Burlington Northern

After the formation of the Spokane, Portland and Seattle, many locomotives were repainted into the then-new corporate colors of Cascade Green and Black. Originally purchased in 1967 for passenger service, GN’s 8 “Big Sky Blue” EMD SDP45s found their way into the general freight pool after Amtrak was formed in 1971. Receiving their final BN numbers in 1974, the SDP45s were eventually retired in the mid 1980’s and sold off for scrap.

 

BN FEATURES:

• Ex-GN

• Stratolite beacon (Effect in DCC)

• Steam Generator details

• Medium front plow

• Road number specific details

 

ROAD NUMBER SPECIFIC FEATURES:

• #6592 Ex-GN #326, hi brake cylinders, cab mounted MILW style electronic bell

• #6593 Ex-GN #327, hi brake cylinders, cab mounted MILW style electronic bell

• #6597 Ex-GN #331, hi-low brake cylinders, rear end numbers

 

 

Great Northern

Great Northern purchased 8 SDP45’s from EMD in 1967 to help replace their tired F units. Delivered in their “Big Sky Blue” scheme, they were used in passenger service on trains such as the Empire Builder until the formation of Amtrak in 1971. They would eventually be repainted into BN colors after the merger of 1970 and used in the general freight pool until retirement in the mid 1980’s.

 

GN FEATURES:

• Flashing beacon (Effect in DCC)

• Steam Generator details

• Medium front plow

 

 

Union Pacific

Union Pacific was well-known for its famous passenger trains, with such names as the Portland Rose, Overland Limited, and City of Los Angeles. UP was maintaining passenger service, and buying new passenger power, much later than most other roads. As the railroad consolidated its trains to save on operating costs, consist sizes swelled, often requiring 4-or-5-unit lashups of E-units to pull them. It’s conceivable that the Union Pacific could have ordered SDP45 locomotives to reduce the units needed to pull a train, vs. the E-units. Such units could have easily been adapted for freight service as the need arose. The road was already familiar with the EMD SD45, having ordered 50 units in 1968. These SDP45s, decked out with their “Dependable Transportation” slogans, would look great pulling the “City of Everywhere” or a hotshot intermodal train.

 

UP FEATURES:

• Icicle breakers

• Small EMD style snowplow

• High brake cylinders

• UP-style Leslie RS3L horn between radiator fans

• Western-Cullen Beacon (flash effect on DCC +sound version)

• Winterization hatch

• Steam Generator

 

 

Southern Pacific

SP bought 10 SDP45’s in 1967 to replace aging PA and E units on their long distance passenger trains. On the demise of SP’s long distance pass. trains, the SDP45’s went into the Peninsular Commute Pool, replacing the venerable FM Train Masters. The SDP45’s also worked freight service on weekends as was normal for most Commute locos.

When Caltran took over the Commute service, the SDP45’s went into the freight pool. Two units 3201 and 3207 kept their steam generators active for business car specials, the others had theirs deactivated, more or less creating two classes; freight and passenger SDP45’s.

As they never had the dual fuel/water tanks modified, they would have had short legs... Their last years were working local haulers around the LA basin.

Credit: Richard A. Percy, Source: http://espee.railfan.net/spsdp45.html

 

SP FEATURES:

• Forward Gyralights (Effect in DCC)

• Forward Emergency Light (Effect in DCC)

• Modified L window cab

• Nathan P3 Horn

• Roof mounted icicle breakers

 

ROAD NUMBER SPECIFIC FEATURES:

• #3201 Fresh red/grey repaint, hi-low brake cylinders, reserved for business train service / special company events

• #3203 Faded colors, hi brake cylinders, removed cab icicle breakers, painted over class lights

• #3207 Fresh red/grey repaint, hi-low brake cylinders, reserved for business train service / special company events

 

 

PROTOTYPE SPECIFIC INFORMATION

In the 1960s, railroads were looking to replace aging EMD E-units and Alco PAs for passenger service. EMD responded by adding a steam generator compartment to the long hood end of their SD45. This required a longer frame and resulted in the creation of the SDP45. Three railroads originally purchased SDP45s: Southern Pacific, Great Northern, and Erie Lackawanna. Over the decades, the SDP45s were then acquired by other railroads through mergers, leasing companies, and rebuild programs.

 

SDP45 SERIES LOCOMOTIVE FEATURES:

• Flexible rubber trainline hose

• Lift rings

• Sander lines

• Full cab interior

• Flexible rubber MU hoses

• Wire grab irons

• Coupler cut levers

• Walkway tread

• Windshield wipers

• Lit Number Boards & Class lights (if applicable)

• DCC-ready features Quick Plug plug-and-play technology with 21-pin NEM connector

• Fine-scale Celcon handrails for scale appearance

• Detailed fuel tank with fuel fillers, fuel gauges, and breather pipes

• Body-mounted McHenry operating scale knuckle couplers

• Genesis driveline with 5-pole skew wound motor, precision machined flywheels, and multi-link drivetrain for trouble free operation

• All-wheel drive with precision gears for smooth and quiet operation

• All-wheel electrical pickup provides reliable current flow

• Wheels with RP25 contours operate on all popular brands of track

• LED Lighting for realistic appearance

• Heavy die-cast frame for greater traction and more pulling power

• Scaled from prototype resources including drawings, field measurements, photographs, and more

• Accurately-painted and –printed paint schemes

• Fully-assembled and ready-to-run

• Packaging securely holds the model for safe storage

• Minimum radius: 18” — Recommended radius: 22”

 

SOUND-EQUIPPED MODELS ALSO FEATURE

• Onboard DCC decoder with SoundTraxx Tsunami2 sound

• Dual cube speakers for optimal sound quality

• Sound units operate in both DC and DCC

• Full DCC functions available when operated in DCC mode

• Engine, horn, and bell sounds work in DC

• All functions NMRA compatible in DCC mode

• Precision slow speed control

• Program a multiple unit (MU) lashup with lead unit only horn, bell, and lights

• Many functions can be altered via Configuration Value (CV) changes

• CV chart included in the box

 

PRIMED FOR GRIME MODELS FEATURE

• Duplicated look and feel of “In Service” equipment

• Faded base colors matched to the prototype

• Perfect starting point for adding grime and rust

 

LEGENDARY LIVERIES

What are Legendary Liveries? An Athearn exclusive, they are the ultimate answer to “What if?” Featuring some of the most popular railroad paint schemes of all time, these models are perfect for collecting, protofreelancing, or just plain fun! Whether company proposed paint schemes, canceled locomotive orders, or alternate takes on history, Legendary Liveries are fun and unique additions to any roster. Enjoy these items, and answer the ultimate railroad question of: “What if?”

 

Southern Pacific – Daylight

In November of 1981, Southern Pacific released a one-of-a-kind rebuilt SD45, number 7399. This “SD44R” was fitted with a 16-cylinder prime mover and was painted in an attractive adaptation of the road’s famous “Daylight” scheme. While no other SD44Rs were completed, the unit lasted several years with its special paint. We think that the two SDP45s which kept their steam generators into the 1980s would look great in this scheme as well, heading up an OCS or shipper’s special!

 

SP FEATURES:

• Large Snowplow

• Cab with modified L-window

• Steam Generator

• Bell mounted on cab roof

• Multiple cab vents

• Icicle Breakers

• SP light package at front

 

Order Due Date: September 27, 2024

Anticipated Delivery Date: February 2026

 

Looking for more Athearn EMD SD-40 Diesel Locomotives? Click here!

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