EMD SD60
Ex-SOO SD60 no. 6014, now owned by CIT (CEFX), at Lincoln, Nebraska in October 2014.
Type and origin Power type Diesel-electric Builder Electro-Motive Division (EMD) General Motors Diesel (GMD) Model SD60 Build date 1984–1995 Total produced 1,533
Specifications Configuration: ​  • AAR C-C  • UIC Co'Co' Gauge 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge 5 ft 3 in (1,600 mm), Brazil Wheel diameter 40 in (1,000 mm) Wheelbase 13 ft 7 in (4.14 m) Length 71 ft 2 in (21.69 m) Width 10 ft 3 in (3.12 m) Height 15 ft 7.5 in (4.76 m) Loco weight 368,000 lb (166,922 kg) Prime mover EMD 16-710G3A Engine type V16 diesel Alternator AR-11 Traction motors D-87 Cylinders 16 MU working AAR
Performance figures Maximum speed 70 mph (113 km/h) Power output 3,800 hp (2.8 MW) at 900 rpm Tractive effort Starting: 114,000 lbf (510 kN) @ 25% Continuous: 100,000 lbf (445 kN) @9.8 mph (15.8 km/h)
Career Operators See original owners Locale North America, Brazil Disposition Most still in service as of 2016, 1 preserved

The EMD SD60 is a 3,800 horsepower (2,800 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.^[1]

Norfolk Southern has been modernizing their old SD60s since 2010 into SD60Es, a model specific to NS.^[2]

Models

Several variants of the SD60 were built, including:

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.

SD60E

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 79 mph and assigned the locomotives to the railroad's Office Car Special train.^[3]

Current and original owners

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.^[5]

See also

• List of GM-EMD locomotives
• List of GMD Locomotives

References

• Diesel Era (n.d.). EMD's SD60 Series – Steppingstone to the 21st Century. Diesel Era. ISBN 1-881411-08-7.
• Union Pacific Railroad Locomotive Department (1994). Locomotive Diagram Book. Union Pacific.
• The Diesel Shop Locomotive Rosters
• Memória do Trem Locomotive Rosters Carajás Railroad

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to EMD SD60 locomotives.