The SD45 was the “Big Block Chevy” of EMD’s “1966 Line” of locomotives. In the early 1960s, railroads were requiring more and more horsepower from locomotives to meet the demanding schedules of growing high-priority and intermodal (TOFC) traffic. This equated to faster acceleration and the ability to maintain higher speeds.
Prototype Specific ScaleTrains
Era: mid-1970s through early 1980s
Series 6105-6122, built 10-66
Fully assembled (except undecorated)
Multiple road numbers
Directional LED headlights
Printed and LED lighted number boards
Front and rear full-width MU catch trays with footboards
Front and rear early small deck extension with dropsteps
Short stepwells with see-through steps
Early (“X”) pattern walkway treadplate
Latched battery box doors with single louvers
Cab sub-base doors with stiffener rib
81” low short hood with plated-over handbrake location
Standard EMD high headlight in face of short hood
“35-Line” cab with standard front windshields
Finely-detailed cab interior
Leslie RS-3L-R horn mounted on number board housing
Standard electrical cabinet seam
No ECAFB
Late (ribbed) blower duct housing
Inertial air intake grilles without drip rails
Separately applied dust bin and exhaust stack
Early (short forward taper) extended-range dynamic brakes
See-through dynamic brake intake grilles
Chickenwire-pattern radiator intake grille mesh
Finely-molded 48” spiral-grille dynamic and radiator fans
Short “Nub-Bottom” pilot face
End handrails with top-and-end mount stanchions
Accurately profiled underbody frame rail with separate bolster webs
Tall jacking pads with holes (early)
Flush-mount EFCO button
4,000-gallon fuel tank
Detailed Flexicoil-C trucks with low-mounted brake cylinders and Hyatt bearing caps
Semi-scale coupler buffer equipped with semi-scale Type “E” knuckle couplers
All-wheel drive
All-wheel electrical pick-up
Motor with 5-pole skew-wound armature
Dual balanced flywheels
Printing and lettering legible under magnification
Operates on Code 70, 83, and 100 rail
Packaging safely stores model
Detail kit available separately: wire grab irons, trainline hoses, MU hose clusters, uncoupling levers, windshield wipers, and more (SXT81180)
Color matched to Tru-Color Paint colors whenever possible
Minimum radius: 18”
Recommended radius: 22”