Description
Railroad Short Name: ATSF, SF
Built: 1965-71; some still in service as of early 2011. Several preserved and operating museum units.
Primary assignment: Road freight service.
By 1964, six-axle diesels were rapidly evolving from low speed luggers to fast freight engines. EMD continuously updated its Special Duty (SD) series with new models, and celebrated New Years Day 1966 by unveiling six locos powered by variations of its new 645 prime mover. At the top was the SD45, with an enormous 20-cylinder prime mover cranking out 3600 horsepower. Timing couldn’t have been better as American railroads experienced a surge in traffic and were ready to modernize their fleets. The SD45 proved popular for all types of assignments, and 1,260 were built through late 1971, when it was replaced by the SD45-2. Retirements began in earnest in the 1980s, but many were rebuilt and eventually sold to regional railroads. As of 2011, a few are still in use, and several are preserved in museums.
- SoundTraxx(R) Tsunami(R) Sound & DCC Full-function decoder with all control, sound and lighting effects.
- LED Constant & Directional Headlights
- RP-25 Metal Wheels
- Proto MAX(TM) Metal Knuckle Couplers
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