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"SD35", A Model In The '35 Line'

Last revised: December 17, 2024

By: Adam Burns

The SD35 introduced Electro-Motive's so-called "35 Line" which began with the GP35 of 1963.  In his book, "Vintage Diesel Locomotives," author Mike Schafer notes this line introduced EMD's basic carbody appearance - notably the Spartan Cab - that would continue through the 1980s.

The SD35 was a 2,500 horsepower, six-axle, locomotive - part of EMD's Special Duty line - that provided signficantly greater tractive effort than its four-axle counterpart.   

Produced between June, 1964 and January, 1966, it was a transitional model in the EMD catalog, boasting one of the final variants of the builder's legendary 567 prime mover.

Ultimately, only a few railroads purchased the model although as the builder continued to refine its product - and the industry transitioned away from four-axle products - its future variants witnessed unprecedented success.

Photos

With a friendly wave from the engineer in the cab of Norfolk & Western SD35 #1555 running long-hood forward, a westbound pig train rolls through Hamburg, New York on June 2, 1974. Doug Kroll photo.

History

While railroads remained committed to four-axle models in general road service that sentiment was beginning to change by the 1960s and it could be seen in increasingly higher sales for EMD's Special Duty line.

The SD35 began production in June, 1964 and ultimately sold some 360 examples during a very brief production run of only 19 months. The model followed the earlier SD7, SD9, SD18, SD24, and SD28; all sold only modestly but, as the SD9 foretold, the future looked bright for the series.

Following the SD35, the later SD40 sold more than 1,200 examples while its Dash 2 counterpart was of the best selling models EMD ever cataloged.

The locomotive utilized General Motors' tried and proven 16-cylinder model 567D3A prime mover, which could produce 2,500 horsepower.  In his book, "EMD Locomotives," author Brian Solomon notes a 390,000 pound SD35 offered 97,540 pounds of starting tractive effort.  

It was more than 30,000 pounds better than a comparable GP35 and its greater footing largely explains why railroads moved away from comparable four-axle variants. 

Spartan Cab

Perhaps the most noticeable trait of the SD35 was its carbody.  Beginning with the 35 series, EMD used a "simplified" design, which became standard on virtually all new models until the FRA-mandated safety cab went into effect during the late 1980s/early 1990s.

Conrail SD35 #6041 and SD45-2 #6666 work helper service shoving on a westbound freight climbing Horseshoe Curve as the train passes the Visitors Center in August, 1982. At this time Pennsylvania 4-6-2 #1361 (K-4s) was still on display. Rob Kitchen photo.

The long hood was not significantly different from earlier models but the cab, which EMD referred to as the Spartan (otherwise known as the Standard Cab), became an industry classic with a low, short nose and front windshield. 

This design could partially be seen on the earlier GP30 which featured a hybrid-like cab between the Spartan and EMD's very first low-nose design with an angled nose.

General Motors SD35 #1565 (originally a Norfolk & Western unit built in 1965) mingles with early CSX power at Cumberland, Maryland on October 28, 1990. Wade Massie photo.

While the SD35 was intended for freight service also offered the model with an optional steam generator for passenger/commuter service.

Classified as an SDP35 this variant was offered as a dual-service platform during an time when the public was abandoning trains for other transportion modes. They featured none of the aesthetic touches of, say, an E9 but could handle a heavy freight train when not pulling a passenger consist.

Data Sheet and Specifications

Production Rosters

SD35

Total Built = 360

SDP35

Total Built = 15

Norfolk & Western SD35 #1546 leads a manifest freight eastbound out of the Bluefield, West Virginia terminal during November of 1980. Rob Kitchen photo.

Only 35 were built between July, 1964 and September, 1965.  Buyers included the Seaboard Air Line (20), Atlantic Coast Line (1), Louisville & Nashville (4), and Union Pacific (10).

They remained the same length as the SD35 but included the above mentioned steam generator for passenger use (the generator was housed in the open, rear porch space). 

When production had ended on the series in January, 1966 eleven different Class Is had purchased the model with Southern Railway owning the most (100).

Sources

• Foster, Gerald. A Field Guide To Trains. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1996.

• Service Department, Electro-Motive Division. General Motors Locomotives, SD35 - SDP35 Operating Manual. La Grange: General Motors Corporation, 1964. 

• Marre, Louis A. Diesel Locomotives: The First 50 Years, A Guide To Diesels Built Before 1972.  Milwaukee: Kalmbach Publishing Company, 1995.

• Pinkepank, Jerry A. Diesel Spotter's Guide.  Milwaukee: Kalmbach Publishing Company, 1967.

• Schafer, Mike. Vintage Diesel Locomotives. Osceola: MBI Publishing, 1998.

• Solomon, Brian.  EMD Locomotives.  Minneapolis: MBI Publishing Company, 2006.

• Solomon, Brian.  GE and EMD Locomotives:  The Illustrated History.  Minneapolis:  Voyageur Press, 2014.