The EMD SDP40F was a six-axle, 3000 HP diesel passenger locomotive produced by General Motors Electro-Motive Division specifically for Amtrak. It is essentially an SD40 locomotive with a cowl body and a steam generator.
History[]
Upon the formation of Amtrak in 1971, it initially inherited a number of second hand first-generation passenger locomotives, with much of it in need of replacement. Two types of locomotives were immediately identified; first, a long-ranged diesel unit equipped with large fuel tanks and water reserves to be used on long-distance journeys. The second type was a smaller, lighter unit meant to working on shorter Corridor routes. Of the two, the first was considered a priority. EMD won the contract to build 150 units, designated SDP40F.
The SDP40F was based on the proven SD40-2 locomotive. It shared the powertrain and the controls of one, but it also has a steam generator installed at the rear, for heating passenger trains. It was also built with an FP45 style cowl body. Finally, EMD used the new HT-C (High-Traction 3-Axle) truck in place of the older Flexicoil truck. It should be noted that unlike later locomotives built with the HT-C truck, the trucks on the SDP40F had hollow bolsters. The first unit was delivered in 1973, with the last unit arriving in 1974.
The SDP40F was mechanically reliable, but it experienced a number of derailments, always on the trailing unit and always on shallow curves. The hollow bolsters of the truck was immediately suspected, forcing trains pulled by SDP40Fs to slow down in curves substantially, throwing long-distance schedules out the window. Although later investigations traced the causes to the uneven weight distribution caused by the steam generators, added to a yawing effect that occurred when a lightweight baggage car was coupled behind an SDP40F, the damage was done to the reputation of the SDP40F. For the second batch of F40PHs, known as F40PHRs, a bunch of almost-new SDP40Fs were traded in and various parts reused.
These locomotives were retired from Amtrak service by 1985. Santa Fe traded a number of locomotives to Amtrak in exchange for the SDP40Fs, on a horsepower-to-horsepower basis. Before Santa Fe started using them in service, they replaced the hollow bolsters on the trucks with standard bolsters. They also removed the steam generator equipment. The SDF40-2, as it was then called, remained in service until 2002, when they were finally retired and scrapped.
Three SDP40Fs remain today, one of those, is Amtrak 644, which is preserved in Boulder City, Nevada. Bought by the Santa Fe and rebuilt to an SDF40-2 in 1984, it was renumbered to 5266, then became BNSF 6976, and was retired in 2002. It then was acquired by a private group along with Amtrak F40PHR 231, which later became incorporated as Dynamic Rail Preservation. It is currently seen with its promotional Maersk Sealand paint, and the reason of that is for Maersk's opening of its Pier 400 container terminal at the Port of Los Angeles in August, 6976 would also be used for the opening of the Intermodal yard in Joliet, Illinois. it would later have the logos patched up when it was sold, It is currently unknown what the group plans to restore the locomotive to, but it is hoped it will be restored to either its as-ordered earlier Amtrak livery, or its later Santa Fe livery. Along with 644, EMD had two SDP40Fs numbered 169 and 218, originally Amtrak 509 and 609, they remain stored at the Transportation Technology Center in Pueblo, Colorado.
Trivia[]
- Three of the Amtrak Phase II painted SDP40F's were featured in "Superman (1978)".
- The last SDP40Fs left the Amtrak roster in 1987, the remaining Amtrak SDP40Fs that weren't sold, were scrapped. And the ones that did, are also no longer around. (Besides Amtrak 509, Amtrak 609 (EMD) and Amtrak 644 (ATSF) that are still around)
See also[]
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