Notable as the first locomotive with an engine larger than 16 cylinders upon its introduction in 1965, the EMD SD45 was used on nearly every railroad at one time or another. Over the course of six years, EMD built a whopping 1260 SD45 locomotives for freight use on more than 25 railroads, with many more acquiring them second-hand. The SD45, while sharing the same common frame as the EMD SD40, was distinguished by a number of characteristics such as the flared radiator that stretched across the side of the locomotive's long hood. Several SD45 locomotives are still preserved and in service today.

SPSF "Kodachrome": The Southern Pacific and Sante Fe railroads attempted to merge their companies in the 1980s; in anticipation, a number of locomotives were painted in a paint scheme that combined the SP red with Santa Fe's distinct "Warbonnet" decoration. The intention was for each locomotive to carry the "SPSF" logo, but before they could be completed the merger was denied by Interstate Commerce Comission. A fair number of locomotives remained in this paint scheme, carrying either the "SP" or "SF" designation to identify which railroad they belonged to. This particular paint scheme was nicknamed the "Kodachrome" scheme, due to its similarity to the distinct coloring of Kodak film of the same name.

• Locomotives feature directional white LED headlights and preprinted numberboards
• Great Northern "Big Sky Blue" locomotives will come with special user-applied preprinted and painted detail parts to replicate the prototype's railing-mounted logo plate.
• Powerful Kato mechanism powered by a 5-pole flywheel motor and featuring a 9 3/4" minimum turning radius.
• DCC friendly and ready for drop in decoder installation of a Digitrax DN163K1B or Train Control Systems K1D4
• Smooth rolling blackened metal wheels.
• Equipped with body mounted KATO magnetic knuckle couplers