N FP45, WP #807

WC NOTES:

In the late 1960s, WP found itself losing money on the California Zephyr. EMD approached WP with an attractive sales proposition. Their new FP45 locomotive could serve equally well in passenger or freight service, and WP took notice. EMD also offered a generous trade-in credit for WP’s tired FP7 locomotives, along with a quick delivery time, since the units would be built concurrently with Santa Fe’s. Realizing the potential of a locomotive which could be converted easily to freight service, WP placed their order.

LOCOMOTIVE FEATURES:

• Fully-assembled and ready-to-run
• Scaled from prototype resources including drawings, field measurements, photographs, and more
• Accurately painted and printed paint schemes
• See-through cab windows
• Full cab interior
• Walkway tread
• Fine-scale Celcon handrails for scale appearance
• McHenry scale knuckle couplers
• 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
• LED headlight
• Heavy die-cast frame for greater traction and more pulling power
• Jewel case blister packaging securely holds for the model
• Replacement parts available
• Non-skid end walks
• Fine-scale end handrails for scale appearance
• Detailed and painted cab interior with control stand
• 4,000 gallon fuel tank
• Flexicoil-C sideframes with high brake cylinders
• Flush mounted portal window glass
• Snow plow or plate welded pilot
• Minimum radius: 9 ¾”

PROTOTYPE INFO:

By the early 1960’s the Electro-Motive Division (EMD) was at a big disadvantage. Their 567 engine, in use for over 20 years, had reached it’s peak at 2,500 horsepower in a turbocharged 16-cylinder version. EMD released a new 645 engine in 1966. The most powerful locomotive using this series of engine was the SD45, powered by a 20-cylinder turbocharged 645E engine producing 3600 horsepower. EMD then offered the V20 645E engine in the SDP45 in a standard hood configuration and longer frame to occomodate the steam generator needed for passenger service. The EMD SDP45 was a good passenger locomotive, but to the Santa Fe Railway it did not look the part. EMD therefore designed a lightweight “cowl” body to cover the locomotive, though it did not, as in earlier cab units, provide any structural strength, which remained in the frame. The cowl provided sleeker looks, better aerodynamics at speed, and allowed the crew to enter the engine compartment en route for diagnostics and maintenance. 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.