Broadway Limited HO Scale EMD SD45

EMD SD45: A Powerhouse of the 1960s

The EMD SD45 is a six-axle diesel-electric locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division (EMD) between December 1965 and December 1971. A total of 1,260 units were produced during this period.

Railroads and Service

The SD45 was operated by several major American railroads, including the Burlington Northern, Southern Pacific, Santa Fe, Pennsylvania Railroad, Great Northern Railway, Union Pacific, Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad, and Northern Pacific Railway. These locomotives were primarily used for freight service, although some also saw passenger service duties.

Passenger Service

The Erie Lackawanna Railroad operated the SD45 in passenger service. These locomotives were equipped with steam generators for heating passenger cars. After Erie Lackawanna merged into Conrail, the SD45s continued to serve in passenger service under the new railroad.

Performance and Issues

The SD45 was equipped with an EMD 645E3 twenty-cylinder engine, generating 3,600 horsepower. Despite its impressive power, the SD45 faced reliability issues, particularly with crankshaft failures due to engine block flex. This led some railroads to prefer the less powerful but more reliable SD40.

Service Duration and Survivors

Most SD45s were retired by the early 1980s, with many being scrapped or rebuilt to SD40-2 standards. However, a few units have survived and are preserved in museums or operated by heritage railways. Notably, the Great Northern 400, nicknamed "Hustle Muscle," is preserved and operational at the Minnesota Transportation Museum.

Several other preserved EMD SD45 locomotives include:

• Southern Pacific Railroad #7551: Preserved at the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento, California.

• Union Pacific Railroad #3617: Part of the Illinois Railway Museum's collection in Union, Illinois.

• Santa Fe Railroad #500: On display at the Museum of the American Railroad in Frisco, Texas.