SDL39 EMD hood unit Profile and Models

SDL39 EMD hood unit

Milwaukee Road 588 at Austin, Minnesota in March 1982. ©Public Domain

The EMD SDL39 is a model of 6-axle diesel-electric locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between March 1969 and November 1972. Power was provided by the EMD 645E3 12-cylinder engine as used in the EMD GP39 which generated 2,300 horsepower. All 10 examples of this locomotive model were built for Milwaukee Road, who wanted a lightweight road-switcher to replace their fleet of 1947-built ALCO RSC-2s. These Milwaukee Road units were numbered 581–590. The 581 was wrecked at Sacred Heart, MN in 1983, and scrapped the following year. The remaining nine units were transferred to the Soo Line Railroad when it acquired the Milwaukee Road. All were subsequently included in the sale of the Soo's Lakes States Division (most of its network in Wisconsin and Upper Michigan, plus some lines in adjoining Illinois and Minnesota) to the new Wisconsin Central Limited. After the Wisconsin Central was purchased by, and merged into the Canadian National Railway, the nine units were returned to the lessor, and were sold to FEPASA, Chilean Freight Operation Concession.

(Information provided via Wikipedia)

Type of Locomotive

Diesel-Electric

Builder

General Motors EMD

Build Dates

1969 to 1972

Total Built

10

Power Output

2,300 hp

Wheel Configuration

C-C

Operated By

Milwaukee Road
Soo Line
Wisconsin Central
Fepasa, Chile

Main Duties

Switching

In Service Until

Present

Surviving Examples

9

 

HO Gauge (1:87 Scale)