EMD SD60

{{Short description|North American locomotive class}}

{{Infobox locomotive

| name = EMD SD60

| powertype = Diesel-electric

| gauge = {{track gauge|ussg|allk=on}}
{{track gauge|5ft3in|lk=on}}, Brazil

| image = CEFX 6014.jpg

| caption = Ex-SOO SD60 no. 6014, now owned by CIT (CEFX), at Lincoln, Nebraska in October 2014.

| builder = Electro-Motive Division (EMD)
General Motors Diesel (GMD)

| poweroutput = {{convert|3,800|hp|MW|abbr=on|lk=on}} at 900 rpm

| multipleworking = AAR

| maxspeed = {{convert|70|mph|0|abbr=on}}

| tractiveeffort = Starting: {{convert|114000|lbf|kN|abbr=on}} @ 25%
Continuous: {{convert|100000|lbf|kN|0|abbr=on}} @{{convert|9.8|mph|kph|1|abbr=on}}

| aarwheels = C-C

| buildmodel = SD60

| builddate = 1984–1995

| primemover = EMD 16-710G3A

| enginetype = V16 diesel

| wheeldiameter = {{convert|40|in|abbr=on}}

| wheelbase = {{convert|13|ft|7|in|2|abbr=on}}

| length = {{convert|71|ft|2|in|2|abbr=on}}

| height = {{convert|15|ft|7.5|in|2|abbr=on}}

| width = {{convert|10|ft|3|in|abbr=on}}

| locoweight = {{convert|368000|lb|kg|0|abbr=on}}

| cylindercount = 16

| alternator = AR-11

| tractionmotors = D-87

| totalproduction = 1,668

| disposition = Most still in service as of 2016, 1 preserved

| operator = See original owners

| locale = North America, Brazil

}}

The EMD SD60 is a {{convert|3800|hp|kW}}, six-axle diesel-electric locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division, intended for heavy-duty drag freight or medium-speed freight service. It was introduced in 1984, and production ran until 1995.

History and development

The SD60 is essentially identical to the SD50 externally, but has a different prime mover, the new 16-cylinder EMD 710G3A, and a computer-controlled electrical system. Chicago & North Western's railroad manual estimated that the SD60 is 3% more fuel efficient than one SD50, while a pair of SD60s was up to 16% more efficient than three SD40s pulling a standard coal train.{{Cite book|last=Solomon|first=Brian|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DO0mXy33FB8C&pg=PA148|title=EMD Locomotives|year=2006 |publisher=Voyageur Press|isbn=978-1-61060-379-9|pages=148–151|language=en}}

Norfolk Southern has been modernizing their old SD60s since 2010 into SD60Es, a model specific to NS.{{Cite book|last=Esposito|first=Christopher|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aLCIDwAAQBAJ&dq=SD60E&pg=PT62|title=Locomotives of the Eastern United States|date=2018-11-15|publisher=Amberley Publishing|isbn=978-1-4456-8303-4|language=en}}

Models

Several variants of the SD60 were built, including:

=SD60=

This was the original model, and had a conventional hood unit configuration with the 40 Series (spartan) cab first employed on the SD40-2.

=SD60F=

The SD60F was ordered and was operated by Canadian National and has a full-width cowl body and crashworthy "safety cab" with a four-piece windshield. CN retired the SD60F in 2017, however a handful were sold off and are still working on two shortlines in North Dakota. Dakota, Missouri Valley and Western Railroad has six, and the Northern Plains Railroad has five. 14 units are currently on the Aberdeen, Carolina & Western Railway in North Carolina.

=SD60I=

The SD60I model has a full-width short hood and features the so-called "WhisperCab" that was insulated from sound and vibration using a system of rubber gaskets. They are easily distinguished from the SD60M by the visible vertical seam just behind the front of the nose. The same cab was later used on EMD's SD70I, SD75I, SD80MAC and SD90MAC locomotives. Only Conrail ordered this model, and after 1999 all were split between the Norfolk Southern and CSX. All SD60i locomotives have either have been scrapped, sold to new owners or retired.

=SD60M=

The SD60M features a "North American safety cab" design and has a full-width short hood. Early models until 1990 featured a three-piece windshield with vertical windows (nicknamed "triclops"), identical to the windshields found on EMD's SD40-2F and F59PH models. Later production from 1991 used two windshield panes that were sloped back, and had a somewhat shorter nose tapered on the sides. Purchasers of this model included Conrail, Union Pacific, Burlington Northern and the Soo Line Railroad. Conrail's orders were split between the Norfolk Southern and CSX upon their acquisitions of parts Conrail in 1999. All Norfolk Southern and CSX SD60M locomotives have either been scrapped, sold to new owners, or retired.

=SD60MAC=

The SD60MAC is similar to the SD60M but is equipped with alternating current traction motors. Although four demonstrator SD60MAC units tested on the Burlington Northern proved the viability of EMD's AC traction system, all subsequent orders were for the SD70MAC locomotive.

File:Sooline2-1.jpg

image:CN Loco No.5536.jpg

Image:EMD SD601.jpg 8747, Plymouth, Michigan ]]

Image:UP 2317.jpg

Image:BNSF 1461.jpg

=SD60E=

File:NS-SD60E-Ayer.jpg

The SD60E is a custom rebuild of standard cab SD60 for Norfolk Southern created at the Juniata Shops with the prototype being delivered in 2010 and the majority of the production taking place between 2013 and 2017. The SD60E utilizes a new NS-designed wide nose cab with increased crash protection, new electronics and up-rating the engine to the 4000 hp 710G3B standard. Norfolk Southern bought additional SD60s from Helm Leasing specifically for the SD60E program with the aim to eventually rebuild 240 SD60s, however the project was terminated after 135 had been completed and Norfolk Southern's remaining inventory of unrebuilt SD60, SD60M and SD60I locomotives were subsequently sold or scrapped in 2019. In May 2021, Norfolk Southern regeared SD60E numbers 7034 and 7035 to go 79mph and assigned the locomotives to the railroad's Office Car Special train.{{cite web|url=http://www.altoonaworks.info/rebuilds/ns_sd60e.html |title=NS SD60E Rebuilds |publisher=AltoonaWorks.info |access-date=2012-09-09}}

Current and original owners

class="wikitable"
style="width:160px;"|Railroad

!width="40"| Qty.

! style="width:110px;"| Road numbers

colspan="3" | EMD SD60
Burlington Northern

|3

|8300-8302

Chicago & North Western

|55

|8001-8055

Conrail

|25

|6843-6867 (to NS 6701-6716)

CSX

|26

|8700-8721, 8787-8790

EMDX

|4

|1-4

Kansas City Southern

|46

|714-759

Norfolk Southern

|151

|6550-6700

Oakway, Inc., subsidiary of Connell Finance Company, Inc.

|100

|9000-9099

Soo Line

|58

|6000-6057

Union Pacific

|85

|6000-6084 (renumbered 2100–2239)

Canadian National

|90

|5400-5489

Watco

|6

|6623, 6627, 6656, 6667, 6668, 6695 (former Norfolk Southern acquired)

colspan="3" | NS SD60E
Norfolk Southern

|135

|6900-7035 (not consecutive)

colspan="3" | EMD SD60F
Canadian National

|64

|5500-5563

Aberdeen Carolina Western

|13

|5520-5521, 5526-5527, 5534, 5536, 5539, 5545, 5548-5549, 5558-5560

Dakota, Missouri Valley and Western Railroad

|6

|5500-5501, 5504, 5523, 5544, 5557

Northern Plains Railroad

|5

|5513, 5517-5518, 5525, 5535

colspan="3" | EMD SD60I
Conrail

|81

|5544, 5575-5654

Norfolk Southern

|46

|6717-6762

CSX

|53

|8722-8774

Terminal Railroad Association of St Louis

|2

|4001-4002

Buffalo & Pittsburgh Railroad

|6

|3880-3885

colspan="3" | EMD SD60M
Burlington Northern

|100

|1991, 9200-9298

Conrail

|74

|5500-5543, 5545-5574 (in 1999: 44 becoming Norfolk Southern 6763-6806 and 31 becoming CSX 8756-8786)

Soo Line

|5

|6058-6062

Union Pacific

|281

|6085-6365 (renumbered 2169, 2240–2520); 28 (renumbered 9900–9927) rebuilt as SD59MX (EMD SD59M-2)

Norfolk Southern

|53

|6763-6806 (from Conrail 1999) 6807-6815 (former BNSF acquired 07-2014)

CSX

|31

|8756-8786 (from Conrail 1999)

Buffalo & Pittsburgh Railroad

|7

|3886-3892

Carajás Railroad (Vale)

|2

|601-602

Watco

|41

|6013-6015,

6022-6045

6047-6059

(former Union Pacific acquired){{Cite web |title=WATCO Rail Services - WAMX |url=https://www.thedieselshop.us/WAMX.HTML |access-date=10 May 2025 |website=The Diesel Shop}}

Wisconsin & Southern

|8

|6165, 6092, 6125, 6141, 6183, 6224, 6240, 6238 (Renumbered 6022-6029)

Yadkin Valley Railroad

|6

|8769, 8771–8772, 8781, 8783, 8786

Totals1,668

Preservation

In October 2019, Norfolk Southern donated SD60I #6721 (ex. Conrail #5582) to Penn State University Altoona, marking one of the first Conrail road locomotives to survive into preservation. It has moved to the Railroaders Memorial Museum as of 2023.{{cite web |url=https://altoona.psu.edu/story/61096/2023/10/30/new-home-locomotive-benefits-altoonas-rte-program-railroaders-museum | title=New home for locomotive benefits Altoona's RTE program, Railroaders Museum }}

See also

References

{{reflist}}

  • {{cite book | author = Diesel Era| title = EMD's SD60 Series – Steppingstone to the 21st Century| publisher = Diesel Era | year = n.d. | isbn = 1-881411-08-7 }}
  • {{cite book | author = Union Pacific Railroad Locomotive Department| title = Locomotive Diagram Book| publisher = Union Pacific | year = 1994}}
  • [http://www.thedieselshop.us/ The Diesel Shop Locomotive Rosters]
  • Memória do Trem [https://web.archive.org/web/20120118212847/http://www.trem.org.br/guiaigl.htm Locomotive Rosters Carajás Railroad]