In 1965 the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors fielded the first SD45, a monster with a 20-cylinder, 3,600-horsepower 645E3 diesel engine, and it proved to be a popular choice. The model also spawned variants, including a tunnel motor design, the F45, FP45, SDP45, and the SD45X.
Of course, the locomotive did have a downside – that 20-cylinder engine was very thirsty, and some carriers realized that the fuel consumption outweighed the higher horsepower factor in train operation. But an interesting thing happened. Rapid fuel consumption didn’t lead to early retirement; instead, many were SD45s sold and rebuilt in the 1980s and continued for another two decades in operation.
Opening the box
The SD45 has always struck me as a squat, industrial-looking locomotive (granted, most freight locomotives look pretty darn industrial). The subtle appearance of its wide and slightly tall nose, plus the width of the carbody and the radiator “wings” that arch outward all help to craft a distinctly burly image.
The pilot has all the details we expect to see: brake and multiple-unit lines, brakeman steps (with drainage holes), handrails with safety accents and chain, and a drawbridge. The decks all have cast-in safety tread.
The nose features some nicely cast-in hatch and latch detail, two add-on fine wire grab irons, as well as illuminated markers and on top of the hood a sand pipe and grab iron.
The forward- and rear-facing cab windows have separate wiper arms, and the side windows have add-on (plastic) mirrors. Two crew figures can be found in the cab. Leaning forward from the cab roof is the housing for the headlights, number boards, and a horn mounted on top. The roof has an operating strobe and a radio antenna.
The body has ample rivet, hinge, seam, and latch detail that is easy to spot thanks to the Union Pacific Armour Yellow paint scheme.
The roof is home to 11 add-on lift rings, five raised fans, the exhaust stack (where the smoke unit ejects the white stuff), and a sand pipe cap on the rear. Most of the screens on the side are see-through, with the exception being the screens on the lift-out section.
The silver-painted trucks have good cast-in detail with a dab of add-on detailing with the brake system.
On the test track
The SD45 shone on the test track. Our conventional low-speed average was 3.5 scale miles per hour, and the command low-speed average was 2.6 scale miles per hour. Our high speed was 81.8 scale miles per hour.
Motor operation was quiet and smooth in all speed ranges, and drawbar pull was 1 pound, 9 ounces.
Each truck has two power pickups, set roughly 3 inches apart and 7 inches between each truck, for a very decent power pickup footprint. Each truck has two traction tires.
The manual controls are concealed beneath a section of the roof supporting the two forward exhaust fans.
You’ll find volume and smoke output controls, a battery-charger plug, and the polarity two-to-three-rail conversion switches.
The sounds were great. They are deep and throaty and changed appropriately with speed or resistance.
I thought this escalation in sound was most noticeable during the high-speed testing. As the model progressively built up speed with each lap around the track, the sound system took on a tone I’d have described as “about to bust a gut.” Not exactly elegant phrasing, but that was the first thing that popped into mind as I heard the locomotive strain!
The rig has directional lighting, appropriate markers, and a rooftop strobe that flashes.
Smoke output was prodigious.
The real-world SD45 diesel was a good, rugged freight hauler that delivered years of reliable service. MTH has done a solid job replicating it for the O gauge operator.
Price: $449.95 (20-2915-2)
Features: O-42 operation, ProtoSound 2.0, two can-style motors, and two coil couplers.
I was off a digit. The hi-rail wheel version is 20-2915-1.
The model I tested has hi-rail, not scale wheels.
Hello Everyone:
With regard specifically to the review of the Premier line MTH SD45 in the Septmber 2010 issue does this diesel (20-2915-2) only come with scale wheels? I reviewed the video @ CTT and was impressed with the sound system & other attributes of the model. In trying to locate this engine in the market place through MTHs website I became confused as to whether it is available in hI-rail & scale wheels or just scale wheels. Would I still be able to run the model with scale wheels on my hi-rail layout? Could you please help me out? Thank you
Ron Sages