NEW FEATURES:
All-new LED lighting
Rubber MU hoses for durability
Models equipped with DCC+Sound will have the new 645E3 20-cylinder prime mover recording by SoundTraxx
The effort continues to enhance Athearn Genesis models per customer requests and feedback. There has been a lot of activity behind the scenes; we’re excited to include new features often requested, to the SDP45 and upcoming Genesis models.

SP FEATURES:
As-built SP-version SDP45
Carbody with correct walkway light placement for walkway water fill step-ups
Correct placement of walkway water fills
SP-version steam generator hatch and vent
Icicle breakers front and rear
Tall SP plow with steam line door
Front angled coupler cut lever
Boiler water transfer hoses front and rear
Front drop step
Front MU stand with field loop receptacle
Nose top vent
“L”-window cab
Roof mounted bell
Rectangular cab vents
Full front SP light package
Cab gyralight – effect with DCC+Sound
Red Nose UDE light – effect with e-stop application DCC+Sound
Sunshades
Nathan P3 air horn
Round base whip antenna
Extended range dynamic brake
Flat long hood end
Rear pilot mounted MU receptacle
Rear early coupler lever
5000 gallon fuel and water tank
Flexicoil-C Trucks with high/low brake cylinders and Hyatt bearings
CR FEATURES:
Low profile roof details: dust bin hatch, dynamic brake fans, exhaust stack, engine compartment “T” vent, and radiator fans
Leslie SU-3L-R air horn mounted on low clearance bracket
Cab signal box
Rectangular grid radiator intake grilles
#6670 AND #6681:
Dual control stands
Front and rear MU hose catch tray with bottom reinforcing strip
#6687 AND #6694:
Single control stand
Front standard EMD low snowplow
Rear MU hose catch tray with bottom reinforcing strip
MKCX FEATURES:
Perfect for the TankTrain!
Former EL freight service SDP45 (SD45M)
Each roadnumber Primed for Grime with unique patches & markings
Low profile roof details: dust bin hatch, dynamic brake fans, exhaust stack, engine compartment “T” vent, and radiator fans
Leslie SU-3L-R air horn mounted on low clearance bracket
5,000 gallon fuel tank
Frame mounted bell
Flexicoil-C Trucks with high brake cylinders and Hyatt bearings
Morrison-Knudsen was a major leaser of secondhand locomotives in the 80s and 90s. During this time, a group of ex-Conrail SDP45s were on the lease roster. MK acquired these former CR SDP45s from VMV and they were leased to a variety of railroads including the SP until 1996.

Although many of the former EL/CR SDP45s were rebuilt into SD40M-2s, a few were not, and left as-is for the remainder of their service throughout the western United States.

EL FEATURES:
As-built EL freight service SDP45 (SD45M)
Low profile roof details: dust bin hatch, dynamic brake fans, exhaust stack, engine compartment “T” vent, and radiator fans
Leslie SU-3L-R air horn mounted on low clearance bracket
Front and rear MU hose catch tray with bottom reinforcing strip
Trainline, and 3-hose MU clusters with silver ends
Front and rear deck-mounted MU stands
Front and rear early “straight” coupler cut levers
Dual single louver battery box doors and sub-base doors with stiffener rib
Standard “35-Line” cab with armrests and sunshade tracks
Low profile standard range dynamic brake housing with retrofitted side vents
Rectangular grid radiator intake grilles
5,000 gallon fuel tank
Frame mounted bell
Flexicoil-C Trucks with brake cylinder position per prototype and Hyatt bearings
The Erie Lackawanna Railroad ordered 34 SD45Ms in 1969 and 1970. Intended for freight service, these units had standard (angled) long hood ends, the extra space aft of the radiators had concrete ballast. Their longer frames permitted a larger fuel tank which gave the locomotives a greater range between fuel stops.

This page is based on the copyrighted Wikipedia article “SDP45”; it is used under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License (CC-BY-SA). You may redistribute it, verbatim or modified, providing that you comply with the terms of the CC-BY-SA.

GN FEATURES:
As-built GN-version SDP45
Carbody with correct walkway light placement for water fill step-ups
Correct placement of walkway water fills • Great Northern signboards mounted on the handrails
GN-version steam generator hatch and exhaust • EMD low snowplow with steam line door
Early “straight” coupler cut levers
4-hose MU hose clusters
Boiler water transfer hoses front and rear
Front short MU stand
Illuminated Western-Cullen beacon effect with DCC+Sound
No sunshades
Leslie S3LR air horn
Firecracker antenna
Standard-range dynamic brake
Winterization hatch
Rear pilot mounted MU receptacle
5000 gallon fuel + water tank
Flexicoil-C Trucks with high/low brake cylinders and Hyatt bearings
Dual end sanding lines
The Great Northern Railway purchased eight SDP45s in 1967 to replace F-units on the Empire Builder. Normally paired back-to-back, they were also used singly leading F-units. These joined six smaller SDP40 locomotives ordered in 1966 for the Western Star. After the startup of Amtrak in 1971, Great Northern Railway successor Burlington Northern Railroad converted all fourteen SDP locomotives to freight service.

This page is based on the copyrighted Wikipedia article “SDP45”; it is used under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License (CC-BY-SA). You may redistribute it, verbatim or modified, providing that you comply with the terms of the CC-BY-SA.

LOCOMOTIVE FEATURES:
Safety tread on walkways
Fine-scale handrails for scale appearance
Factory applied wire grab irons
Windshield wipers
See through cab windows
Detailed and painted cab interior
Sliding side cab windows
Metal lift rings
Fully-assembled and ready-to-run
DCC-ready features Quick Plug™ plug-and-play technology with a 21-pin NEM connector
Scaled from prototype resources including drawings, photographs, and more
Accurately painted and printed paint schemes
Body mounted McHenry operating scale knuckle couplers
Genesis driveline with 5-pole skew wound motor, precision machined flywheels, and multi-link drivetrain for trouble free operation
All-wheel drive with precision gears for smooth and quiet operation
All-wheel electrical pickup provides reliable current flow
Wheels with RP25 contours operate on all popular brands of track
New LEDs for realistic appearance
Bi-directional constant lighting so headlight brightness remains constant
Heavy die-cast frame for greater traction and more pulling power
Packaging securely holds for the model for safe storage
Minimum radius: 18”
Recommended radius: 22”
SOUND EQUIPPED MODELS ALSO FEATURE:
Onboard DCC decoder with SoundTraxx Tsunami2 decoder
Sound units operate in both DC and DCC
Some functions are limited in DC
Engine, horn, and bell sounds work in DC
All functions NMRA compatible in DCC mode
Slow speed control
Program a multiple unit (MU) lashup with lead unit only horn, bell, and lights
Many functions can be altered via Configuration Value (CV) changes
CV chart included in the box
For a complete list of features, visit athearn.com
PROTOTYPE INFO:
In the 1960s, railroads were looking to replace aging EMD E-units and Alco PAs for passenger service. EMD responded by adding a steam generator compartment to the long hood end of their SD45. This required a longer frame and resulted in the creation of the SDP45. Three railroads originally purchased SDP45s: Southern Pacific, Great Northern, and Erie Lackawanna. Over the decades, the SDP45s were then acquired by other railroads through mergers, leasing companies, and rebuild programs.
Specifications
DCC: Equipped
SOUND: Tsunami2
PROTOTYPE MANUFACTURER: EMD
Axles: 6
LIGHTED: LED Lighting
Minimum Age Recommendation: 14 years
Is Assembly Required: No