SDP40F #644 in Lebanon, Oregon

I photographed DLMX #644 on the Albany & Eastern in Lebanon, Oregon, on September 6, 2006.

This locomotive was originally built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in August 1974 as Amtrak #644, one of a total of 150 3,000-horsepower SDP40F locomotive built between June 1973 and August 1974 numbered from #500 to #649.

Between 1974 and 1976, Amtrak SDP40Fs were involved in 13 minor derailments resulting from a combination of the truck design, lateral motion from the steam generator water tanks, harmonic vibrations between the heavy locomotives and lightweight baggage cars, and track conditions. As a result, several railroads imposed speed restrictions on the SDP40Fs, and some others banned the SDP40Fs from their rails entirely.

Between 1977 and 1987 Amtrak traded in 132 of the SDP40Fs back to EMD for four-axle F40PH locomotives. The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe never had any problems with them, and was willing to accept 18 SDP40Fs in trade for 25 CF7 road switchers and 8 SSB1200 switchers for use at Amtrak stations in September 1984. This locomotive was part of the trade.

In May 1985, it was repainted and renumbered to ATSF #5266 as an SDF40-2. In late 1988 the nose and pilot were modified to create at front platform with standard stepwells.

The locomotive’s maintenance was transferred to Morrison-Knudsen in April 1994. Following the merger of the Burlington Northern and the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe on September 22, 1995, this locomotive became Burlington Northern Santa Fe #6976 on April 12, 1998.

After being retired in May 2002, it was painted light blue and silver for Maersk Sealand and posed with matching Norfolk Southern SD40-2 #3329 for a promotional photo shoot in late 2002.

Subsequently sold for scrap in Illinois, in 2003 it was acquired by Chris Fussell and the Northwest Rail Museum and returned to operating condition and to its original road number.

In addition to the photos, I also recorded some video footage of this locomotive in operation. This was some of my first railroad video footage.