EMD FP45
The EMD FP45 is a cowl unit type of C-C diesel locomotive produced in the United States by General Motors Electro-Motive Division. It was produced beginning in 1967 at the request of the Santa Fe Railway">Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway">Santa Fe Railway, which did not want its prestigious Super Chief/El Capitan and other passenger trains pulled by freight style hood unit locomotives, which have external walkways.
History and development
The EMD SDP45 performed well in passenger service, but the Santa Fe Railway felt its utilitarian appearance was unsuitable for its passenger trains. EMD therefore designed a lightweight "cowl" body to cover the locomotive, though it did not, as in earlier cab units, provide any structural strength, which remained in the frame. The cowl provided sleeker looks, better aerodynamics at speed, and allowed the crew to enter the engine compartment en route for diagnostics and maintenance. Final drive gear ratio for passenger service was 57:20.Orders
Santa Fe purchased nine of the locomotives, and the Milwaukee Road bought five for its passenger service. The Milwaukee Road units were delivered without dynamic brakes. Reportedly, Illinois Central Railroad was considering an order for five FP45s as well, but canceled it. Such low production was feasible and profitable for EMD since the locomotive was fundamentally just a re-clothed SDP45. Power, as in the SDP45, was from a V20 645E3 engine developing.Derivatives
A freight-only derivative, the EMD F45, was sold in greater numbers to Santa Fe, the Great Northern Railway, and the Burlington Northern Railroad. Amtrak purchased a similar passenger locomotive based on the SD40-2, the SDP40F. After a series of derailments and their subsequent withdrawal, Amtrak traded 18 units to the Santa Fe, where they were converted for freight use. The converted locomotives were designated as SDF40-2.The last three F45s in service were on the Montana Rail Link and the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway in the northern and northeastern United States. These units were taken out of service in 2006 for the MRL and 2010 for the NYSW. Three are known to survive, with one located at the Izaak Walton Inn, now converted into a lodge.
Rebuilds
Between April 1980 and December 1982, Santa Fe's San Bernardino shops rebuilt eight FP45s 5940–5943, 5945–5948. They emerged as 5990–5993, 5995–5998, and were redesignated SDFP45s. The 5944 was retired in September 1981 on account of a wreck at Toland, Texas. Electrically they were upgraded to SD45-2 standards. Mechanically, they were re-geared from 59:18 to 60:17, reducing their top speed from 89 to 83 mph.In the mid-1980s Santa Fe again re-geared them - this time to 62:15 for 71 mph.