Railroaders' Nostalgia > The Last SD-45

I can vaguely remember some of my older railfan pals talking about the general excitement when Santa Fe acquired their first 3600 horse SD45 units. On page 25 of Joe McMillan’s “Santa Fe’s Diesel Fleet” is this caption: “Santa Fe ventured into the 3600-horsepower field in 1966 with an initial purchase of ninety SD45’s.” I am continually thrilled to re-discover this kind of Santa Fe diesel history from the 60’s & early 70’s. In 1966 the total extent of my 11 year old knowledge of the Santa Fe was purely of branch line operations because I happily had lots of relatives in Abilene, KS. At that time all I knew were round-nosed engines (EMD F-units) & those boxy-looking things I would later come to know as GP-7s. Toss in a few of those “other” boxy engines with the funny knobs on the top-front corners (FM H-16-44s) for good measure. Those, plus a few combines & drover’s cabooses were about all I knew about the Santa Fe. It really was “Santa Fe (read: branch line) all the Way!”

I may have seen my first SD45 engine model running through my hometown of Manhattan, KS on the UP, but I have zero memory of such an event. And I don’t specifically remember the first time my eyes looked upon a Santa Fe SD45, but I’ll just betcha it was in the summer of 1974 when this 19 year old kid was a newly hired track-laborer for the Santa Fe just outside of Kansas City. Whatever the story may be, I quickly developed a deep fondness for the looks of those sexy, magnificently flared hoods! I thought to myself that riding in front of those flares must be like flying in a plane.

My love affair with grand dame SD45 was enhanced big-time in 1978! My earlier track-gang stint ended in October of 1974 when Uncle Sam decided I could follow my father’s footsteps and join the US Postal Service. But 3½ years later I decided being a mailman was not my life’s work. I quit the USPS in January of ‘78 and was eventually re-hired in May by the Santa Fe as Middle Division switchman/brakeman. My first ride in an SD45 would come on June 28 in AT&SF 5587 on a 326 train. The trip to Wellington was mostly in darkness (on duty 0215-0540), so I didn’t really get the visual feel of “flying” with those radiators. But believe me, I knew they were back there just the same. The way my young seniority worked out, it wouldn’t be until April of 1979 that I would take my first all-daylight ride in an SD45. I savored every second of it!

After the political & economic reality of the 1980’s forced me away from my beloved Santa Fe in 1987, I was pleased when my (eventual) new employer, Montana Rail Link started acquiring a fleet of second-hand SD45s. They may not have been units from the Santa Fe, but I didn’t care. Having taken an MRL promotion to locomotive engineer in May of 1990, I now had a license to “fly” one of these babies on occasion.

In a recent scanning session I found this slide of Santa Fe SD45 #5624. In 1969 Santa Fe bought an additional 35 of these big babes. They came in 2 bunches, with the 5624 being delivered in 1970 when I was 15. I would meet her face-to-face a decade later at the ripe old age of 25. She was the very last one, but ain’t she a beaut?

1. AT&SF 5624 leads a westbound manifest train (309?) out of Emporia, KS with a fresh Middle Division crew on July 29, 1980.

Thanks for looking back!
Lance Garrels
santafe199



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/24/14 11:34 by santafe199.

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To me, unusually dirty for a Santa Fe diesel.

tomstp Wrote:
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> To me, unusually dirty for a Santa Fe diesel.

Clearly it was in a recent consist trailing something with a failing turbo...or a GE.

tomstp Wrote:
> ...dirty for a >> Santa Fe << diesel.

Bingo! It's still a PURE Santa Fe diesel. In run 8. With 2 more pure Santa Fe diesels trailing. With no ditch lights. With lotsa boxcars. And evidence of a waycar.
...something about the 'eye of the beholder'???

Lance



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/24/14 16:38 by santafe199.

I believe that date was on a Tuesday. A few more days to go until its Saturday bath!

Mike

Can't quite make out the Engineer for certain, but it could be Harold Stevenson. I don't recognize the other guy, but it clearly wasn't me.