Conrail inherited all of their SDP45's from the Erie Lackawanna, which purchased the units in two orders in 1969 for fast merchandise freights. The locomotives were powered by a 645-E3 prime mover producing 3,600 horsepower with a maximum speed of 70mph. Even though the locomotives were built for passenger service and have extra space in the rear of the locomotive for heating, the EL did not use this feature. Instead, they ordered the locomotives for the large fuel tank so the locomotives could be run between New York and Chicago without refueling, a feature also found on their SD45-2's. Plus the larger fuel tank added the to the overall weight of the units, increasing their tractive effort.

EL ordered the first set of units (EL 3635-3653) while the railroad was under the control of the Norfolk & Western. As a result, these units were equipped with dual control stands, allowing them to be run long hood forward, a N&W practice. In 1984 Conrail returned this group of SDP45's to the N&W, which by then had become Norfolk Southern. EL 3637 did not return since the EL had wrecked it in September 1975 and former EL 3639 (CR 6670) was donated to the Virginia Museum of Transportation. In 1985, all of the units in this group were traded into EMD for NS's first order of SD60's, though some survived on NS into 1986 before going off to EMD.

The units purchased in the second order (EL 3654-3668) were equipped with standard control stands and were externally identical to the first order from what I can tell. The units in this group were all returned to their lessor when their lease expired in January 1984, thereby ending the SDP45's service on Conrail.

Two units have an interesting history and unique look. On 11 November 1973, EL 3657 and EL 3667 were involved in a severe wreck. The units were taken into the EL's Hornell shops. In 1974, they were rebuilt from parts supplied by EMD. EL 3667 received a new SD45-2 hood but remained an SDP45 underneath, including the fuel tank. EL 3657 received an entirely new carbody and a dash-2 electrical cabinet. EL 3657 survived on Conrail as CR 6688, and EL 3667 survived as CR 6698.

Comprehensive SD4P5 Roster

The roster below is comprehensive for Conrail's SDP45 when they arrived from Erie Lackawanna on April 1, 1976 until their last day of service on Conrail.

                         Builder's
CR #   Former    Built   Numnber  
==================================
6667   EL 3635   06/69
6668   EL 3636   06/69
6669   EL 3638   06/69
6670   EL 3639   06/69
6671   EL 3640   06/69
6672   EL 3641   06/69
6673   EL 3642   06/69
6674   EL 3643   06/69
6675   EL 3644   06/69
6676   EL 3645   06/69
6677   EL 3646   06/69
6678   EL 3647   06/69
6679   EL 3648   06/69
6680   EL 3649   06/69
6681   EL 3650   06/69
6682   EL 3651   06/69
6683   EL 3652   06/69
6684   EL 3653   06/69
6685   EL 3654   06/69
6686   EL 3655   06/69
6687   EL 3656   06/69
6688   EL 3657   06/69
6689   EL 3658   06/69
6690   EL 3659   06/69
6691   EL 3660   06/69
6692   EL 3661   06/69
6693   EL 3662   06/69
6694   EL 3663   06/69
6695   EL 3664   06/69
6696   EL 3665   06/69
6697   EL 3666   06/69
6698   EL 3667   06/69
6699   EL 3668   06/69