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Post by edwardsutorik on May 28, 2014 8:41:56 GMT -8
I model in the Pacific Northwest, so buying the GN BSB SDP45's was compulsory (not to mention the BN ones). And I'm somewhat knowledgeable and knew exactly, for example, which two of the four BN ones would work for me.
But I had a "fit" and also bought an E-L SPD45 (#3636). The reason is "self evident", as someone famous once said. But it looked so lonely, with nothing to accompany it in service. I thought an SD45-2 would be just the thing, and sacrificed a few sheep to the gods to speed things up. Well, I guess the gods like barbecue, 'cause Athearn announced another run almost immediately.
So they're offering them (the SD45-2's) in four numbers, and knowing very little about railroads on the wrong side of the country, I am pretty clueless about picking one. I don't want to pick the one that was run over by a Tyrannosaurus 3 weeks after delivery. Or that had the snowplow on the wrong end.
Any recommendations from the E-L folks???
Ed
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Post by lvrr325 on May 28, 2014 11:11:13 GMT -8
All of them made Conrail but one. 3657 and 3667 were wrecked and rebuilt with SD45-2 hoods. 3637 was wrecked in the Delaware Water Gap, burned, and rebuilt by the N&W as a slug.
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Post by edwardsutorik on May 28, 2014 11:31:36 GMT -8
All of them made Conrail but one. 3657 and 3667 were wrecked and rebuilt with SD45-2 hoods. 3637 was wrecked in the Delaware Water Gap, burned, and rebuilt by the N&W as a slug. Sorry. I entered the post title incorrectly. I wrote SP45-2 and meant SD45-2. I've corrected it. That said, thanks for the comments on the SDP45's. I'm glad to see 3636 wasn't scrapped early. If Athearn re-runs the E-L GP35, I think it might look nice running with an SDP45 and an SD45-2. And then a question about them: Did they also have the low profile fans? If'n not, how come? Ed |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 28, 2014 12:21:31 GMT -8
All of them made Conrail but one. 3657 and 3667 were wrecked and rebuilt with SD45-2 hoods. 3637 was wrecked in the Delaware Water Gap, burned, and rebuilt by the N&W as a slug. Sorry. I entered the post title incorrectly. I wrote SP45-2 and meant SD45-2. I've corrected it. That said, thanks for the comments on the SDP45's. I'm glad to see 3636 wasn't scrapped early. If Athearn re-runs the E-L GP35, I think it might look nice running with an SDP45 and an SD45-2. And then a question about them: Did they also have the low profile fans? If'n not, how come? Ed Only the SDP45 and SD45-2 had the low profile fans. The big SD's are 4.5" taller than the GP35 |
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Post by alcoc430 on May 28, 2014 13:12:22 GMT -8
Sorry. I entered the post title incorrectly. I wrote SP45-2 and meant SD45-2. I've corrected it. That said, thanks for the comments on the SDP45's. I'm glad to see 3636 wasn't scrapped early. If Athearn re-runs the E-L GP35, I think it might look nice running with an SDP45 and an SD45-2. And then a question about them: Did they also have the low profile fans? If'n not, how come? Ed Only the SDP45 and SD45-2 had the low profile fans. The big SD's are 4.5" taller than the GP35 Also IIRC the EL SD45s also had low profile fans |
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Post by edwardsutorik on May 28, 2014 14:36:39 GMT -8
Thet is plumb interesting!!! I feel this horrible gravitational attraction---NO, NO, NO!!! Well, OK. Ed |
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Post by stevewagner on May 29, 2014 4:35:10 GMT -8
I know that the Erie Lackawanna's SDP45's were bought for the sake of their extra-large fuel tanks which would permit them to run between Croxton Yard in northern New Jersey and Chicago without refueling. Did the EL's SD45-2's also run to Chicago? People interested in western railroads might be interesting in knowing.
I also saw for myself that when the Boston & Maine was still independent, when it bought substantial numbers of new road locos (GP9's, later GP38-2's, and still later GP40-2's) it tended to run them in matched sets. Was that also true of the EL?
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Post by Deleted on May 29, 2014 5:19:29 GMT -8
I know that the Erie Lackawanna's SDP45's were bought for the sake of their extra-large fuel tanks which would permit them to run between Croxton Yard in northern New Jersey and Chicago without refueling. Did the EL's SD45-2's also run to Chicago? People interested in western railroads might be interesting in knowing. The EL SD45-2's had the expanded fuel capacity to allow them to run with the SDP45's and make it to Chicago without stopping. |
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Post by dti406 on May 29, 2014 7:00:46 GMT -8
I know that the Erie Lackawanna's SDP45's were bought for the sake of their extra-large fuel tanks which would permit them to run between Croxton Yard in northern New Jersey and Chicago without refueling. Did the EL's SD45-2's also run to Chicago? People interested in western railroads might be interesting in knowing. The EL SD45-2's had the expanded fuel capacity to allow them to run with the SDP45's and make it to Chicago without stopping. Actually they refueled in Marion, then they could run to Chicago and back to Marion without having to pay for the high priced fuel in Chicago. Rick J |
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Post by lvrr325 on May 29, 2014 8:51:51 GMT -8
Not only did all the SD45-2's make Conrail - they were all of about four years old - most of them lasted until the split and NS still operates a few. I'm not sure how many CSX operates. Some got 16-cyl prime movers installed to become the equivalent of an SD40-2.
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Post by Deleted on May 29, 2014 11:54:02 GMT -8
The EL SD45-2's had the expanded fuel capacity to allow them to run with the SDP45's and make it to Chicago without stopping. Actually they refueled in Marion, then they could run to Chicago and back to Marion without having to pay for the high priced fuel in Chicago. Rick J Makes sense. By the mid-1970's other roads were bypassing Chicago for fueling too. |
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Post by Spikre on May 31, 2014 10:26:07 GMT -8
 Ed, feel free to run the SDP45 with: E8s F5/7s , A or B U25B C424 C425 GP35 ex DL&W RS-3s ex DL&W GP7s U33C U36C D&H C628s SD45 SD45-2 also they could run to Minnie/StPaul,or K-C on BN. there are pics of new SD45s running with FB-1 7333,saw that combo, but others did get pics. EL could refuel units at Croxton NJ,Scranton PA,Hornell NY,Meadville PA, Youngstown O,amoung other places. the 5000 Gal tanks only worked when lashed to other 5000 Gal tank units. Spikre 
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Post by Spikre on Jun 2, 2014 13:16:45 GMT -8
Ed, forgot the EL/NJDOT U34CHs. EL used them on weekends until the 72 Bankruptcy. then infrequently until the end of EL. look for the Atlas models,they were rather nicely done, but they were missing the Nose warning Lite.[similar to the CB&Q style GE nose lites]. they run well and pull good. Spikre
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Post by edwardsutorik on Jun 2, 2014 15:34:21 GMT -8
Spikre,
Thanks for the suggestions. I've just ordered one of the newly offered SD45-2's to go with my SDP45.
I think I'll try to control myself and just have the two. Until, of course, the GP35 is reissued. Decisions, decisions.
Plus one of the new Athearn cabeese.
Ed
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Post by Spikre on Jun 2, 2014 15:46:49 GMT -8
 Ed, the SD45-2 does limit You to post 73 EL. will check the exact delivery date as they were held up due to finding financing after the Bankruptcy. of course by 4/1/76 the EL SD45/SDP45 and SD45-2 fleet went to CR. the 801-803 went back to D&H about 1/76,while the EL U33Cs 3301-3303 were returned from D&H. for some reason the SD45-2s never excited me like the SDP45s did. Spikre
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Post by edwardsutorik on Jun 2, 2014 16:50:50 GMT -8
Spikre, With, of course, unavoidable exceptions, my era choices are every 5 years. So 1975 will work quite well for me. I will probably just run my E-L stuff for fun and to bug other western modelers. I may argue that E-L did do a run through to the west coast. Everyone'll laugh, but who's got the cool lookin' lashup?  ?? Ed |
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Post by lvrr325 on Jun 3, 2014 9:30:45 GMT -8
EL units did run through on Milwaukee Road and Rock Island occasionally, I think Soo Line also. There was a period where CB&Q and later BN units would also appear on the EL, so the reverse could be possible also. While it's a bit of a stretch, it's not as big as you might think.
For that matter, the entire class of C425s was sold to BCR just before Conrail, and worked their way west on BN unaltered.
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gec
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Post by gec on Jun 3, 2014 20:47:50 GMT -8
Any EL SD45-2 should be fine. If you picked a Conrail unit, make sure its in the standard scheme. The EL SDP45s were actually leased from Norfolk & Western, but spent their entire service lives on the Erie Lackawanna and Conrail. Norfolk Southern never did anything with them, and a few others were sold to VMV leasing. The N&W units have bi-directional cabs for if thee units ever went back to N&W, so they could run long-hood forwards. A terrible picture, but I had the same idea of pairing my SDP45 with my SD45-2 a few days ago, except my SD45-2 has one of those extra fun (failtastic) MRC sound decoders. I'll use it until it dies though. I went a step further and patched my SDP45 for conrail-   |
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Post by Spikre on Jun 4, 2014 15:48:09 GMT -8
Ed, EMD delivered 13 SD45-2s to EL during 12/72. so Your clear there. gec, the 1st order of SDP45s went back to Roanoke about 85,some were used on N&W,others werent. most were traded to EMD for SD60s later. most seen in Service were in EL colors but also saw some in CR Blue. Spikre
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Post by Spikre on Jun 4, 2014 15:55:49 GMT -8
 Lvrr325, Milwaukee Stole EL units on transfer runs to Bensonville. this was corrected later with the Milwaukee GP40s and some Fs staying on EL for an extended time.they rarely ran east of Hornell. Rock cabeese did show up in NJ,but rarely locos as they were mainly turned back at Marion. as for EL units on the Rock,it may have happened on Test trains,but it was never regular like the CB&Q/BN runs were. B&M units also made it to Croxton now and then,as did D&H units,but niether was regular run thrus. Edit- dont recall Soo Line run thrus,but EL did lease several 4 unit F unit sets to Soo for awhile.the problem was that each set had at least one unit that wouldnt or couldnt stay running.EL would exchange the units,but then another unit would start dieing.Soo seemed happy to end that lease. Spikre 
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Post by Spikre on Jun 6, 2014 10:54:54 GMT -8
ED, add CNJ SD35s and SD40s to the list of locos that ran with the SDP45s. after CNJ pulled out of Pennsy during 72,they started the Scranton to E-Port trains with EL. the power was mixed,usually just one EL unit to 2 CNJs. but after awhile the trains got longer and more EL power could be found on the head end. the trains mainly pulled traffic off of PC/LV and were maybe the one brite spot of CNJ. Spikre
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