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SD60M vs SD70M

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SD60M vs SD70M
Posted by fafnir242 on Monday, October 19, 2009 11:10 PM
I hope this hasn't been asked already, but is there any difference externally between an SD60M and an SD70M?  I know some SD60Ms have the three piece windshield, but is there a difference externally between the SD60Ms with a two-piece windshield and an SD70M?
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Posted by enr2099 on Monday, October 19, 2009 11:22 PM

 Radial trucks on the SD70 for one.

Tyler W. CN hog
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Posted by CAZEPHYR on Monday, October 19, 2009 11:46 PM

fafnir242
I hope this hasn't been asked already, but is there any difference externally between an SD60M and an SD70M?  I know some SD60Ms have the three piece windshield, but is there a difference externally between the SD60Ms with a two-piece windshield and an SD70M?

 

 

There are several details on the car body that are different and of course the radial trucks were new for the SD70M.   The nose on the 1st phase of the SD70M's have the door on the engineers side and the SD60M's have the door on the conductor's side.  The brake wheel is recessed on the 70's and some of the panels towards the rear of the unit on the long hood are different.  Overall, they look much alike but there are many details that were changed.  

If you compare close up pictures, many of these items show up.  The SD70M's are about 12" longer also. 

CZ

 

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D60

71' 2"

SD60M

 

SD60MAC

 

SD60I

 

SD70M

72' 4"

 

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Posted by fafnir242 on Tuesday, October 20, 2009 4:26 PM

CAZEPHYR

fafnir242
I hope this hasn't been asked already, but is there any difference externally between an SD60M and an SD70M?  I know some SD60Ms have the three piece windshield, but is there a difference externally between the SD60Ms with a two-piece windshield and an SD70M?

 

 

There are several details on the car body that are different and of course the radial trucks were new for the SD70M.   The nose on the 1st phase of the SD70M's have the door on the engineers side and the SD60M's have the door on the conductor's side.  The brake wheel is recessed on the 70's and some of the panels towards the rear of the unit on the long hood are different.  Overall, they look much alike but there are many details that were changed.  

If you compare close up pictures, many of these items show up.  The SD70M's are about 12" longer also. 

CZ

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SD60
71' 2"
SD60M
 
SD60MAC
 
SD60I
 
SD70M
72' 4"

 

 

Awesome!  Thanks.

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Posted by BerkshireSteam on Friday, October 23, 2009 1:14 AM
The 2-window American cab used on the 60's started in 1991. Anything before that had the 3-window cab. I kind of like the 3-winder better because after the 60 series they all used 2-winders. However I actually prefer the look of the EMD drop down corner windows over the GE rectangles, but that may have somwthing to do with my love affair for the F45 series. I do believe the 60 series was also the first EMD unit to get the 2 window american safety cab. GE's first safety cab units were the Dash 8'S. As further comparison the 60 came in 4 axle and 6 axle power rated at 3800hp. 2he 70's came in 6 axle only and 4000hp. I think I would have just stuck with the 60's.
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Posted by carnej1 on Friday, October 23, 2009 11:30 AM

MILW-RODR
The 2-window American cab used on the 60's started in 1991. Anything before that had the 3-window cab. I kind of like the 3-winder better because after the 60 series they all used 2-winders. However I actually prefer the look of the EMD drop down corner windows over the GE rectangles, but that may have somwthing to do with my love affair for the F45 series. I do believe the 60 series was also the first EMD unit to get the 2 window american safety cab. GE's first safety cab units were the Dash 8'S. As further comparison the 60 came in 4 axle and 6 axle power rated at 3800hp. 2he 70's came in 6 axle only and 4000hp. I think I would have just stuck with the 60's.

 

 Why? So your competitor could offer units with 600 more horsepower to your customers...In what way was the SD60 better than the SD70 series?...........

"I Often Dream of Trains"-From the Album of the Same Name by Robyn Hitchcock

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Posted by Lord Atmo on Saturday, October 24, 2009 11:37 AM

 Also, all SD70Ms have high mounted headlights. The vast majority of SD60Ms had noselights with only Conrail and Burlington Northern ordering them with high mounted lights. CR's SD60Is also all had high lights.

 

But I think only 2 class 1s own both SD60Ms and SD70Ms. NS and UP. BNSF has SD60Ms and SD70MACs as well, but I'll cover that later.

In the event that you catch a CR SD60M or SD60I repainted to NS black paired with one of NS's SD70Ms, you can simply look at the radiators and trucks to distinguish one from the other. As previously noted, the SD60Ms all had the old HTC trucks while the entire SD70 series had the new "HTCR" radial truck (Although the SD60MAC and at least one SD60 had this truck as well). And all of NS's SD70Ms have the newer flared radiator design, a characteristic the SD60M does not have.

As for UP, all of their SD60Ms have noselights and are numbered in the 2000s. Their SD70Ms have high mounted headlights and are numbered from the 3700s to i believe the 5200s. Pretty straight-forward there.

Lastly, there's BNSF. All of their SD60Ms came from BN's order and some have had their headlights lowered onto the nose and some have been repainted orange. They also have SD70MACs (Some from BN and some they ordered themselves) and SD75Ms from ATSF's order. But you can use the same method from NS to determine which is which on BNSF.  They don't own any SD70Ms, but the SD70MAC and SD75M are similar in appearance.

 

Sorry I rambled a bit, but I hope that helps some

Your friendly neighborhood CNW fan.

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Posted by Lyon_Wonder on Sunday, October 25, 2009 12:13 AM

As for Conrail, they continued to order new SD60-series locos ever after the first SD70Ms and 70MACs hit the rails.  Conrail received new SD60Is in 1994 and 95, many of which were assembled at Juniata.  The SD60I was exclusive to Conrail prior to it’s acquisition by NS and CSX and the first EMD loco to have the isolated cab.  Consequently CR was also the last buyer of the C40-8Ws in 1994, having never ordered any Dash-9s.     

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Posted by Tugboat Tony on Saturday, October 31, 2009 4:01 AM

Physically, they are very similar looking, However there are not many similarities under the hood. SD70s have a COMPLETELY different electrical system from the computer to the traction motors, the Cooling air system on a 70 is 2 speed electrical motor controlled vs driven by the Diesel on the 60s. the 710 engine on the 70 is much improved on the relibility side vs the old 60's, the SD70 is a WONDERFUL locomotive to work on; and from what i have gathered it is quite nice to operate too. the SD60s were nice units but are starting to wear out.

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Posted by beaulieu on Sunday, November 1, 2009 10:22 AM

Lord Atmo

But I think only 2 class 1s own both SD60Ms and SD70Ms. NS and UP. BNSF has SD60Ms and SD70MACs as well, but I'll cover that later.


 

 

Add CSX to that list. CSX has ex-CR SD60Ms and SD60Is, plus they bought the EMDX lease fleet of SD70Ms (which included the 3 Demonstrators).

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