#4125

EMD SD45-2

🇺🇸 United States ·built by Electro-Motive Diesel· from 1972· model of 136 American 3600hp Co′Co′ diesel-electric locomotives

🛤️ diesel locomotive diesel ✓ in service

4 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences

1. 4 23 05 020East HelenaxRP - Flickr - drewj1946: Drew Jacksich from San Jose, CA, The Republic of California· CC BY-SA 2.0
2. ATSF 5709 pusher and caboose 999584 near Bealville, CA in April 1979 (30865666883): Marty Bernard from U.S.A.· Public domain
3. Clinchfield SBD 8959 (SD45-2) (10583324464): Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China· CC0
4. NREX 7509 (49430613751): NOYB #1· CC BY 2.0

Read about it on Wikipedia ↗

what is it?

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.

who runs it

Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway BNSF Railway Clinchfield Railroad Seaboard System Railroad CSX Transportation Conrail Norfolk Southern Railway Seaboard Coast Line Railroad Erie Lackawanna Railway

base stats

speed 145 km/htop speed
power 2.7 MWpower output
weight 167 tin working order
built 136made in total

Bars compare against all trains: 600 km/h (maglev), 1,700 seats; power, weight and number built on a log scale up to 20 MW, 1,000 t and 20,000 built.

fun facts

First built 54 years ago, in 1972.
Top speed is 1.1× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
2.7 MW is about 32 family cars (~85 kW each) flat out.
Weighs about as much as 28 African elephants (~6 t each).
20.7 m long: about 5 cars parked nose to tail.

diesel locomotive: A diesel engine on board drives the wheels, usually through a generator (diesel-electric).

spec sheet

built: 1972–1974
status: in service
number built: 136
kind: Diesel
traction: diesel
origin: 🇺🇸 United States
builders: Electro-Motive Diesel
operators: Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, BNSF Railway, Clinchfield Railroad, Seaboard System Railroad, CSX Transportation, Conrail, Norfolk Southern Railway, Seaboard Coast Line Railroad, Erie Lackawanna Railway
top speed: 145 km/h
power: 2.7 MW
gauge: 1,435 mm standard gauge
wheel arrangement: Co'Co
length: 20.7 m
weight: 167 t

From the Wikipedia infobox and Wikidata. Blank means the sources don't say.

Sources: Wikidata Q5323468, Wikipedia: EMD SD45-2 (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.