The SD45T-2 is a model of

diesel-electric locomotive A diesel locomotive is a type of railway locomotive in which the power source is a diesel engine. Several types of diesel locomotives have been developed, differing mainly in the means by which mechanical power is conveyed to the driving whee ...

built by EMD for the

Southern Pacific Railroad The Southern Pacific (or Espee from the railroad initials) was an American Railroad classes#Class I, Class I Rail transport, railroad network that existed from 1865 to 1996 and operated largely in the Western United States. The system was oper ...

. Like the later SD40T-2 it is colloquially nicknamed a tunnel motor. 247 total units (including the original EMD/SP joint-venture prototype) were produced from February 1972 to June 1975, including 84 for SP's subsidiary

Cotton Belt The Cotton Belt is a region of the Southern United States where cotton was the predominant cash crop from the late 19th century into the 20th century.

. From April 1986 to December 1989, 126 were rebuilt and re-designated as ''SD45T-2R'', including 24 for Cotton Belt. The SD45T-2 is a variant of the venerable SD45 that featured the "Dash 2" upgrade components such as improved electronics and high traction trucks, with the "T" denoting its cooling system modifications. The intake for radiator cooling air was moved to the walkway level and the cooling fans themselves were under the radiator cores, instead of above. Tunnel motors were built for mountainous areas in the

western United States The Western United States (also called the American West, the Western States, the Far West, the Western territories, and the West) is List of regions of the United States, census regions United States Census Bureau. As American settlement i ...

, where SP had previously encountered repeated overheating issues on their SD45s. The later SD40T-2 looks similar to the SD45T-2. One spotting difference is the longer hood on the SD45T-2 to accommodate the V20 prime mover vs. the V16 used on the SD40T-2. The SD45T-2's cab is further forward on the frame, so there is less "front porch". This mimics the differences between the SD45-2 and the

SD40-2 The EMD SD40-2 is a C-C diesel–electric locomotive built by EMD from 1972 to 1989. The SD40-2 was introduced in January 1972 as part of EMD's '' Dash 2'' series, competing against the GE U30C. Although higher-horsepower locomotives were av ...

. Another spotting difference is the SD45T-2's three fan access doors on each side above the cooling air intake, while the SD40T-2 has two. EMD SD45T-2 vs SD40T-2 radiator fan motor access doors

EMD SD45T-2 vs SD40T-2 radiator fan motor access doors

Like their SD40T-2, some of SP's SD45T-2 tunnel motors were obtained by

Kansas City Southern Railway The Kansas City Southern Railway Company is an American Class I railroad. Founded in 1887, it operated in 10 Midwestern United States, Midwestern and Southeastern United States, Southeastern U.S. states: Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Ark ...

Bessemer and Lake Erie Railroad The Bessemer and Lake Erie Railroad was a class II railroad that operated in northwestern Pennsylvania and northeastern Ohio. The railroad's main route runs from the Lake Erie port of Conneaut, Ohio, to the Pittsburgh suburb of Penn Hills, Penn ...

, Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range Railway, and by the

Union Pacific Railroad The Union Pacific Railroad is a Railroad classes, Class I freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Pacific is the second largest railroad in the United Stat ...

when it merged the SP in 1996. Some SD45T-2s were rebuilt and designated to ''SD45T-3'', ''SD40T-3'' and ''SD40-2T''. In addition, some locomotive leasing companies own the SD45 tunnel motor locomotives. They are scattered all over the United States and are an increasingly rare sight.

Rebuilds

SD45T-2R

Starting in the 1986, the

Southern Pacific Transportation Company The Southern Pacific (or Espee from the railroad initials) was an American Class I railroad network that existed from 1865 to 1996 and operated largely in the Western United States. The system was operated by various companies under the names ...

and the

St. Louis Southwestern Railway The St. Louis Southwestern Railway Company , known by its nickname of "The Cotton Belt Route" or simply "Cotton Belt", was a Class I railroad that operated between St. Louis, Missouri, and various points in the U.S. states of Arkansas, Tennessee ...

(also known as the "Cotton Belt Route") had begun rebuilding the majority of their EMD SD45T-2 locomotives into what had become the EMD SD45T-2R. Both railroads had rebuilt a total of 126 of their EMD SD45T-2 locomotives into EMD SD45T-2R locomotives, which left a total of 121 EMD SD45T-2 un-rebuilt and they were all renumbered as 6793-6832, 6834-6868 and 6869-6892.

Original owners

Preservation

Southern Pacific 6819 (originally 9193) (currently an SD45T-2R) was donated by SP successor

to the

California State Railroad Museum The California State Railroad Museum is a museum in the California State Parks system that interprets the role of railroads in the Western U.S. It is located in Old Sacramento State Historic Park at 111 I Street, Sacramento, California. Featu ...

in December 2001.

References

* * *

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Emd Sd45t-2 C-C locomotives

SD45T-2 The SD45T-2 is a model of diesel-electric locomotive built by Electro-Motive Diesel, EMD for the Southern Pacific Railroad. Like the later EMD SD40T-2, SD40T-2 it is colloquially nicknamed a tunnel motor. 247 total units (including the original E ...

Diesel–electric locomotives of the United States Railway locomotives introduced in 1972 Freight locomotives Standard-gauge locomotives of the United States Southern Pacific Railroad locomotives