HO – In the late 1960s, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway sought to replace its aging EMD cab units with a new generation of streamlined motive power for its passenger trains and expedited priority freight trains. EMD’s answer to the call were its FP45 and F45 locomotives. Essentially SD45s and SDP45s with a streamlined cowling over the mechanicals, these big locomotives brought an angular modern appearance to the rails unlike anything prior. New from Athearn’s premium Genesis line is its latest production of EMD F45s and FP45s in several authentic paint schemes and era-specific variations for Santa Fe, Montana Rail Link, Wisconsin & Southern, Great Northern (Big Sky Blue), Montana Rail Link and Morrison-Knudsen (patched yellow warbonnet). DC/DCC-ready silent models retail for $249.99 each, while DC+DCC+Sound locomotives equipped with Soundtraxx Tsunami2 decoders are $349.99. Available now while supplies last.
Athearn • 2904 Research Road • Champaign, Illinois 61822 • www.athearn.com
Now available in HO scale are EMD F45 and FP45 locomotives from Athearn’s premium Genesis product line. Athearn’s model of FP45 Santa Fe 90 represents the “SuperFleet” iteration of the classic red warbonnet paint scheme which was reintroduced in 1989 by Mike Haverty – Santa Fe’s CEO at the time.
Though initially delivered from EMD in Santa Fe’s classic red warbonnet livery, Santa Fe’s FP45s were repainted into the blue and yellow pinstripe colors after 1971 when Amtrak took over passenger service on the Santa Fe. The FP45s were reassigned to lead high-priority freight trains including Santa Fe’s famed Super C – the fastest regularly scheduled freight train in the world at the time.
A view from above reveals the key difference between a F45 and an FP45. The FP45 was intended primarily to pull passenger trains, thus the added steam generator compartment for heat and lighting at the rear behind the radiator section, making for a locomotive measuring 70’ 8” long. The F45 was a bit over three feet shorter at 67’ 5” overall.
In April 1994, 21 of Santa Fe’s remaining F45 fleet was sold to Morrison-Knudsen. M-K then leased these units back to the Santa Fe, but with “MKM” sublettering beneath the road number. Athearn’s rendition of Santa Fe/MKM 5973 accurately captures the flavor of its prototype with its cab roof fitted with air conditioning, a platform formerly used to mount a rotary beacon and antenna ground plane “tables” for radio communications and EOT signals.
