Santa Fe began rebuilding SD45-2's in February, 1986, in the middle of the
SPSF-painting frenzy. The units were initially numbered into the SPSF
7200-series, as illustrated by recently rebuilt 7204 at Encino, NM in April, 1986.
In June, Santa Fe painted 7219 and 7221 in full SPSF lettering for official
photographs to be released upon ICC approval of the merger. When the ICC
rejected the merger, the "SP" was quickly painted out before the units were released
into general service. Thirty rebuilt SD45-2's ultimately emerged in red and yellow
paint.
Santa Fe's pre-merger numbering scheme called for EMD 6-axle road units to occupy
numbers between roughly 5000 and 6000. The rebuilt SD45-2's 7200-series numbers didn't
fit this pattern particularly well, so soon after the merger was denied, the units were
renumbered into the 5800-series. Units rebuilt after 7229 emerged from the shops
in blue and yellow with 5800-series numbers. Red and yellow SD45-2 7205 had been damaged
in an accident and was under repair at the time of the merger denial. It was released as blue
and yellow 5805, the first unit to be repainted out of the SPSF scheme.
Some renumbered SD45-2's, like 5812 above, got SPSF-style white-on-red number boards.
Others got white-on-black number boards to match the blue and yellow they would eventually
receive, such as 5802 below.
The first nine SD45-2 rebuilds had the dual Snyder and Buckeye fuel fillers common
to all Santa Fe units rebuilt between January 1985 and March 1986. Compare the two
fillers on 5802 (red caps near the top and front of the fuel tank) to the single filler
on 5812.
Last modified: May 6, 2001
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