The KM's were not the only diesel hydraulics on the SP. Alco delivered 3 units (DH-643) numbered 9010-9020 in September 1964. They each had two Alco four-cycle 251-C V-12 diesel engines developing a total of 4300hp and imported hydraulic transmissions by Voith.
They were renumbered 9150-9152 in October 1965.
When the KM's were retired in 1968, the Alco's remained in service. They were renumbered again 9800-9802 (probably in 1970 to make room for new SD45's) and scraped in 1973.
I tried to sell my two cents worth, but no one would give me a plug nickel for it.
I don't have a leg to stand on.
CSSHEGEWISCH wrote: The KM's also suffered from being oddballs in a variety of ways. The Maybach engines were decidedly non-standard, being smaller and quicker running (higher RPM) than North American railroad diesels. They also had an all-pneumatic throttle system which was difficult to maintain and made MU capabilities with other models impossible until they were rebuilt with electric throttles. In the end, the horsepower race caught up with the KM's. When they were purchased in 1961, the main offerings were the GP20/SD24, U25B/U25C and the RS27/RS32/RSD15 lines. By 1967, the SD45 was on the market and KM's became the hard way of getting the same HP as an SD45. It would also be interesting to find out how well they worked out on the meter-gauge E.F. Vitoria a Minas (of DDM45 fame) in Brazil.
The KM's also suffered from being oddballs in a variety of ways. The Maybach engines were decidedly non-standard, being smaller and quicker running (higher RPM) than North American railroad diesels. They also had an all-pneumatic throttle system which was difficult to maintain and made MU capabilities with other models impossible until they were rebuilt with electric throttles.
In the end, the horsepower race caught up with the KM's. When they were purchased in 1961, the main offerings were the GP20/SD24, U25B/U25C and the RS27/RS32/RSD15 lines. By 1967, the SD45 was on the market and KM's became the hard way of getting the same HP as an SD45.
It would also be interesting to find out how well they worked out on the meter-gauge E.F. Vitoria a Minas (of DDM45 fame) in Brazil.
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