Amtrak Photo Archive
an unofficial Amtrak site



the SDP-40F Locomotives #600-650


When Amtrak started, almost everything it inherited was old and tired. One of the first new equipment purchased were new, state of the art locomotives. After all. if failed, locomotives would be sold, but what would you do with new passenger cars if Amtrak failed. A three thousand horsepower locomotive, based on the popular SD-40 was built new for Amtrak by EMD in 1973-74. Unfortunately these new locomotives were plagued by derailments most were traded in. Many parts were reused on the FP-40PHR. Eighteen were sold to the Santa Fe and after changing the trucks, used them for many years

A few ended their Amtrak service in work train service. By 1980 there were only 68 left on the roster.

SDP 500-549 now located here
SDP 550-599 now located here


for more on the final phase of the Amtrak SDP story, visit Evan Werkema's excellent site about the ATSF SDPs
When you get the page loaded, click on the image or engine number to view a larger image
 Location & Information
 DATE
  PHOTO CREDIT

600

 Denver CO
 Sept 25, 1977

 John Tudek

601
  

 Oct 1974

 Joseph Testagrose
601  Tampa FL  Aug 1979  Dick Leonhardt
 602 Auburndale FL
on the southbound train #83		 Aug 15, 1974  
 no photo yet  603      
604  Auburndale FL
leading the northbound
train #84		  Aug 15, 1974  
604  Washington DC  August 1977  Dick Leonhardt
 605 Nashville TN  October 1974  from the
collection of
Jim Hebner
 no photo yet 606      
607 Washington DC
Ivy City Terminal		 Summer 1977  GR Harper 
 607 Washington DC
Ivy City Terminal		  April 1977  from the
collection of
Albert Phleep
608  Washington DC July 27, 1974  M Rudinsky
 Auburndale FL
leading train #91 west
August 15, 1974
609  Miami FL  Nov 25, 1975  
609  Potomac Yard
Arlington VA
delivered June 19, 1974
Sold/traded in to EMD
became EMD 169		  February 1978  Dick Leonhardt
169 former Amtrak 609
now EMD 169
used as a test bed for
EMD projects		   from the
collection of
Jim Hebner
  169   Homewood IL  July 31, 1987  Paul Hunnell

610

 unknown
 July 1974  R.E. Fall
610  Aburndale FL
#91 southbound		  Aug 16, 1974  from the
collection of
Albert Phleep 

610

 Ft Lauderdale FL
pulling 15 cars plus one full baggage, northbound

 1985
 from the
collection of
Robert Fish

610
     
611 unknown location
a rare Phase 2 paint job 		 August 1977   from the
collection of
Albert Phleep
612 New Orleans LA
had been in service for less than a week when it was photographed by Mike on the Panama Limited !
visit Mike Palmieri's excellent
LOUISIANA·RAIL·SITE		 June 26, 1974  Michael M. Palmieri

613

 Clearwater FL
 August 7

 Dick Leonhardt
613      

614
 

 Feb 1976

 Fran Wiener

614

 Buffalo NY
 May 10, 1977

 unknown
614  Joliet IL
something is VERY wrong here		  May 26, 1977  Glenn F Monhart
614  Baldwin FL  July 10, 1978   from the
collection of
Albert Phleep
615 Buffalo NY March 1977    from the
collection of
Albert Phleep
615 Buffalo NY  March 1977     from the
collection of
Albert Phleep
616
Chicago IL
from the 18th Street bridge
April 1974
from the
collection of
Albert Phleep
(G Strum)
Los Angeles CA
Sunset Limited with San Diegans in the background.

1977
Jon Waide

617

 Point Magu CA
delivered June 25, 1974

 June 1979

 Dick Leonhardt

618

 Richmond VA

 May 10. 1980

 Jim Hebner

618

 Richmond VA

  May 10. 1980

 Jim Hebner
 no photo yet  619      
 no photo yet  620      

621
 Sacramento CA  August 13, 1974  Mel Lawrence

621
 Denver CO  Jan 2, 1979  Jerry Plamer

621
 Los Angeles CA
Redondo Jct		  Jan 10, 1981 Timothy Dickinson

622
 Denver CO  Nov 16 1975  John Tudek

 622
 Denver CO Mar. 9, 1980 John Tudek
 no photo yet  623 623_1974-11_Lincoln, NE.jpg"

 		    
 no photo yet  624 trak 624_1974-10-04_Lincoln, NE_a.jpg"

 		    

 625
 Cleburne TX Feb 27, 1977  unknown
626  Stockton CA  June 21, 1976   from the
collection of
Albert Phleep

626

 Los Angeles CA
 Jan 23, 1982

 Steve Gartner

626
     

 627

 Denver CO
 Nov 2, 1977

 John Tudek

628
   Nov 21, 1976  
628  West Palm Beach FL  July 5,1980  Michael Reid
 no photo yet 629      
BNSF
6972		 Amtrak 629 was sold to ATSF
Became ATSF 5962
in Dec 2000 became BNSF 6972		 November 1998  Jim Hanrahan 
BNSF
6972		 Amtrak 629 was sold to ATSF
Became ATSF 5962
in Dec 2000 became BNSF 6972		 November 1998  Jim Hanrahan 
         


630 Chicago IL Aug 3, 1981  Jim
Sponholz 
631  Auburndale FL
train #84 northbound		  August 16, 1974  from the
collection of
Albert Phleep 
631  Lakeland FL
train #85 westbound		  August 21, 1974  from the
collection of
Albert Phleep 

631
  September 1974  R.E. Fall
  631 Savannah GA Dec 26, 1979 unknown
632 Sebring FL
sold to ATSF became their 5264
in Dec 2000 it was
renumbered BNSF 6974		 Nov 24, 1976  from the
collection of
Albert Phleep 
633  unknown location August 1977  from the
collection of
Albert Phleep 

633

 Potomac Yard
Arlington VA
delivered July 9, 1974
 February 1979

 Dick Leonhardt
     Sanford FL  Sept 29, 1979  

ATSF
5259

 Chicago IL
633 after being sold to ATSF

 July 27, 1987

 Paul Hunnell
ATSF
5261		  Phoenix AZ
634 after being sold to ATSF		  October 5, 1988  Dick Cambell
 no photo yet
635
 ATSF 5254 ex-Amtrak 635 Houston TX 9-93
Sept 1993
636  Aburndale
with train #81 westbound		  Aug 16, 1974   from the
collection of
Albert Phleep 
637  Auburndale FL
with train #85 westbound		  15aug74  from the
collection of
Albert Phleep 
 no photo yet 638       

639

 Norfolk VA
delivered July 24, 1974
 September 1975

 Dick Leonhardt

639

 Norfolk VA
 September 1975

 Dick Leonhardt

639

 Norfolk VA
 September 1975

 Dick Leonhardt
. 639  Chicago IL  March 18, 1976  George Horna
  639 West Palm Beach FL March 1979 Michael Reid
. 639  Chicago IL  March 18, 1976  George Horna
 640  Auburn WA
sold to ATSF became their 5256
now BNSF 6966		 May 10, 1999  Jim Czarnecki 
 641 Auburndale FL
on a westbound train 81		 Aug 15, 1974  from the
collection of
Albert Phleep
no photo yet   642      
 643  Sanford FL  Aug 19, 1974  from the
collection of
Albert Phleep
643  Los Angeles CA
delivered July 31, 1974		 Sept 12, 1981  Steve Gartner
 644 Washington DC  Feb 23, 1980  V Delgado 
644 Wash DC 
strobe detail		 Feb 23, 1980  V Delgado 
644  Washington DC
sold to ATSF
became their 5267
now (Dec 2000)
BNSF 6976		 March 1981   from the
collection of
Jim Hebner
  BNSF
6976		 ex Amtrak 644 was recently painted for MAERSK-Sealand in MAERSK Baby Blue & Silver for a new ocean terminal's opening in Southern California. It might be the last paint scheme applied to a SDP40  Fall 2002  Courtesy of
Motive Power
Rosters /
Mike Schattl
BNSF
6976		 Portland OR 
Amtrak 644 has been preserved!		    
644 Portland OR  Dec 22, 2013 Chris Fussell
644 moving to Ogden UT! Feb 4, 2014 Chris Fussell
645  Savannah GA
view the strobes mounted on the nose
sold to ATSF became their 5266
now (Dec 2000) BNSF 6977		  April 25, 1980   from the
collection of
Jim Hebner
 no photo yet 646      
  647  Washington DC May 10, 1978  unknown
  647    June 1979  unknown
648  Chicago IL
delivered August 28, 1974		  Sept 24, 1978 Dennis Kupetz
  648 West Palm Beach FL Jan 1980 Michael Reid
649  Chicago IL
delivered August 28, 1974
the last SDP built		  May 1978 Dennis Kupetz
649  BWI Airport Station MD
how the mighty have fallen
in work train service -
here on the front of a rail train		  October 1982  Bill Hakkarinen
5265  Phoenix AZ
649 after being sold to the ATSF		  Oct 18, 1993  Dick Campbell
   5265  Phoenix AZ
649s nose modifications
by ATSF
now (Dec 2000) BNSF 6975		  Oct 18, 1993  Dick Campbell
         
         

In 1984, 18 were sold/swapped to the AT&SF for SBB1200s and CF-7s
They were rebuilt at the ATSF San Bernardino Shops Jan-May 1985 and placed into service

 Amtrak #
 ATSF #
  Amtrak #
 ATSF #
 511
 5251
 633
5259
 526
 5255
 638
5260
 628
 5258
 643
5250
 632
5264
 649
5265
 635
5254
 622
5257
 640
 5256
 630
5253
 645
 5267
 634
5261
 615
 5252
 639
5263
 629
5262
 644
5266

BNSF retired them and stripped them for parts in 2002
One Survives - 644

 

 

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Contributions welcome and credited.

Most of the photos on this site are from original photos/slides or submissions. Some photos are from the web - I have tried to get permission to use on all of them, but a few may have slipped through. Please, let me know if that has happened.

 

 

This archive was first accessed August 1996