Does anyone know of any shortlines (or maybe even regionals like MRL) that currently or recently operated SD45s? These big bruisers are surely getting scarcer by the year. I understand the now defunct Southwestern Railroad that used to operate here in Texas once had a couple, but I can't find any pictures or much info on them.
MRL and Wisconsin Central are the closest that come to mind. Some have also gone to the lease market as HELM and CIT.
Montana Rail Link has only one left on roster. All the others are gone. It is SD45M #351. They do still have some SD45-2 units.
The line I model has 2 SD40M-2s (SD45 body with a 16 cyl engine). It's the St.Croix Valley Railroad, reporting marks SCXY, or as the BNSF crews refer to it "the Sexy".
Not sure what they are operating these days, but the outfit which took over the old line out to Coulee City in Washington, post-Watco, had either SD45 or SD45-2 units.
Blue Ridge Southern operates them in western North Carolina. They're pure SD-45s on the outside, but have SD-40-2 components on the inside. I shot this at NS's Asheville Yard in August last year.
Buffalo & Pittsburgh, they're getting slowly replaced by SD-40s when they destroy crankshafts, but they still got a few. I've heard they tried converting some to 45Rs, but I don't honestly know what that means. I assume an electronic upgrade. Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk
And there are still some of their meter-gauge counterparts, EMD DDm45s, running on Vale/EFVM network in Brazil. Even if these actually are 8-axle units. Dom
Cool! If ever I got into modeling a non-North American scenario, having one of these would be very tempting.
Thanks for the pics and info guys! I've always had a soft spot for the SD45. Looks like there's still a few holding their own out there. I'd like to include one on the shortline I'm planning, though I'll probably designate it an SD40m-2, SD40R, or something like that to represent one with 40-2 specs. jpwisc, those are some sharp looking units, looks almost identical to the old Northern Pacific 45s.
Just for fun, I checked with the person who maintains the MRL Mechanical Engineering Department's engine roster. Indeed they have designated their #351 as an SD45M. So the railfan sites calling an "R" are wrong. It is the only SD45 they ever upgraded as such, and the only non-SD45-2 remaining. They also have four SD45-2 which were upgraded and designated as "M".
The SCXY runs on the old NP Skally Line, and all 4 of their engines have been painted in this NP based scheme. There is a true NP SD45 1 hour north of the line in Duluth, MN at the museum there.
No. It still needs a computer, an air horn and ditch lights. The computer disappeared while it was with CN a while ago, so they are hoping a replacement can be found for cheap.
Do you know the heritage for these two? I'm wondering what former MRL units have made it to other companies and avoided the scrapper.
