 A photo of UP #65, a Sulzer engined SD45m rebuild (see explanation below). Thanks to Jerry Divine (EMail:jdivine@ix.netcom.com) |
Union Pacific's SD45s were built in March and April, 1968 as numbers 3600-3649. 50 units can be considered a token number, far fewer than owned by comparable railroads like the Santa Fe, Southern Pacific, or PRR/Penn Central. It is likely that UP intended to rely on the DDA40X Centennial units as the high-horespower diesels of choice. The SD45s were orignally delivered with 59:18 high speed gear ratios and used in higher-speed priority freight service. However, soon after their delivery the UP began to change their assignments. In mid-1968, UP regeared seven SD45s, 3643-3649, to the more common 62:15 freight gear ratio for service on a unit coal train running between Helper, Utah on the Rio Grande and Kaiser Steel at Fontana, California on the Santa Fe. The UP SD45s ran in a pool with other SD45s belonging to the Rio Grande and Santa Fe on the Kaiser Steel coal trains. In 1971, the UP added two units to this pool, 3641and 42.
The units can be considered "Phase II" units, although SD45s have not yet been subject to a detailed railfan/modeler analysis of phases. However, they had one distinctive feature - three brake cylinders on each truck sideframe.
Two units, 3622 and 3623, were delivered with Locotrol remote control equipment. The equipment was gradually added to additional units between 1968 and 1972. Because the Locotrol equipmenet was mounted in the nose, the cab signal equipment was moved to a box on the walkway behind the fireman's side of the cab. Units 3600 through 3636 were eventually all equipped with Locotrol. At some time during RCS deployment, the UP added distinctive antenna ground planes above the Locotrol-equipped SD45 cabs. The ground planes were nicknamed "ping pong tables". The even numbered units from 3600 through 3636 were control units, while the odd numbered units were remote slave units. Locotrol operations appear to have been moved from one part of the UP to another during the 1970s, with the SD45s going where needed to support the changes. They seem to have lasted longest on the Los Angeles and Salt Lake, where they were still going on during 1980 and 1981. Units 3637-3649 never received Locotrol or ground planes.
In 1976, the SD45s that had not already been regeared for Kaiser service were regeared with 62:15 gearsets. The 59:18 gearsets were then used to convert the first 35 "fast forty" SD40-2s to the higher gear ratio.
In 1978-79, the SD45s were renumbered from 3600-3649 to 1-50, with unit 3600 becoming unit 50, but all other units renumbered 1 to 49 consecutively from 3601 to 3649. Since unit 50 had received an RCS ground plane as 3600, this sometimes gives a false impression that all UP SD45s had ground planes. The reunumbering was to allow the UP to continue to number SD40-2s, which had reached the 3500's, upward through the 3600's.
In 1980, unit 34 was renumbered 60 and rebuilt wiith a Sulzer diesel engine by Morrison-Knudsen. Between 1980 and 1982, five more units were repowered by M-K. Unit 14 was renumbered 61; 5 was renumbered 62; 13 was renumbered 63; 8 was renumbered 64; and 37 was renumbered 65.
Various body changes were made to the units as a result of the rebuilding. All the Sulzer engined units were removed from service in December 1983, apparently returned to M-K. In the late 1990s, all six units returned to the UP, after languishing as hulks for more than 15 years. On return, they had been fully remanufactuered as SD40-2Rs, retaining no distinctive truck or carbody details from their earlier lives on the UP. They will be covered in a later article as SD40-2Rs.
The 44 remaining EMD engined SD45s were placed in storage in 1981 due to the recession.
Following the MP merger in 1982, the SD45s were placed back in service in 1983/4 for operation on former MP lines. At this time, the RCS ground planes were removed from the cab roofs, and the horns were relocated from a posiiton over the radiator fans to the cab roof fronts. All the remaining SD45s were retired and scrapped in 1985 as SD60s and Dash 8-40s arrived on the property.
In addition to operation with Rio Grande and Santa Fe SD45s on the Kaiser Steel unit coal train, the SD45s were seen most commonly on the Los Angeles and Salt Lake and the Ogden-Portland line. Videos show SD45s operating with other second-generation high horsepower units over Sherman Hill early in their careers. The SD45s were most commonly seen in multiple with SD40s and SD40-2s, but could also be seen running with DD35s and DD35As on the Los Angeles and Salt Lake.
Athearn
Athearn introduced an HO scale SD45 based on pre-production drawings even before the prototype was delivered to any railroad. As such it has always had some detail flaws. In addition to having hoods about a scale foot too wide, there are errors in the hood doors, in the radiator screens, and in the dust collector. Prior to the introduction of better-quality SD45 models, some modelers went to considerable lengths to correct these deficiences. However, this is no longer necessary, and the Athearn model is probably no longer an option for new "hobby quality" purchases.
Bachmann Plus
Bachmann introduced an SD45 in 1995/96. This is an inexpensive but acceptable low-end model. Its biggest defect is poorly formed truck sideframes. It has a scale hood with and general Phase II details. It comes painted for the UP in the post-1978 paint scheme and numbers. The factory numbers are 16 and 32, which means that a modeler must add an RCS ground plane to the cab, renumber the unit, or declare that it is 1983-5. The unit runs smoothly in the same general speed range as higher-end Atlas and Kato units, so that with the addition of some detail, the Bachmann model works well on a layout at normal viewing distances.
Kato
Kato introduced an SD45 in 1997, based on their earlier SD40 chassis. The model has general phase II
details and comes painted for the UP in as-delivered paint and numbered in the 3600s. The numbered models are numbered
3606 and 3633, which means both prototypes had ground planes. A modeler should select the unnumbered model and number it
3637 or above if he or she does not wish to add an RCS ground plane. The truck sideframes are the same as provided with the
SD40, which are the early type with brake cylinders mounted low and inboard of the wheels. It would involve a fair amount
of effort to convert these to the correct UP style with three high-mounted brake cylinders per side (*). The model has the
usual Kato high standard of detail and operation, but it is at the high end of the "hobby quality" model price range.
(*) Note: The SD7/SD9 truck sideframes from LifeLike are a direct swap for the Kato ones and provide the correct high-mount brake cylinders. These may be available from LifeLike as spares.
Rail Power Products
Rail Power Products makes a basic SD45 plastic shell and a die-cast frame. With aftermarket parts, the RPP shell and frame can be used to build a model as basic or as detailed as the modeler chooses. However, the parts provided with the RPP shell will provide only a very basic model, which must be painted when complete. RPP shells are increasingly used as bases for adding extensive aftermarket detail, which often results in a model expensive both in cash outlay and modeler time. An RPP shell could also be used for upgrading an existing Athearn model.
Other
Collector brass SD45s have been offered at one time or another by most importers. Hallmark imported a model of the Sulzer converted units 60-65.
Overland models offers a lost wax brass UP RCS ground plane as part 9056. This needs to be painted, but it can then be inserted in to holes drilled in the cab roof of any model UP SD45.
Acknowledgement:
References:
Go back to Union Pacific locomotive details
Updated: 7th June 2000