Nostalgia & History > D&RGW SD45's, Where They Are Now.

Seeing the thread below, I started looking to see what I had on the ex-D&RGW SD45's. Checking Don Stracks excellent resource on UtahRails.net, I was able to find some that I knew I had and a few I did not know I had.

D&RGW 5315 was sold to OmniTRAX, 15 July 1994; to Nebraska Central (NCRC) 5315 in May 1997. Photo by Ed Fulcomer, taken in Loveland, CO., at OmniTrax, 4/12/1997, before delivery to Nebraska Central.

PZ

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D&RGW 5325 was still on property at UP merger; retired by UP on 26 March 1997; sold to National Railway Equipment, Dixmoor, Ill., in July 1997; sold to CIT Group, Inc.; rebuilt to SD40-2, completed as UP 4737 on completed on 26 January 1999. Photo taken in Denver, CO., North Yard, 5/25/2001.

PZ

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D&RGW 5328 was sold to National Railway Equipment, Dixmoor, Ill., in July 1997; sold to CIT Group, Inc.; rebuilt to UP SD40-2 4741, completed on 16 February 1999. Photo taken in Denver, CO., North Yard, 5/9/2001.

PZ

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D&RGW 5331 was still on property at UP merger; retired by UP on 26 March 1997; sold to National Railway Equipment, Dixmoor, Ill., in July 1997; to Ortonville Stone Co. 2801, Aberdeen, S.D., in August 1998. Now DAIR 2801. Photo taken in Commerce City, CO., 10/12/1993.

PZ

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D&RGW 5332 was sold to OmniTRAX, 15 July 1994; to Nebraska Central (NCRC) 5332 in March 1997. Photo by Ed Fulcomer, taken in Loveland at OmniTrax, 1/22/1997, before delivery to Nebraska Central.

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D&RGW 5339 was still on property at UP merger; retired by UP on 26 March 1997; sold to National Railway Equipment (NREX), Dixmoor, Ill., in July 1997; to Ortonville Stone 2701, Aberdeen, S.D., in August 1998. Now DAIR 2701. Photo taken in Commerce City, CO., 10/12/1993.

PZ

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D&RGW 5340 was still on property at UP merger; retired by UP on 26 March 1997; sold to Helm Financial, 26 March 1997; rebuilt to SD40M-3 by Boise Locomotive Co., Boise, Idaho, completed as Helm Leasing (HLCX) 6524 on 5 November 1997.

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Nice collection of former DRGW SD45s...here's one of my own:
HLCX 6522 ex-DRGW 5334 being used on the Central Oregon and Pacific. This shot was taken 6/15/2002 at Weed, CA.

More shots of this unit here:
http://www.shastarails.com/includes/ImageViewer.asp?PhotoID=2370&Title=HLCX%206522

-Ryan Wilkerson
http://www.shastarails.com

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When you state that a SD45 was rebuilt as a SD40-2, does that mean only an internal rebuilding, with a different prime mover and a rebuilt electrical system?

Ryan, thanks for adding another ex-D&RGW pic, hopefully others will add more if they have them.

BlackWidow Wrote:
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> When you state that a SD45 was rebuilt as a
> SD40-2, does that mean only an internal
> rebuilding, with a different prime mover and a
> rebuilt electrical system?

That I can't answer, I do not know enough about what they do during the rebuilding to change it from a SD45 to an SD40-2 or SD40-3. Maybe someone else can answer that technical question.

PZ

wow, a great DRGW SD45 photo series, even in the afterlife!

The units that were rebuilt and renumbered as UP 4700's...can anybody tell me where these went to? These were short-term leasers to serve until the delivery of the SD70M's, and are not to be confused with the 300 plus "SD40M-2's" rebuilt by MK at Boise for the SP, which are now either patched or have been rebuilt and repainted at Jenks in the 2700-series...these engines will be around for quite some time.

Now...to answer the question about turning an SD45 into an SD40-2. Years ago, they would actually replace the V-20 with a new V-16. However, MK patented a process, and the SP SD40M-2's (at least those derived from SD45 carbodies, some were SD40's) whereby a huge laser cutting machine was utilized to literally cut off the 4 cylinders on one end (whether the forward end or the rear I'm not certain, but I think it's the forward end, because there seems to be a lot of empty space about where the governor, layshaft, and starter are located on the SD40M-2's), and a cap applied to the end of the block. That is, the V-20 block is literally chopped down into a V-16. The only thing then needed is insertion of a new crankshaft, a V-16 specific crankshaft.

Naturally, this cut-down process is much cheaper than putting in a whole new block. A much more effective use of resources. And, judging by how well the SP, now UP SD40M-2's have held up, the cut-down V-20 has proven as reliable as an original V-16...these units have held up very well on the UP in hard service, and received a high-quality rebuild, complete with total rewiring and updating with Dash Two electricals.

KCS has some SD40-2's that are in SD45 carbodies that used the same "cut-down" process (their SD45T-3's still have V-20's, however, strangely enough). Of course, now the trend is to go the "Dash Three" route, which updates the engine even further (micoprocessors, like on an SD60 or SD70, with the same little computer display on the back wall).

Cool info. I had no idea the DRGW SD45s were still around, and possibly rolling by my house.

Can anyone do a trace of the UP and leaser units? Where are they this morning?

BTW, the Boise Locomotive web site used to have photos of them cutting out the 4 center cylinders of a 20-cylinder prime mover, then welding the two haves back together to convert it to a 16 cylinder. Quite the interesting process. Can't find it right now, though.

Ted in Provo

To answer Reds's question on the 4700's: they were (are) leased to UP again after lease expired. I don't have my roster book handy, but they are in the 2800's. BTW, M-K rebuilt ONLY 133 SD40M-2's for SP not 300.

Peter Arnold