An EMD F45 is a C-C cowled diesel-electric locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between 1968 and 1971. Power was provided by an EMD 645E3 20-cylinder engine which generated 3,600 hp.
After sponsoring the development of the FP45 passenger locomotive, the Santa Fe requested a similar freight locomotive from Electro-Motive. Where the FP45 was an SDP45 wrapped in a full-width Cowl carbody, the new F45 was essentially an SD45 given the same treatment.
Where the Santa Fe requested a full-width car-body for aesthetics, the Great Northern saw an opportunity to protect crews from the dangers of winter operation in northern climates.
The Santa Fe ordered two lots of twenty each, for 1968 delivery. Where the FP45s were delivered in Santa Fe's red, yellow and silver warbonnet colors, the forty F45s came in the blue and yellow freight colors. The second order of F45s were equipped with steam lines so that they could be used as trailing units on passenger consists.
Great Northern (GN) ordered an initial lot of six, for 1969 delivery. These were numbered immediately following a previous lot of SD45s. Another lot of eight was ordered before the first six arrived. All were factory-painted in the GN's blue, white and grey Big Sky Blue colors.
GN ordered twelve more for 1970 delivery - they were to be numbered 441-452 - but the GN merged into the Burlington Northern (BN) prior to delivery, so they arrived with BN numbers and BN's green, white and black Cascade Green colors.
BN followed with a final order for twenty in 1971. Afterwards they returned to ordering SD45s. This final order differed in several small ways from the GN specs.
Amerail's kit of the FP45 has long since disappeared from the model shop shelves but was still well moulded with its major components free from flash or any sink-holes. There are only twelve major pieces but a host of small attachments and windows to fit before painting (No PE parts in those days?) The plastic itself is quite hard and I suspect is the same used for the run-ready loco's of the day (late 1970's). My only difficulty was attaching the cast metal bogies to the lower chassis where super glue was certainly the call of the day.
Somewhere in my stash I have some rub-down decals for Burlington and ConRail (although I'll have to check as to whether the later company actually used these behemoths?) - however, that is some assembly and painting distant...
