EMD SD60F

EMD SD60 series

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

Type and origin Power type Diesel-electric Builder GM Electro-Motive Division (EMD) General Motors Diesel (GMD) Build date 1984–1995 Total produced 1,140

Specifications AAR wheel arr. C-C Gauge 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge 5 ft 3 in (1,600 mm), Brazil Prime mover EMD 16-710G3A Engine type V16 diesel Alternator AR-11 Traction motors D-87 Cylinders 16

Performance figures Power output 3,800 hp (2.8 MW) at 900 rpm

Career Operators See original owners Locale North America, Brazil Disposition most still in service as of 2016

The EMD SD60 is a 3,800 horsepower (2,800 kW), 6-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.

The development of the 16-cylinder EMD 50 and 60 series locomotives in the late 1970s and early 1980s was spurred by the introduction of 3,600 horsepower (2,700 kW) 16-cylinder GE B36-7 (B-B) and GE C36-7 (C-C) locomotives by EMD's main competitor General Electric. EMD previously manufactured the 3,600 hp (2,700 kW) 20-cylinder SD45 and SD45-2 locomotives, but they had a reputation for high fuel consumption. In 1980, the SD50 model was added to the EMD Catalog. However, the SD50's electrical reliability was poor and, similarly, the 3,500 horsepower (2,600 kW) 16-645F engine had poor mechanical reliability, both believed to be largely due to excessive vibration from the 950 maximum rpm of the 645F prime mover. It was time to develop a replacement for the venerable 645 engine which, in its earlier 16-645E form, had proved to be exceptionally reliable. EMD therefore quickly commenced development of the SD60 series, which would eliminate the weaknesses of the SD50. The lessons learned in developing the 645F crankcase and crankshaft (for the earlier 20-645E, and the then-current 16-645F) were incorporated in the replacement, the 710G, first employed in the SD60. Although the carbody and frame are nearly indistinguishable from the earlier SD50, the SD60 featured the new 16-cylinder EMD 710G3A prime mover, AR-11 traction alternator, D-87 traction motors and a microprocessor-based control system that governed various electrical systems within the locomotive (e.g., wheel slip and transition).

The SD60 proved to be more reliable and fuel-efficient than the SD50, but it was not a resounding success in terms of regaining the market share that was lost due to the electrical and mechanical issues that plagued the earlier SD50. The goal was to equal or exceed the reliability of the earlier 645E-powered 3,000 horsepower (2,200 kW) SD40-2, which was an industry standard benchmark for reliability, in the new 710G-powered 3,800 horsepower (2,800 kW) SD60. This goal was largely achieved and the later 710G-powered 4,000 horsepower (3,000 kW) SD70M received what would be the largest single order for new locomotives, a 1,000 unit order from Union Pacific, (numbered UP 4000 through 4999, inclusive), which was later extended by nearly 500 additional SD70M units (numbered UP 3999 and below, and UP 5000 and above), and by nearly 1,000 additional units if UP's SD70ACe orders are included.