Railroaders' Nostalgia > SD45

Was the SD45 that good or did its fuel consumption negate its ability?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/28/25 14:25 by a737flyer.

I grew up and ran countless 45$ in my career from the first generation to the T-2$. These were great units for the time.
Believe the fuel consumption was around 150 gallons a hour in run 8. They were also plagued with crankshaft issues because of the length and supporting 20 cylinders. I personally never heard or saw a unit in the shop for this issue.
The only downfall was the early units were not equipped with air conditioning and were extremely hot and uncomfortable in the summer months.
The early SP units were pure power. These units would generate 900 amps up to 35 mph when transition happened.

Posted from Android



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/26/25 14:37 by SanJoaquinEngr.

They were that good, but you had to have a full unmixed set of them to truly see their performance. You had to work for a railroad that would maintain them, stick with them and cure their ills; rather than just derate them. The original SD45 was from a time of near unbridled power, low on protections and restrictions. That made a difference. They were an engineer's locomotive. To better rate or appreciate them, you needed running experience with the power that came before them and came after them. I started with sets of GP7's and ended with sets of AC44M's. You needed to have the chance to see what a set of 45's could really do. On the SOU it was called "throwing it away" and on the SAL it was called "running the hound dog sh** out of it". You learned respect for their power and the quickness of the dynamic to power transfer.

As for fuel, they had big fuel tanks, and they came in an era where there were more mainline fuel racks. Factor in your quicker running times, especially in cresting hills. About every locomotive gets bested by another model. I've seen Baldwin RS-12's out pull/push SD45 's at low speed and saw FP7's run intermodal faster. The SD45 will always always have a special claim for being mighty. My mighty SD45 moments will always be on the hottest freight on the SOU - First 153 - the Southern Flash with four 45's in SOU Locotrol 103 3x1 mode. With the lead 45 running long hood forward - flared radiators and angled flags flapping leading the way, you felt invincible and you knew you had the railroad.

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As an SP Engineer they were that good. The crank issue with the 20 cylinder block if I remember correctly was finally sorted out. The SP9315 was the first SD45T2 to have an A/C unit when delivered from GM. It really didn't matter though as the SP did not recognize that occasionally you would have to recharge the AC system with freon. I remember the system would be just blowing warm air. On a grade with 4 or 5 SD45's on the point they would definitely make a rumbling sound where on the same grade and train with 4 or 5 SD40's it seemed to make a little more of a screaming sound.  That is my experience with the window open sitting in the right hand seat.

As SP's Biaigini once said. " the SD45 was not a very good locomotive" Really?? Is that why you approved the purchase of what? Over 600 of them?

a737flyer Wrote:
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> Was the SD-45 that good or did its fuel
> consumption negate its ability?

Please remember that the correct model name is SD45. There were no dashes between the model  and the series number for EMD locomotives.

My experience with them was that they fundamentally were a heck of a lot better than their GE counterparts in surviving what SP rather ironically called "maintenance".

EO

The SD 40's and SD 45s held up much better than the GE's of that time with less maintaince. The SCL was not know for locomotive maintaince and they ran and pulled very well.

Sam

Trainhand Wrote:
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> The SD 40's and SD 45s held up much better than
> the GE's of that time with less maintaince. The
> SCL was not know for locomotive maintaince and
> they ran and pulled very well.
>
> Sam


On the SP we called GEs the 5 year locomotive. After 5 years of service they would fall apart mechanically.

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Yes, they were that good. But to use them as Notch7 said above.

The block issue being corrected then corrected the crankshaft issue for the most part. EMD put out a heavier block but I can't remember what block s/n that started with.

A few years back I had the opportunity to do fuel burn tests on SD45's, SD60's , SD40-2's and SD33ECO's (12 cyl.-710's, 3000 hp, Tier 3). As to fuel, they were about on par with the SD60's, a little more than the SD40-2's, but very little and the 33ECO's were 25% - 30% better over everything. I would not rate them in my limited analysis as fuel hogs unless you were not operting them for what they were made to do (again, read what Notch7 wrote).

I've had overall about  34 years experience (mostly mechanical) with SD45's and I like them very much. Good runners, good pullers, easy to maintain and I could not find much difference in fuel if you used them as 3600 hp units instead of trying to make them comparable to 3000 hp units. My comparison was to be clear, with units rated at full HP, not derated as many roads seemed to have liked to do for a while. Seems that there was a Woodward .92 governor that detrated them to 3300HP. I've got opinions about that, but won't go into that right now. In fact the SD45 in the tests was load boxing at just under 3700 HP.

One thing, and maybe I have misunderstood it, but SP had the rebuild program (GRIP?) and did a pretty thorough rebuild of SD45's, but as I recall never did the Dash 2 upgrade. True? If so reasons why?

I just want to say "Thank you." Notch 7, this is such a goshdarn cool post; from the heart and spoken from a person who has actual seat time. Just the right mixture of emotion and technical wisdom. I love it.

I don't know you, but I hope I am fortunate enough to meet you some day, perhaps over a nice cold Shirley Temple.

Royal

Notch7 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> They were that good, but you had to have a full
> unmixed set of them to truly see their
> performance. You had to work for a railroad that
> would maintain them, stick with them and cure
> their ills; rather than just derate them. The
> original SD45 was from a time of near unbridled
> power, low on protections and restrictions. That
> made a difference. They were an engineer's
> locomotive. To better rate or appreciate them, you
> needed running experience with the power that came
> before them and came after them. I started with
> sets of GP7's and ended with sets of AC44M's. You
> needed to have the chance to see what a set of
> 45's could really do. On the SOU it was called
> "throwing it away" and on the SAL it was called
> "running the hound dog sh** out of it". You
> learned respect for their power and the quickness
> of the dynamic to power transfer.
>
> As for fuel, they had big fuel tanks, and they
> came in an era where there were more mainline fuel
> racks. Factor in your quicker running times,
> especially in cresting hills. About every
> locomotive gets bested by another model. I've
> seen Baldwin RS-12's out pull/push SD45 's at low
> speed and saw FP7's run intermodal faster. The
> SD45 will always always have a special claim for
> being mighty. My mighty SD45 moments will always
> be on the hottest freight on the SOU - First 153 -
> the Southern Flash with four 45's in SOU Locotrol
> 103 3x1 mode. With the lead 45 running long hood
> forward - flared radiators and angled flags
> flapping leading the way, you felt invincible and
> you knew you had the railroad.
>
> Posted from Android

Clickhappy Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I just want to say "Thank you." Notch 7, this is
> such a goshdarn cool post; from the heart and
> spoken from a person who has actual seat time.
> Just the right mixture of emotion and technical
> wisdom. I love it.
>
> I don't know you, but I hope I am fortunate enough
> to meet you some day, perhaps over a nice cold
> Shirley Temple.

Clickhappy, thank you for your kind comment. In my nearly 51 years as a fireman/engineer, I sat in a lot of engine seats and ran many models of engines. Being a lifelong railfan, I remember.

I never had a Shirley Temple - not sure what one is. I'm a PBR/Canadian Mist kind of Last Call Railroader.

Pictured are a couple of the more memoracle seats:  First is the seat on RF&P E8 #1012.  From the engineer seat on a memorable night I coaxed 102 out of the 1012 through a little NC town called Bonsal.  Second is the "Last Seat Pic" taken  as I sttepped down forever , having aged out and had to retire.  If a SOU SD45 had lasted as a rebuild , it would have had a big reclining Admiral Cab seat like his.
 



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 12/29/25 17:58 by Notch7.

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That last seat looks confortable. This summer I was at the UP museum in Cheyenne, and they had a little round toadstool seat. The docent said that was the most unergonomic seat he'd ever sat on.


Sam

Nice pics Notch7 !

A few taken during my career with SD45's

1. On the NYS&W 3626 (ex BN 6514 - I think) at Rome Locomotive Works in Rome, NY on August 10, 1989.

2. & 3. The ex BN 6500, before and after at Rome Locomtive, emerging as the NYSW 3618 looking like new on October 27, 1989. I think that is TO member locoinsp at the throttle.

 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/30/25 06:06 by train1275.

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4. First SD45 encounter, checking out the 3612 (ex BN 6480) in December 1987 at BH Shop in Binghamton, NY after release from Rome Locomotive Works. On this date I was a mechanical laborer, the botom of the bottom.

5. Retirement Day, August 2, 2021 and posing on one of my favorites, SD45 #3634, ex BN 6542 - 34 years later at the same facility, now as VP-Mechanical, after railroad booming all over the country in between times. 

Yes, they were that good !

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Thanks for the pictures! I do love a cold beer. So, a cold beer it is.

A Shirley Temple is 7-up and Grenadine, with a maraschino cherry on top. Quite tasty and refreshing. I still enjoy them with both my daughters, now grown up adults.

Excellent discussion information on my favorite 
locomotive.  While we're singing the SD45's praises,
can anyone give a detailed account of what railroads 
the SD45 demo units visited and for how long. Was there a
planned "tour" whereby they were on RR "A" for so long
and then on to RR "B" and so on?

Thanks,

SkokieSwift
 

SD45 Demonstrators 4352, 4353, and 4354 tested on the Western Pacific in February of 67. As for fuel usage, 3 SD45 were tested against 6 F7s on the High Line and the Fs burnt 2.58 gallons per million gross ton miles and the SD45s 2.46 gallons.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/30/25 20:24 by TomG.

WP almost brought SD45's for use on the high line. But the fact that they could get four U30B's for the cost of three SD45's killed that deal.
They probably regretted that decision within five years when the U Boats started showing their true colors.

The WP was doing pretty bad in the late 60's, it's understandable why they went with that questionable deal. No matter what they would've been parked once UP tookover, like the U30Bs were.