my ESPEE MODELERS ARCHIVE

California's Railroad to the U.S. 1861 - 1996

Southern Pacific SDP45

3200 - 3209.

10 units delivered

EMD builders shot of #3200

check this out SP SDP45 Walkaround

SP bought 10 SDP45's in 1967 to replace aging PA and E units on their long distance passenger trains. On the demise of SP's long distance pass. trains, the SDP45's went into the Peninsular Commute Pool, replacing the venerable FM Train Masters. 5 were also leased to Amtrak for Coast Starlight service. The SDP45's also worked freight service on weekends as was normal for most Commute locos.

When Caltran took over the Commute service, the SDP45's went into the freight pool. During the time of the ill-fated SPSF 1986 merger, three units received Kodachrome paint, and two units 3201 and 3207 kept their steam generators active for business car specials, the others had theirs deactivated, more or less creating two classes; freight and passenger SDP45's.

As they never had the dual fuel/water tanks modified, they would have had short legs... Their last years were working local haulers around the LA basin.

References:

• SPH&TS Trainline issue #74, prototype coverage of the SDP45's
• SP 1987/88 Motive Power Pictorial by Joe.W.Shine, Pages 21, 25, 112.
• SP.....into the '90's by Joe.W.Shine, Page 195. - Also has photos of these units.

Non Espee SD45M (SDP45) References moved to SD40M-2 Info Page .