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The locomotive was built in 1966 and eventually ended up on the Union Pacific roster. It was donated to the Utah State Railroad Museum in 2002 and since then has sat on display at the Spencer S. Eccles Rail Center, near Union Station. Along with the SD45, a collection of former Union Pacific and Rio Grande locomotives are on display.
While on the UP, the SD45 lost its unique SP-style light package. Earlier this fall, a group of volunteers led by Derrick Klarr started restoring the locomotive’s front end. Last week, the crew cut into the engine’s nose and installed a new Gyralite headlight above the cab. They also began the process of installing class lights, a nose-mounted headlight and a nose-mounted red Gyralite. Unlike a Mars Light that moves in a figure-eight, a Gyralte makes a circular motion.
Volunteer Chris Fussell tells Trains News Wire that finding the spots to cutout the class lights was pretty easy because volunteers could see where UP patched it years earlier.
Fussell says that there are currently no plans of restoring the entire locomotive, but he hopes that this little addition will generate more interest in the locomotive.
“Taking a little bit of care for these locomotives will go a long way,” he says.
For more information, visit www.theunionstation.org.
