SD70 (1992–1999) SD70 No. 1004 The EMD SD70 has the smaller
spartan cab, typical on preceding
SD60 models, instead of the larger
comfort cab used on later models. Notable differences between the SD70 and SD60 are the
radial steering EMD HTCR truck instead of the older HTC truck, and the SD70's overall length of , with the older SD60 being 2 inches shorter. The SD70 also rides higher as its frame is approximately higher than the SD60. This model is equipped with
direct current (DC)
traction motors, which simplifies the locomotive's electrical system by obviating the need for computer-controlled
inverters (as are required for
alternating current (AC) power). It is equipped with the , 16-cylinder
EMD 710 prime mover. One hundred and twenty-two examples of this model locomotive were produced for
Norfolk Southern (NS),
Conrail (CR),
Illinois Central (IC) and
Southern Peru Copper Corporation (SPCC).
Conrail's assets were split between Norfolk Southern and
CSX in 1999, and all 24 of Conrail's SD70 units went to NS. Other than the CR paint scheme these units were built to NS specifications and numbered (2557 - 2580) in series with Norfolk Southern's already purchased SD70s. Production of the standard cab at EMD's
London, Ontario plant ended in 1999. The 24
Conrail SD70s were assembled from kits at Conrail's
Juniata Shops in
Altoona, Pennsylvania, while the IC and SPCC SD70s were assembled from kits at Super Steel Schenectady. Most SD70s are still in service with
Norfolk Southern and
Canadian National (CN), which merged with
Illinois Central in 1999. In February 2017, NS began a program to convert its SD70s from DC to AC, which will also have a new wide-nose cab, and several other upgrades. They will be designated as SD70ACC.
SD70M (1992–2004) SD70M No. 4352 The SD70M has a
wide nose and a large
comfort cab (officially known as the "North American Safety Cab"), allowing crew members to ride more comfortably inside of the locomotive than the older standard cab designs. There are two versions of this cab on SD70Ms: the Phase 1 cab, which was first introduced on the
SD60M, and the Phase 2 cab, which is a boxier design similar to the original three-piece windscreen on the SD60M, which is shared with the Phase 2
SD90MAC,
SD89MAC, and
SD80ACe. The Phase 2 cab has a two-piece windscreen like the Phase 1 windscreen but the design of the nose is more boxy, with a taller square midsection for more headroom. The SD70M is equipped with D90TR DC traction motors and the
710G3B prime mover. They are capable of generating of continuous
tractive effort.),
Norfolk Southern and
Southern Pacific, but the vast majority were purchased by
Union Pacific. In 2000, an order of SD70Ms made history when
Union Pacific ordered 1,000 units (UP 4000 through UP 4999, inclusive, although 4014 was renumbered 4479 to accommodate
Big Boy 4014 in 2019). This order was later extended by nearly 500 additional units (UP 3999 and below, UP 5000 and above, except for 3985, which was left vacant for
Challenger 3985). This locomotive model is also built for export, and is still catalogued by EMD (at ).
CVG Ferrominera Orinoco has six SD70Ms that were built as an add-on order to UPs FIRE cab equipped SD70Ms.
Companhia Vale do Rio Doce (CVRD) in
Brazil has ordered 55 of this model for service for the
Carajás mine pulling trainloads of
iron ore. Since CVRD track is
gauged at , a wider
bogie, the HTSC2, was designed for these units by EMD.
SD70I (1995) SD70I No. 5619 The SD70I is a version of the SD70 which has been fitted with a cab that is isolated from the frame of the locomotive with rubber gaskets (officially known as a "WhisperCab"). The isolation reduces noise and vibration from the prime mover. A seam is visible across the nose and on the long hood where the cab connects with the body. 26 examples of this model locomotive were produced, all for
Canadian National. The WhisperCab feature was incorporated into some SD70MACs and was standard on both the SD80MAC and SD90/43MAC models.
SD70MAC (1993–2007) SD70MAC No. 4006 "Spirit of Anchorage" The SD70MAC uses three phase
AC traction motors. Production of the model commenced in 1993, competing against the
GE AC4400CW. The majority of SD70MAC models were produced with the EMD 710 prime mover while later units are rated at and feature
EMD SD45-style flared radiators. Starting in 1993, the Alaska Railroad ordered SD70MACs with
head-end power to make them suitable for both freight and passenger service; no other railroad ordered this variant. Due to the Alaska Railroad's satisfaction with these locomotives, they specially ordered additional models after EMD had transitioned production to the
SD70ACe.The last order of Alaska Railroad SD70MACs was built/delivered in late 2007. The trucks were replaced with HTCR-4, instead of HTCR-I on former model. SD70MAC No. 4761 with
SD45-style flared radiators The SD70MAC is no longer produced due to EPA regulations, and was replaced by the SD70ACe in 2004. In total, 1,109 SD70MACs were produced, purchased by
Burlington Northern (and its successor,
BNSF),
Conrail,
CSX,
Transportación Ferroviaria Mexicana (TFM; units now owned by
Kansas City Southern Railway (KCS)), and the
Alaska Railroad.
SD70ACe (2004–present) No. 8505 leads a coal train The
SD70ACe is the successor to the SD70MAC with design changes to comply with emission standards. The engine fires with 15% lower internal pressure to improve emissions and features fewer internal components in the inverter. The SD70ACe is equipped with EMD's 16-710-G3C-T2 prime mover, rated at ; later Tier 3 models are rated at , and have a
thermal efficiency of almost 36%. They are rated at starting tractive effort and continuous. Braking effort is rated at . Early models featured a bad cab design which was noticed first on CSX as crews reported annoying disturbances such as prime mover noises, traction motors and more. The cab was also known for rattling, leading to the nickname "Thundercabs". As a result, these units are also not approved for leading trains. In November 2021, Yakutian Railway announced a tender for six more, single-section locomotives. However, as of 4 February 2022, it has been unable to make an order for them.
SD70M-2 (2004–2011) SD70M-2 No. 8951 The SD70M-2 is a
DC traction version of the SD70ACe. The "-2" in the model name indicates that the units are EPA Tier II compliant and that the locomotive has upgraded electronics, which was true for older models (
EMD SD40-2). SD70M-2 models are equipped with the 16-710G3C-T2 or 16-710G3C prime mover which is rated at . In total, 331 SD70M-2s were built, with
Canadian National owning 190 units. Eight units owned by
Electro-Motive Diesel and four units owned by
CIT Financial were leased by
Florida East Coast Railway until early 2015. Canadian National 8964 was the last SD70M-2, built in February 2011.
Vermont Railway owns 2 units numbered 431 and 432.
Norfolk Southern ordered 130 SD70M-2s, of which 46 remained in service as of July 2023 with 2 units rebuilt with AC traction. Currently,
NBM Railways owns 13 SD70M-2, former NS units, numbered 6401–6413 with plans for six more rounding it out to 6419. All are marked for the various NBM companies,
New Brunswick Southern Railway,
Eastern Maine Railway, and
Maine Northern Railway.
SD70ACe-T4 (2015–present) SD70ACe-T4 No. 3032 The
SD70ACe-T4 is the Tier 4 emissions standards-compliant successor of the SD70ACe. The first locomotive, EMDX 1501, was built in summer 2015, and made its debut at the Railway Interchange Expo in Minneapolis, Minnesota during the weekend of October 3–4, 2015. It features a new 4-stroke engine called the
EMD 12-1010 "J" series - a V12 with 1,010 in3 displacement for each cylinder. This new prime mover has a two-stage turbocharger system consisting of three turbos; one turbo (the primary/high pressure turbo) for low-mid RPM and two turbos (the secondary/low pressure turbos) for mid-high RPM. The results of this setup are higher power throughout a broader RPM range, better fuel efficiency, and lower emissions. An EGR system is applied as well, allowing the engine to achieve Tier 4 without the use of urea aftertreatment. Another new feature of this engine is the Double-Walled Fuel Injection System that increases safety and provides simplified maintenance works. The EMD 12-1010 is capable of producing total, is used for traction. With a new computer software for the on-board computer and one inverter per axle (or "P6"; EMD named it "Individual Axle Control") - unlike most of previous EMD locomotives that use one inverter per truck, the SD70ACe-T4 is capable of generating of starting tractive effort, and of continuous tractive effort. Meanwhile, its dynamic braking effort is as much as . The amount of starting tractive effort is equal to that of the SD90MAC-H while, on the other hand, its continuous tractive effort is higher than that of the SD90MAC-H ( vs. ). The units are also equipped with "radial bogies" which offer increased adhesion and better ride quality. Fifteen
SD70ACe-T4 demonstrators were built at Muncie, Indiana by November 2016.
Union Pacific was the first customer to order SD70ACe-T4's. UP 3012–3014, the first production SD70ACe-T4's, were assigned to active service in early November 2016. Union Pacific acquired 100 SD70ACe-T4's: 12 former demonstrators rostered as UP 3000–3011, and 88 production units (3012–3099). 3012-3056 were built at Bombardier's Sahagun, Mexico plant. 3057-3099 will be built at Muncie, IN, following completion of the Tier 4 credit SD70ACe's UP 8997–9096. All UP SD70ACe-T4's are classified as
SD70AHs. '''SD70ACeP4-T4's''' EMDX 1603 and 1604 were built and painted as demonstrators for the
BNSF Railway. These units have a B1-1B wheel arrangement akin to the SD70ACe-P4. In August 2018, CSX Transportation ordered 10 SD70ACe-T4's. They were classified by CSX as
ST70AH. In July 2023, CSX Transportation sidelined their ST70AH locomotives due to the leasing agreement being expired. All 10 have been taken back to PRLX and will more than likely be used as parts or on the lease fleet. Norfolk Southern originally ordered 10 SD70ACe-T4's, but opted for more SD70ACe Tier-4 credit locomotives instead. The cancelled units are currently part of the
Progress Rail lease fleet. EMDX 1501 will remain in
Progress Rail Services ownership as a test bed. In January 2026,
CPKC Railway announced an order for 65 SD70ACe-T4 locomotives.
SD70ACe/LCi (2005–present) SD70ACe/LCi No. 4308 The SD70ACe/LCi is a low clearance, export version of the SD70ACe. The
LCi in the model designation stands for
Low Clearance international as these locomotives are designed to negotiate the tight clearances under the mine equipment. External differences between the SD70ACe and SD70ACe/LCi models include the addition of marker lights, number boards located lower on the nose rather than on top of the cab, windscreen protector panels (to deflect abrasive iron ore when in mid train position), fire suppression canisters, louvre style vents, different horn and subtle differences with handrails. In 2004,
BHP Billiton ordered 14 SD70ACe/LCi locomotives for use on iron ore trains in the
Pilbara region of
Western Australia. The first member of the class (4300) was purchased for parts and dismantled upon arrival in Australia. This was because it was cheaper to purchase a complete locomotive than buy the components individually. They were named after sidings on the BHP system. Since they did not have the newer, isolated cab of the second and subsequent batches, 4301–4313 were traded in to
Progress Rail for locomotives with newer cab assemblies and repatriated to the United States in January 2015 being taken to
Muncie, Indiana for store. They were overhauled and sold to
Chemin de fer Arnaud (4),
Montana Rail Link (4) and
Quebec North Shore & Labrador (5). The second batch of 10 SD70ACes (4314–4323) arrived between August and November 2006. An order for a third batch of 13 SD70ACe/LCi's (4334–4346) was placed in August 2007, but such was the demand for locomotive power in the
Pilbara region, a deal was done with
BNSF for BHP Billiton to purchase ten standard North American SD70ACes (4324–4333) that were in build as their 9166, 9167, 9184–9191. Construction was sufficiently advanced when the deal was concluded for them to have been painted, hence they were delivered in BNSF orange livery. Some modifications have been made to bring them in line with the rest of the fleet. A fifth batch of SD70ACes (Numbers 4347–4355) was delivered in July 2009. As at October 2020, BHP operated 10 SD70ACes (4324–4333) and 174 SD70 Ace/LCis (4314–4323, 4334–4497) In July 2012 fellow Pilbara operator,
Fortescue, took the delivery of the first of a fleet of 19, later extended to 21 (701–721).
SD70ACS (2009–present) EMDX SD70ACS No. 3025 The SD70ACS is a AC variant for heavy haul freight, used in desert environments. The first 25 units were ordered for Saudi Railway Company in April 2009 and assembled in the
London, Ontario, plant for delivery in the second half of 2010. Special features include a pulse filtration system, movable sand plows, EM2000 control system and
FIRE display system. Mauritania's
Société Nationale Industrielle et Minière placed a contract for six SD70ACS locomotives in October 2010. In July 2011
Etihad Rail ordered seven SD70ACS locomotives for delivery in 2012. Seven locomotives were delivered in 2013.
SD70ACe-BB (2015–present) In October 2015, EMD started producing SD70ACe-BB locomotives for Brazilian railroads. Unlike the standard SD70ACe, the SD70ACe-BB has a
B+B-B+B wheel arrangement, meaning that it has eight axles instead of six. To fit the
B+B trucks, the SD70ACe-BB was elongated to , making it longer than the standard SD70ACe.
SD70ACe/45 (2004–present) The SD70ACe/45 is a diesel-electric locomotive built by EMD plant in Sete Lagoas, MG Brazil. Different from the SD70ACe in North America, the SD70ACe/45 has a longer frame (76 ft. 6 in.) and three radiator fans on the radiator section since it uses the same car body of the SD80ACe produced by EMD plant in London, Canada to Vale mining in Brazil. It uses gauge. 80 SD70ACe/45s had been built.
SD70IAC (2019–present) In early 2019 with the delivery of the new SD70ACe-T4C locomotives to
Norfolk Southern, a new type of the T4C (Tier 4 Credit) locomotives was rolled out of Progress Rail in Muncie, Indiana. IAC stands for Individual Axle Control. They are still classified as SD70ACe's on the side of the locomotive but are designated as SD70IAC within the cab controls. The new IAC system improves the existing traction system.
SD70ACe/LW (2007, 2021–present) The SD70ACe/LW is designed specifically for rail networks using
Russian gauge, featuring a new isolated cab similar to the flat nosed cab of the GT46C-ACe Gen-II. The SD70ACe/LW has a 16-710G3C-T2 prime-mover with 4,500 horsepower. It uses an AC traction system with a top speed of 74 mph (120 km/h). Although it was designed in 2007, the first orders only occurred in mid-2021, when 16 were purchased for the Mongolian
Tavan Tolgoi-Gashuunsukhait Railway project. ==Rebuilds==