In 1965, EMD introduced the six axle SD45. It featured a new 3600 HP EMD 645E3 20 cylinder prime mover. The new engine fit on the same frame as earlier EMD units such as the SD40, but provided an additional 600 horsepower on the same frame. While moving, the locomotive used less fuel per mile than the SD40's, but did use more when idling owing to the additional four cylinders.

Early on, SD45's were not as reliable as hoped, as the 645E3 did occasionally break crankshafts. EMD addressed this issue by strengthening the block, but sales were modest. Production ran from 1965 to the end of 1971 with a total of 1260 units built for North American railroads. It was replaced with the SD45-2 in 1972, along with the rest of the -2 series locomotives. The SD45-2 fared even worse, with few orders, it was discontinued in 1974. The SD45 and SD45-2 were far outpaced by the EMD GP38-2 and SD40-2 locomotives.

Original operators included Great Northern, Northern Pacific, Santa Fe, Southern Pacific and Union Pacific. Many SD45's remain in service today with secondary owners and leasing companies. Some of the lease units have been rebuilt with sixteen-cylinder 645's, essentially making them SD40's. Though these locomotives saw limited success in sales, they have gone on to have long service lives and examples will certainly be around for years to come.

Features:

• Signal hoses
• Coupler cut levers without loops unless noted
• Separately applied wire grab irons
• Standard 81” low nose without headlight or brake unless noted
• Standard cab with dual beam sealed headlight and glare shields unless noted
• See through cab windows
• Sliding cab side windows
• Sunshades
• Air filter grille
• Smooth blower housing
• Standard dustbin unless noted
• See-through dynamic brake and radiator fans
• Extended-range dynamic brake unless noted
• Dynamic brake vent
• Exhaust stack
• Chicken wire radiator grilles unless noted
• “F” painted on short hood end unless noted
• Rectangular builder’s plate unless noted
• Frame mounted bell unless noted
• 4,000 gallon fuel tank with front fuel fill
• Air tank
• Speed recorder
• Printed numberboards
• Fine scale handrails
• Fully assembled and ready-to-run
• McHenry scale knuckle spring couplers
• DCC ready with Quick Plug technology
• Highly-detailed, injection molded body
• Painted and printed for realistic decoration
• Bi-directional constant lighting so headlight brightness remains consistent
• All-wheel drive with precision gears for smooth and quiet operation
• All-wheel electrical pickup
• 5-pole skew wound motor with flywheels and multi-link drivetrain for trouble-free operation
• Wheels with RP25 contours operate on Code 70, 75, 83, and 100 rail
• Minimum radius: 18"
• Recommended radius: 22"

Road Name Specific Features:

• Lighted Xenon strobe (does not flash)
  
• Coupler cut levers with loops
• Flexi-Coil trucks with low mount brake cylinders
  
• Era: Early 1990s - 2000s