Model Railroading > SP SD45x

Many years ago, I and John Proffitt kit bashed two models of the SP version of a SD45x. I did the blue & white 9505 and John did red & gray 9501. Back then, there were very few parts, had to make our own snow plows. Our research told us the SP version was build by EMD on their FP45 and AMTRAK  EMD (?) frames, 72 feet long, extra 8 inches or so in the nose and a longer fuel tank. This info, for one, came from the editor of Extra 2200 South. His name escapes me now. I have seen a number of models made that list it as 70 feet, built on the Dash Two Tunnel Motor frame. Anyone know for sure, 100%, that it is actually 70 feet not 72 feet?
PM



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/26/16 08:27 by HardYellow.

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Interesting unit. Looking at the image included, the text mentions a length of 70'-8". Not sure if that's the dimension you were looking for or not.

Mike

Posted from Android

> Our research told us the SP
> version was build by EMD on their FP45 and AMTRAK
>  EMD (?) frames, 72 feet long, extra 8 inches or
> so in the nose and a longer fuel tank. This info,
> for one, came from the editor of Extra 2200 South.


Don Dover.  Mostly very accurate information.  But not error free.  70'-8" is correct for the SD45x.

Major amount of work for the times. RMC always had nuggets of prototype kit-bashes that were fascinating but usually out of my reach. Interesting to hear what happened to all these efforts, we have many modelers on TO these days that were 'touched' by these published projects.

TCnR Wrote:

> Interesting to hear what happened to all these
> efforts, we have many modelers on TO these days
> that were 'touched' by these published projects.

In 1978 I went to work for the Southern Pacific as a fireman. After that, no time for modeling and lost interest. Although, as many of you know, John Proffitt has always maintained a high level of the hobby. 

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Beautiful work, back when modeling was modeling.

nwsd45 Wrote:
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> Interesting unit. Looking at the image included,
> the text mentions a length of 70'-8". Not sure if
> that's the dimension you were looking for or not.
>
> Mike
>
> Posted from Android

The RMC people came up with the 70'8"  not I.

Great model , I remember this article when published. It inspired me to built a model .

Someone bet me to it, 'when modelling was modelling', and not buggering about with chips, 21 pin sockets and speakers!! Chris uk.

Agreed!

- Jeff Carlson

BNModeler Wrote:
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> Beautiful work, back when modeling was modeling.

I have an EMD engineering drawing that has the actual frame length (not just over pulling faces) but don't have it handy at the moment, and I've forgotten the figure.  Liz Allen has the same information; maybe she'll post here.

Her SD45X from a few years ago:
http://www.pbase.com/tracktime/sd45x_elizabeth_allen&page=all

Mark

Wow Paul,

Thanks for the trip down memory lane – though it pains me a bit to admit I remember the original article.  Articles like this were always in inspiration, and I know that I kit-bashed at least one version of 9505 in blue and white back in the day.  If my memory is correct, at least one used some parts from the Athearn SD40-2 so that I could have the correct hood width. 

As Mark mentioned, I also have some EMD drawings.  They’re more equipment drawings than accurate erection drawings.  I’m away all this week for work, and also don’t have access to them right now.  But that won’t stop me from doing a little speculation.  There is every reason to suspect that the SD45X and subsequent SD45T-2 were built on the same frame.  The extra length was needed to accommodate the 4,400 gallon fuel tank and the brackets to support the traction motors.  Since we have no way to get actual measurements, we have to rely on photos, and the 45X and 45T-2 certainly appear the same.  I’m not convinced the short hood is longer than the 81 inches standard at that time, though I will confess I used a 88-in short hood on my latest model.

Elizabeth
 

There you are, Liz.  Well, we're in luck - I just remembered that even though my print is temporarilly in storage, I have a scan in my computer.

The RMC drawing dimensions are correct, as far as they go.  Over the coupler pulling faces is 70'-8", but the actual frame length, over the outsides of the pilot end sheets (Where the cut lever, plow, etc. attach) is 66'-6" (The pulling faces are 2'-1" from the end sheets.).  The RMC drawing dimension of 45'-5" between truck centers is correct, but something to note here for the purest:  This dimension is between the bolster center bearings (where the trucks pivot) which shouldn't be confused with the centerlines of the middle axles.  The centerlines of these axles are each inboard of the bolster center bearings by 1 1/4".  So, if you want to locate truck centers by center axle to center axle, that would be 45'-2 1/2".

As far as I know, there is still one SP SD45X frame in existance (And that's about all there is) at the AAR's Transportation Technology Center in Pueblo, Colorado.  It was the basis for building their Track Loading Vehicle.  See photos here numbered "55", "56", and "57".  It appears to even retain the original plow (or identical) on what was the rear end:

http://www.drgw.net/trips/report.php?tr=TTCI.3

Mark

Im thinking now, it's 70'8", maybe striker to striker 72 feet.  When Proffitt and I built our models, there were no Athearn SD40-T2's on the market then. We went with an Athearn FP45 frame and cut about two feet out of the fuel tank, then put the frame back together. Once Athearn introduced the T-2's I had thought about putting my 45X on a new frame, never did though. Speaking of kit-bashing back in the day, John Proffitt was a real pioneer at these. He even made a SD39 number SP 5313 as I remember, also a West Colton Hump set SD-38 and slug.  Now that I'm retired from the railroad, I play classical guitar in a local fine dining restaurant, try to keep an old Austin Haley Bugeye Sprite running and not leaking oil, and maintain a 2000 sq. ft home and yard. No time for modeling. BTW Liz, your job on the 45x is beyound words, hands down, the best modeling I've ever seen. As John Proffitt said about it ..."To the point of being ART!" BTW, John painted my blue and white model. Just about 40 years late getting credit.
PM



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/27/16 19:08 by HardYellow.

40 years later, with dust. Actually, I think the Sprite is closer to 1/48th. scale.
PM



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/28/16 14:02 by HardYellow.

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Back when we made these kit-bash models, the only commercial snow plows were really thick metal castings. John Proffitt and I made this gig and template. The gig was to hold the plates (?) that attach the plow to the locomotive body, while gluing the two plow blades.  We cut each side of the plow with thin plastic styrene modeling plastic, using the brass template. We would then put them, the blades,  in the oven at about 140 degrees Fahrenheit wrapped about a piece of wood dowel to get the proper couture. This is the only modeling gig I have kept over the years. Naturally, it took a couple of efforts to get a good plow. The photo was a reject. So, as someone stated, this was back when modeling was modeling.
PM



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/06/17 14:33 by HardYellow.

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nwsd45 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Interesting unit. Looking at the image included,
> the text mentions a length of 70'-8". Not sure if
> that's the dimension you were looking for or not.
>
> Mike
>
> Posted from Android

You guys are correct! It's 70'8". John Proffitt and his wife just spent a few days here. We kicked around the 72 feet. 72 feet is sticking in my head because, the frame from the FP45 was 72'. As mentioned, we cut 2 feet out of the fuel take.

I remember now, where I came up with the 72 feet length. Back in the early 1970's , Athearn had not come out with the SP Tunnel Motors (70 feet). It was eather take a SD-45 frame and make it longer (add to fuel tank) or take a FP-45 frame (72 feet) and remove 2 feet from the fuel tank. John Proffitt and I opted to go the FP-45 route. John made 9501 in standard SP paint. I knew there was a 72 foot figure somewhere in the mix.