Has anyone seen a SD45T-2 on a railroad other than UP. I know the SD40T-2s made it into outside lease service, but I haven’t seen anything on SD45T-2s.
I believe the scrapping of some of this better older power will slow down, because low horsepower brand new locomotives are not cheap. Sure it would be worth buying Green Goat new switchers, but a lot of older locomotives can be derated and see used as peddler and branch line and MOW power for years of service, especially if given decent maintenance. Particularly four axle power.
Incidentally, one reason we see more old GM power operating than GE is simply that GM got into the business lots earlier. The FT locomotive that sparked the revolution to freight diesels did not just arrive on the scene with prior experience. GM had railcar, switcher, and streamliner diesels long before . But except for railcars and very light industrial diesels. GE arrived on the scene with U-boats and aimed for performance first with some sacrifice of reliablitity. But I think today’s GE’s, particulalry the AC versions, will be good longevity matches for comparible GM power.
You want to run one of those overweight SD45T-2’s on a 75# branchline???[(-D][(-D][(-D]
Occasionally I will see a UP one reengined to a SD40T-2. I have also seen leased SD45T-2s before.
So even though its in its life-cycle, would a SD50 be more desireable than a SD40-2, or a GP50 over a GP-38, for branchlines/less than class I. Are there any trends currently?
Some tunnel motors have been rebuilt and have turned up on DM&IR and B&LE. The carbodies show no signs of alteration but I’m pretty sure that they all have V-16’s inside.
Railfan and Railroad has an article about tunnel motors in the September 2004 issue.
The TP&W has four of them on lease and I HAVE seen these beasts on some of there 80# rail, Randy!!! Not a pretty sight but interesting to say the least. They used them on the old BNSF intermodals from Galesburg to East Peoria and theres alot of light rail in that yard of theres. Plus on the east end theres several grain spurs that i have seen them switching out cars on and bending rail like it was cool. They were true SD45T-2 with the V20’s in them, SP lettering and all, no UP patch. Long live the rock!!!
Today I saw UP 2846. It is a SD45T-2 that is now classified as a SD40T-2, presumably it has a 16 cylinder engine in it. By the way, I did not notice any external changes to it.
What is the Differences between the SD40 and the SD45? I dont think i have ever seen an SD45.
To the railroad, it is 600 HP. To the railfan, it is that and flared radiators, like some of the SD70Ms have. If you have seen a significant number of SP SD40M-2s (SP 8574-8706), chances are you have seen an SD45 that has been rebuilted to SD40-2 or SD40-3 standards.
Yeah, the CN ( former DMIR) got about 4-6 SD40T-2’s from the UP and operates them on heavy ore trains. I also believe a couple were sent to Larry’s Truck and Electric.[:D]
Bessemer and Lake Erie bought some ex SP tunnel motors. KCS also got some.
i have seen some here in florida . on the CSX. in miami Hialeah FL , and just recently on the FEC as leased units,
I have been seeing many UP 2800 series SD45T-2s with 3000 HP engines in them lately.
I saw one on a shortline in Oregon believe it or not. It was not in very good shape (paint wise) but it ran!
OH, TO BE THAT YOUNG THAT YOU HAVE NOT SEEN A SD45!
There are 2 SD45T-2 units currently working on the Buffalo & Pittsburgh RR. They are leased from Larry’s Truck Electric (LTEX), one is in U.P. paint and the other S.P. minus lettering which was painted out with Black paint.
KCS got 10 upgraded to -3 standards. They are still listed as SD45T-3’s so they may still have the 20 cylinder. #'s 7200-7209. I saw two of them a week a go in storage at Deramus yard in Shreveport, LA.