HEMAN OK June 18 1979 — Santa Fe SD45 5605 heads west with train 138. EMD built the unit (s/n 35010) in May-June 1969, delivered it as an RCE Locotrol lead unit and painted in Bookends livery consisting of blue body and yellow ends. Sometime after August 26 1972 it was repainted in blue body with yellow warbonnet. In September 1985 the San Bernardino CA shops rebuilt the unit as an SD45u. As part of the proposed Southern Pacific, Santa Fe merger the shops painted it into SPSF livery with red body, yellow warbonnet, black roof and black frame. It was renumbered SPSF 5401. It was the second Santa Fe unit to be painted in the merger livery. It was essentially the same livery as that which was on the first SPSF repaint, ATSF 5394, but with yellow lettering instead of white. Within a matter of weeks, the paint job was modified to reflect the final version of the SPSF scheme with three stripes in the noseband instead of four and a higher level of the black roof line extending just to the bottom of the dynamic brake blister. In a July 1986 decision the Interstate Commerce Commission denied the merger. Before Jan 1 1991 the unit regained its yellow warbonnet livery and was renumbered ATSF 5401. Santa Fe retired the unit in April 1995. On Sept 22 1995 it was transferred to Burlington Northern Santa Fe in yellow warbonnet livery and renumbered to BNSF 6412 with 15-inch BNSF lettering on the cab sides. It was retired in April 1995 and acquired by National Railway Equipment Co. and renumbered NREX 6412. My photo.
