EMD SD80MAC Chicago & North Western #8101

Technical Specifics

The EMD SD80MAC was a 5,000 horsepower diesel-electric locomotive produced by Electro-Motive Diesel between 1995 and 1996. A total of 30 units were built, all of which were delivered exclusively to Conrail. The 28 production units were completed, tested, and painted at the former Pennsylvania Railroad shops in Altoona, Pennsylvania. The SD80MAC was notable for being only the second EMD diesel locomotive to employ a 20-cylinder engine configuration, the first having been the earlier SD45 series. Other railroads had expressed interest in the model during its development period, including Chicago and North Western Railway, which placed an order for 15 units prior to its 1995 merger with Union Pacific, and Canadian Pacific, which ultimately redirected its order toward the related SD90MAC instead. When Conrail was divided between Norfolk Southern Railway and CSX Transportation in 1999, the SD80MAC fleet was split accordingly. Norfolk Southern received 17 units, numbered 7200 through 7216, while CSX took possession of 13 units, initially numbered 800 through 812 and later renumbered 4590 through 4602. The SD80MACs represented the first AC traction locomotives to enter Norfolk Southern's roster. In late 2014, Norfolk Southern arranged a trade with CSX, exchanging 12 EMD SD40-2 locomotives for CSX's remaining 12 SD80MACs, with those units arriving on Norfolk Southern in April 2015 and making the railroad the sole operator of the class. In February 2020, Norfolk Southern retired all 29 of its remaining SD80MACs, citing operational costs. Six units were subsequently sold to Canadian Pacific Railway to serve as parts donors for that railroad's SD70ACU rebuild program, while the remainder were sent to Progress Rail and scrapped. As of 2025, the six units held by Canadian Pacific Kansas City remained in storage. Efforts by the Conrail Historical Society to secure at least one example for preservation had not yet resulted in a confirmed outcome.

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Brands that produce EMD SD80MAC in HO scale

Prototype Reference

Real-world information about this equipment type

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