G’day mates…
…I found this picture on railpicture.net and I would like to have more information about this engine.
page: http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=120223
picture only: http://64.246.11.82/images/t/T20050925C001U.jpg.32666.jpg
I am looking for overal length, more pictures, is it a SDL50 or a SD50S ?
thank you all for your help…
steve w.
Since these are brand new units,they are not SD 50s.The SD 50 was the last model to use the 645 engine.These are either SD 60s or most likely,SD70s.
Extra 2200 South calls these SDL50s. But, like Espeefoamer, I’m awaiting an explanation of how some 645 engines got into such recent production.
Since they already opperate SDL50’s it would make sense to buy more. And sense the Saudi’s have money, they can special order what they want. I would surmise.
According to EMD, the units are SDL50’s and have 645’s inside. They were built in London, finished at VMV in Paducah, and are part of the 4th order of such units from the Saudis, the first back in the 1980’s. L stands for lightweight. The blue box on the roof just behind the cab is part of a special air filtration system so they function in the desert.
Railroad65 is right. You can special order anything. I presume EMD built these 645’s themselves, but you can buy a new aftermarket 645 from General Electric if you want. GE’s product comes from Poland.
645’s are still in production . www.gmemd.com is the EMD Homepage…and the 645 is listed in the section for stationary power plants, marine, industrial, etc…I don’t know if the locomotive emission rules apply to these applications in the US…At any rate, they are still being installed in export locomotives, and I would imagine, older US Locomotives undergoing rebuild, etc. As far as the SD50S classification, that model designation was applied to a handful of EMD SD50 prototypes, built in 1980 to test the SD50 concept…these units were built on an SD40-2 frame…Production SD50’s were built on a longer frame than the SD50S units.
