives introduced by General Motors' Electro-Motive Division (EMD) on January 1, 1972. Designations of these models were those of the former models with "-2" added. They retained the basic specifications of the earlier models in terms of power output and most other features, but introduced a number of improvements to the locomotives' internal systems, specifically the electrical systems and the trucks of the locomotives. These were intended to improve availability, efficiency, and ease of maintenance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">EMD SD50</span>

The EMD SD50 is a 3,500-horsepower (2,610 kW) diesel-electric locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division. It was introduced in May 1981 as part of EMD's "50 Series"; production ceased in January 1986. The SD50 was a transitional model between EMD's Dash 2 series which was produced throughout the 1970s and the microprocessor-equipped SD60 and SD70 locomotives. A total of 431 were built.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">EMD GP9</span> Model of locomotive built by EMD

The EMD GP9 is a four-axle diesel-electric locomotive built by General Motors' Electro-Motive Division between 1954 and 1959. The GP9 succeeded the GP7 as the second model of EMD's General Purpose (GP) line, incorporating a new sixteen-cylinder engine which generated 1,750 horsepower (1.30 MW). This locomotive type was offered both with and without control cabs; locomotives built without control cabs were called GP9B locomotives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">EMD SD40</span>

The EMD SD40 is an American 6-axle diesel-electric locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between January 1966 and August 1972. 1,268 locomotives were built between 1966 and 1972. In 1972, an improved version with new electronics was developed and marketed as a new locomotive, the SD40-2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">EMD SDP40</span>

An SDP40 is a 6-axle passenger diesel-electric locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division (EMD) between June 1966 and May 1970.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">EMD SD45</span> Class of diesel-electric locomotives

The SD45 is a six-axle diesel-electric locomotive class built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between 1965 and 1971. It has an EMD 645E3 twenty-cylinder engine generating 3,600 hp (2,680 kW) on the same frame as the SD38, SD39, SD40, and SDP40. As of 2023, most SD45s have been retired, scrapped or rebuilt to SD40-2 standards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">EMD SD45-2</span>

The EMD SD45-2 is a 6-axle diesel-electric locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division (EMD). EMD built 136 locomotives between 1972 and 1974, primarily for the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway (ATSF). The SD45-2 was an improved version of the EMD SD45; the primary visual difference is the lack of flared radiators on the SD45-2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">EMD SD39</span> Model of diesel-electric locomotive

The SD39 is a model of 6-axle diesel-electric locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between August 1968 and May 1970. 54 were built for American railroads.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">EMD SD40T-2</span>

The SD40T-2 is a model of diesel-electric locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division in the United States. The SD40T-2 is equipped with a 16-cylinder EMD 645E3 diesel engine producing 3,000 horsepower (2,240 kW). 312 SD40T-2s were built for three railroads in the United States between April 1974 and July 1980. This locomotive and the SD45T-2 are popularly called tunnel motors, but EMD's term is SD40-2 with "cooling system modifications" because they were designed for better engine cooling in mountainous areas. The difference between this locomotive and its non-tunnel motor cousin, the SD40-2, are the radiator air intakes are located lower down at the rear of the locomotive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">EMD GP60</span> Locomotive class

The EMD GP60 is a model of 4-axle (B-B) diesel-electric locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between 1985 and 1994. The GP60 was EMD's first engine that was classified as a "third-generation" locomotive. Hidden behind the electrical cabinet doors on the rear wall of the cab, the GP60 concealed a trio of microprocessors that monitored and managed a host of engine, cooling system and control functions. The engine's on-board microprocessors replaced hundreds of wiring circuits, dozens of relays and all but one module card, making it an improvement among EMD's engines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">EMD GP15-1</span> Model of 310 American 1500hp Bo′Bo′ diesel-electric locomotives

The EMD GP15-1 is a 4-axle diesel-electric locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between June 1976 and March 1982. Intended to provide an alternative to the rebuilding programs that many railroads were applying to their early road switchers, it is generally employed as a yard switcher or light road switcher. This locomotive is powered by a 12-cylinder EMD 645E engine, which generates 1,500 hp (1,119 kW). The GP15-1 uses a 50-foot-9-inch (15.47 m) frame, has a wheelbase of 29 ft 9 in (9.07 m) and has a length over couplers of 54 ft 11 in (16.74 m). A total of 310 units were built for American railroads. A number of GP15-1s remain in service today for yard work and light road duty. The radiator section is similar to those found on the EMD SD40T-2 and EMD SD45T-2 "tunnel motors," leading some observers to incorrectly identify the units as such or as GP15Ts, and giving them the nickname "baby tunnel motors".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern Pacific 9010</span> Preserved Krauss-Maffei ML 4000 CC diesel-hydraulic locomotive

Southern Pacific 9010 is a KM ML 4000 C'C' diesel-hydraulic locomotive, built in 1964 by German manufacturer Krauss-Maffei for the Southern Pacific Railroad. SP 9010 generated 4,000 horsepower (3,000 kW) from two 2,000-horsepower (1,500 kW) V16 Maybach MD870 diesel engines. It was painted to Southern Pacific's 1958 standard, the so-called "bloody nose" colors of Scarlet and Lark Dark Gray, for its entire operating career. It was renumbered to SP 9113 in late 1965, rebuilt extensively at SP's Sacramento General Shops during the latter half of 1966, and was initially retired in 1968. It was revived and rebuilt by Sacramento General Shops into a "camera car" for the purpose of shooting motion picture background plates for a ground-based full-motion locomotive training simulator. As camera car number 8799, it was retired in 1984 and donated to the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento, California. It was de-accessioned by CSRM and acquired by the Pacific Locomotive Association and moved to the Niles Canyon Railway's Brightside, California rail yard in the summer of 2008. At the date of its inception, its type represented the highest-horsepower six-axle diesel locomotives in the world. SP 9010 is the sole surviving ML 4000 C'C' built for use in North America, and the sole surviving mainline diesel-hydraulic locomotive in North America..

The Progress Rail PR30C is a 3,005 hp (2,240 kW) C-C diesel-electric locomotive rebuilt by Progress Rail. It is the result of a conversion to an existing EMD SD40-2-type locomotive. This involves replacing the existing prime mover with an EPA Tier-II-compliant turbocharged V16 Caterpillar 3516. The prime mover is equipped with an additional exhaust treatment system, in a large box mounted at hood top level, in front of the radiator section.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern Pacific 7399</span> Southern Pacific SD44R diesel locomotive

Southern Pacific 7399 is the sole example of an SD44R diesel locomotive that was built by the Electro-Motive Division for the Southern Pacific Transportation Company in September 1966.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">EMD SD45R</span> Rebuilt diesel locomotives

The EMD SD45R was a rebuild from EMD SD45 diesel locomotives that were originally built between August 1966 and January 1970 for the Southern Pacific Transportation Company, but were rebuilt by the Southern Pacific themselves under the Southern Pacific's M-99 rebuild program between 1979 and 1985.

References

  1. 1 2 Wilson, Jeff (2017). Guide to North American Diesel Locomotives. Kalmbach Books. p. 82. ISBN   978-1-62700-455-8.
  2. 1 2 Shine (1988) , p. 117
  3. 1 2 Diesel Era: Volume 2 Number 3. Withers Publishing. 1991. p. 8.
  4. Shippen & Shine (1999) , p. 153
  5. 1 2 Wilson, Jeff (2017). Guide to North American Diesel Locomotives. Kalmbach Books. p. 82. ISBN   978-1-62700-455-8.
  6. "Master Railroad Equipment Roster" (PDF). California State Railroad Museum. September 10, 2020. Retrieved November 5, 2022.