EMD SD45-2
American diesel-electric locomotive

The EMD SD45-2 is a 6-axle diesel-electric locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division (EMD). EMD built 136 locomotives between 1972 and 1974, primarily for the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway (ATSF). The SD45-2 was an improved version of the EMD SD45; the primary visual difference is the absence of flared radiators on the SD45-2.
01Design
Part of the EMD Dash 2 line, the SD45-2 was an upgraded SD45. Like the SD45, the SD45-2 had an EMD 645E3 20-cylinder engine producing 3,600 horsepower (2,680 kW). The main spotting difference between an SD45 and an SD45-2 was the long hood and the rear radiator. On the SD45 the long hood is flared whereas on the SD45-2 it is vertical and the rear cooling fans are more spread out on the top of the rear of the long hood.
A few cabless SD45-2Bs were built by Santa Fe from units undergoing remanufacturing. In all but one case (5510), the dynamic brakes were moved to the opposite end of the hood from the radiators; they were originally near the center of the hood.
In September 2015, Norfolk Southern revealed SD45-2 #1700, which was painted back to its Erie Lackawanna color scheme at Chattanooga, Tennessee.

02Preservation
- ATSF #5704 is preserved at the Southern California Railway Museum (SCRM) in Perris, California.
- CSX #8954 (ex-SCL #2049) is preserved at the Southeastern Railway Museum in Duluth, Georgia. It was donated by CSX in August 2018, making it the first SD45-2 to be preserved.
03Original owners
| Railroad | Quantity | Road Numbers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway | 90 | 5625-5714. | To BNSF |
| Clinchfield Railroad | 18 | 3607-3624. | To Family Lines System then to Seaboard System and now at CSX Transportation |
| Erie Lackawanna Railway | 13 | 3669-3681. | To Conrail and then to Norfolk Southern and CSX Transportation, those to CSX downgraded to SD40-2 standards. |
| Seaboard Coast Line Railroad | 15 | 2045-2059. | To Family Lines System then to Seaboard System and now at CSX Transportation, |
| Totals | 136 |
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “EMD SD45-2”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
Images, from Wikimedia Commons:
- ATSF 5709 pusher and caboose 999584 near Bealville, CA in April 1979 (30865666883).jpg by Marty Bernard from U.S.A., Public domain
- The Western Auto Sign in Kansas city MO with a restored railroad locomotive as the main subject.jpg by NS6677, CC BY 4.0
Fathomly is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Wikimedia Foundation. Spotted a problem? Tell us.