EMD FP45
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The EMD FP45 is a cowl unit type of C-C diesel locomotive produced in the United States by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors. It was produced from 1967 at the request of the Santa Fe, who did not want freight-style locomotives to haul its prestigious Super Chief and other passenger trains. The EMD SDP45 was a good passenger locomotive, but to the Santa Fe it did not look the part.
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.
The Santa Fe purchased nine of the locomotives, and the Milwaukee Road bought five for its passenger service. 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 (or "prime mover") developing 3600 horsepower (2700 kW).
When Amtrak took over passenger service, the FP45s were reassigned to fast freight service, especially Santa Fe's Super C high-speed intermodal run. They were soon repainted from their original red and silver Warbonnet scheme to a blue and yellow freight scheme when the steam generators were removed and they were permanently assigned to the freight pool. In the 1990s they were repainted once more in the Warbonnet scheme as the Santa Fe sought to improve its image, and they remained in this scheme (some relettered BNSF after the merger) until their retirement in the late 1990s after some 30 years of service. Those that weren't wrecked in service are on display in museums, including ATSF 98 which was donated in operating condition less the cab's air conditioner to the Orange Empire Railway Museum at Perris, California. 98 is still used for demonstration runs, though infrequently because of its sheer size and slightly low compression in two cylinders. This historic locomotive has the distinction of being the last passenger locomotive ever purchased by the Santa Fe. Another FP45, Santa Fe's number 92, was donated to the Illinois Railway Museum (http://www.irm.org/cgi-bin/rsearch.cgi?diesel=Atchison+Topeka+&+Santa+Fe+Railroad=92) in Union, IL. The Great Plains Transportation Museum in Wichita, Kansas received number 93.
A freight-only derivative, the EMD F45, sold in greater numbers (86) to the Santa Fe, Great Northern Railroad, and the Burlington Northern Railroad. Amtrak bought a similar passenger locomotive based on the 3000 horsepower (2200 kW) SDP40, the EMD SDP40F.
Additional specifications and dimensions
- Final drive gear ratio: 59:18
- Length: 72 ft 4 in (22.1 m)
- Wheelbase: 45 ft 0 in (13.2 m)
External links
- Additional photos, specifications and information on the surviving FP45 locomotives (http://members.aol.com/JFuhrtrain/FP45data.htm)