EMD SD60

---

title: "EMD SD60" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["electro-motive-division-locomotives", "general-motors-diesel-locomotives", "c-c-locomotives", "diesel–electric-locomotives-of-the-united-states", "freight-locomotives", "standard-gauge-locomotives-of-the-united-states", "standard-gauge-locomotives-of-canada", "diesel–electric-locomotives-of-canada", "canadian-national-railway-locomotives", "chicago-and-north-western-railway-locomotives", "conrail-locomotives", "norfolk-southern-railway-locomotives", "union-pacific-railroad-locomotives", "soo-line-locomotives"] description: "North American locomotive class" topic_path: "geography/united-states" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EMD_SD60" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary North American locomotive class ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox locomotive"]

Field	Value
name	EMD SD60
powertype	Diesel-electric
gauge
, Brazil
image	CEFX 6014.jpg
caption	Ex-SOO SD60 no. 6014, now owned by CIT (CEFX), at Lincoln, Nebraska in October 2014.
builder	Electro-Motive Division (EMD)
General Motors Diesel (GMD)
poweroutput	3,800 hp at 900 rpm
multipleworking	AAR
maxspeed	70 mph
tractiveeffort	Starting: 114000 lbf @ 25%
Continuous: 100000 lbf @9.8 mph
aarwheels	C-C
buildmodel	SD60
builddate	1984–1995
primemover	EMD 16-710G3A
enginetype	V16 diesel
wheeldiameter	40 in
wheelbase	13 ft
length	71 ft
height	15 ft
width	10 ft
locoweight	368000 lb
cylindercount	16
alternator	AR-11
tractionmotors	D-87
totalproduction	1,533
disposition	Most still in service as of 2016, 1 preserved
operator	See original owners
locale	North America, Brazil
::

| name = EMD SD60 | powertype = Diesel-electric | gauge = , Brazil | image = CEFX 6014.jpg | caption = Ex-SOO SD60 no. 6014, now owned by CIT (CEFX), at Lincoln, Nebraska in October 2014. | builder = Electro-Motive Division (EMD) General Motors Diesel (GMD) | poweroutput = 3,800 hp at 900 rpm | multipleworking = AAR | maxspeed = 70 mph | tractiveeffort = Starting: 114000 lbf @ 25% Continuous: 100000 lbf @9.8 mph | aarwheels = C-C | buildmodel = SD60 | builddate = 1984–1995 | primemover = EMD 16-710G3A | enginetype = V16 diesel | wheeldiameter = 40 in | wheelbase = 13 ft | length = 71 ft | height = 15 ft | width = 10 ft | locoweight = 368000 lb | cylindercount = 16 | alternator = AR-11 | tractionmotors = D-87 | totalproduction = 1,533 | disposition = Most still in service as of 2016, 1 preserved | operator = See original owners | locale = North America, Brazil The EMD SD60 is a 3800 hp, six-axle diesel-electric locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division, intended for heavy-duty drag freight or medium-speed freight service. It was introduced in 1984, and production ran until 1995.

History and development

The SD60 is essentially identical to the SD50 externally, but has a different prime mover, the new 16-cylinder EMD 710G3A, and a computer-controlled electrical system. Chicago & North Western's railroad manual estimated that the SD60 is 3% more fuel efficient than one SD50, while a pair of SD60s was up to 16% more efficient than three SD40s pulling a standard coal train.

Norfolk Southern has been modernizing their old SD60s since 2010 into SD60Es, a model specific to NS.

Models

Several variants of the SD60 were built, including:

SD60

This was the original model, and had a conventional hood unit configuration with the 40 Series (spartan) cab first employed on the SD40-2.

SD60F

The SD60F was ordered and was operated by Canadian National and has a full-width cowl body and crashworthy "safety cab" with a four-piece windshield. CN retired the SD60F in 2017, however a handful were sold off and are still working on two shortlines in North Dakota. Dakota, Missouri Valley and Western Railroad has six, and the Northern Plains Railroad has five. 14 units are currently on the Aberdeen, Carolina & Western Railway in North Carolina.

SD60I

The SD60I model has a full-width short hood and features the so-called "WhisperCab" that was insulated from sound and vibration using a system of rubber gaskets. They are easily distinguished from the SD60M by the visible vertical seam just behind the front of the nose. The same cab was later used on EMD's SD70I, SD75I, SD80MAC and SD90MAC locomotives. Only Conrail ordered this model, and after 1999 all were split between the Norfolk Southern and CSX. All SD60i locomotives have either have been scrapped, sold to new owners or retired.

SD60M

The SD60M features a "North American safety cab" design and has a full-width short hood. Early models until 1990 featured a three-piece windshield with vertical windows (nicknamed "triclops"), identical to the windshields found on EMD's SD40-2F and F59PH models. Later production from 1991 used two windshield panes that were sloped back, and had a somewhat shorter nose tapered on the sides. Purchasers of this model included Conrail, Union Pacific, Burlington Northern and the Soo Line Railroad. Conrail's orders were split between the Norfolk Southern and CSX upon their acquisitions of parts Conrail in 1999. All Norfolk Southern and CSX SD60M locomotives have either been scrapped, sold to new owners, or retired.

SD60MAC

The SD60MAC is similar to the SD60M but is equipped with alternating current traction motors. Although four demonstrator SD60MAC units tested on the Burlington Northern proved the viability of EMD's AC traction system, all subsequent orders were for the SD70MAC locomotive. ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a0/Sooline2-1.jpg" caption="SOO Line EMD SD60 #6032"] ::

thumb|GMD SD60F, CN 5536 ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bd/EMD_SD601.jpg" caption="EMD SD60I, [[CSX]] 8747, [[Plymouth, Michigan]]"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ea/UP_2317.jpg" caption="EMD SD60M (Early model, "Triclops"), UP 2317"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/11/BNSF_1461.jpg" caption="EMD SD60M (Late model,
2-Piece windshield), BNSF 1461"] ::

SD60E

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6f/NS-SD60E-Ayer.jpg" caption="A Norfolk Southern EMD SD60E locomotive in Ayer, Massachusetts."] ::

The SD60E is a custom rebuild of standard cab SD60 for Norfolk Southern created at the Juniata Shops with the prototype being delivered in 2010 and the majority of the production taking place between 2013 and 2017. The SD60E utilizes a new NS-designed wide nose cab with increased crash protection, new electronics and up-rating the engine to the 4000 hp 710G3B standard. Norfolk Southern bought additional SD60s from Helm Leasing specifically for the SD60E program with the aim to eventually rebuild 240 SD60s, however the project was terminated after 135 had been completed and Norfolk Southern's remaining inventory of unrebuilt SD60, SD60M and SD60I locomotives were subsequently sold or scrapped in 2019. In May 2021, Norfolk Southern regeared SD60E numbers 7034 and 7035 to go 79 mph and assigned the locomotives to the railroad's Office Car Special train.

Current and original owners

::data[format=table]

Railroad	Qty.	Road numbers	EMD SD60	NS SD60E	EMD SD60F	EMD SD60I	EMD SD60M	Totals	1,533
Burlington Northern	3	8300-8302
Chicago & North Western	55	8001-8055
Conrail	25	6843-6867 (to NS 6701–6716)
CSX	26	8700-8721, 8787–8790
EMDX	4	1-4
Kansas City Southern	46	714-759
Norfolk Southern	151	6550-6700
Oakway, Inc., subsidiary of Connell Finance Company, Inc.	100	9000-9099
Soo Line	58	6000-6057
Union Pacific	85	6000-6084 (renumbered 2100–2239)
Canadian National	90	5400-5489 (former Oakway)
Watco	6	6623, 6627, 6656, 6667, 6668, 6695 (former Norfolk Southern acquired)
Fort Worth and Western Railroad	4	5980 (former Union Pacific), 6002, 6009, 6013 (former SOO)
Norfolk Southern	135	6900-7035 (not consecutive), 7003 was renumbered to 911
Canadian National	64	5500-5563
Aberdeen Carolina Western	13	5520-5521, 5526–5527, 5534, 5536, 5539, 5545, 5548–5549, 5558-5560 (former Canadian National)
Dakota, Missouri Valley and Western Railroad	6	5500-5501, 5504, 5523, 5544, 5557 (former Canadian National)
Northern Plains Railroad	5	5513, 5517–5518, 5525, 5535 (former Canadian National)
Conrail	81	5544, 5575–5654
Norfolk Southern	46	6717-6762 (former Conrail)
CSX	53	8722-8774 (former Conrail)
Terminal Railroad Association of St Louis	2	4001-4002 (former CSX)
Ohio Central	6	3880-3885 (former Buffalo and Pittsburgh)
Burlington Northern	100	1991, 9200–9298
Conrail	74	5500-5543, 5545-5574 (in 1999: 44 becoming Norfolk Southern 6763-6806 and 31 becoming CSX 8756–8786)
Soo Line	5	6058-6062
Union Pacific	281	6085-6365 (renumbered 2169, 2240–2520); 28 (renumbered 9900–9927) rebuilt as SD59MX (EMD SD59M-2)
Norfolk Southern	53	6763-6806 (from Conrail 1999) 6807-6815 (former BNSF acquired 07–2014)
CSX	31	8756-8786 (from Conrail 1999)
Ohio Central	9	2280, 2400 3886-3892 (2280 & 2400 are ex Union Pacific. 3886-3892 are ex Buffalo and Pittsburgh)
Carajás Railroad (Vale)	2	601-602
Watco	41	6013-6015,
Wisconsin & Southern	8	6165, 6092, 6125, 6141, 6183, 6224, 6240, 6238 (Renumbered 6022–6029)(Former Union Pacific)
Yadkin Valley Railroad	6	8769, 8771–8772, 8781, 8783, 8786 (former CSX)
Carload Express	6	6001-6006 (former Norfolk Southern)
Fort Worth and Western Railroad	6	2033-2038 (former Union Pacific)
Indiana & Ohio Railway	3	2369, 2388, 2400 (former Union Pacific)
Larry's Truck Electric	41	2240, 2242, 2244, 2245, 2247, 2254, 2256, 2257, 2260, 2269, 2270, 2273, 2278, 2281, 2291, 2300, 2310, 2314, 2316, 2321, 2322, 2324, 2326, 2328, 2335, 2341, 2354, 2356, 2368, 2376, 2380, 2394, 2410, 2411, 2436, 2438, 2443, 2446, 2456, 2461, 2485 (former Union Pacific)
::

Preservation

In October 2019, Norfolk Southern donated SD60I #6721 (ex. Conrail #5582) to Penn State University Altoona, marking one of the first Conrail road locomotives to survive into preservation. It has moved to the Railroaders Memorial Museum as of 2023.

References

• The Diesel Shop Locomotive Rosters
• Memória do Trem Locomotive Rosters Carajás Railroad

References

1. Solomon, Brian. (2006). "EMD Locomotives". Voyageur Press.
2. Esposito, Christopher. (2018-11-15). "Locomotives of the Eastern United States". [[Amberley Publishing]].
3. "NS SD60E Rebuilds". AltoonaWorks.info.
4. "WATCO Rail Services - WAMX".
5. "New home for locomotive benefits Altoona's RTE program, Railroaders Museum".

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::