When the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad sought modern, eye-catching power for its flagship passenger trains in the late 1960s, it turned to EMD’s final cowl-bodied passenger locomotive, the FP45. Delivered in 1968, the Milwaukee’s five-unit fleet was among the last locomotives ever built specifically for traditional passenger service in the United States.
These 3,600 HP locomotives were designed to lead the railroad’s premier trains, including the Olympian Hiawatha, Morning Hiawatha, and Afternoon Hiawatha. Their sleek cowl bodies, spotless yellow-and-gray paint, and high-speed gearing made them ideal for long-distance, high-visibility passenger assignments.
After Amtrak’s formation in 1971 brought most passenger operations to an end, Milwaukee Road reassigned its FP45s to freight. By the mid-1970s, they had been repainted into the bold orange-and-black freight scheme, becoming some of the most distinctive freight locomotives on the system.
Now, Sunset Models / 3rd Rail brings these legendary units to O Scale with a precision ABS shell, die-cast metal chassis, and fine brass detail parts, delivering museum-quality presence and accuracy.
Paint Schemes & Road Numbers Offered
Passenger Yellow & Gray (Late 1960s)
Delivered in Milwaukee’s handsome passenger colors, these units powered the railroad’s top-tier trains between Chicago, the Twin Cities, and the Pacific Northwest.
#1
#3
#5
Freight Orange & Black (1970s)
After passenger service ended, the FP45s were converted for freight use and repainted into Milwaukee Road’s striking freight scheme.
#2
#4
#5 (appearing in both passenger and freight liveries during its career)
Model Features
• Precision ABS Plastic Shell with Die-Cast Metal Chassis
• Fine Brass Details — handrails, grilles, antenna clusters, pilot hardware, MU cabling, and more
• Road-Specific Milwaukee Details — passenger vs. freight pilots, horn arrangements, headlight variations, cooling system changes, rooftop equipment, and era-appropriate paint placement
• Powerful Can Motor Drive for smooth, quiet performance
• All-Wheel Drive and Electrical Pickup
• Advanced electronics: 3R ERR Cruise/TMCC/Railsounds compatible with TMCC/Legacy/DCS, 3R Conventional for your choice of sound, and 2R ESU Loksound 5.0. Blunami is available as well
• LED Lighting Suite — headlights, number boards, and classification lights
• Minimum Curvature:
– O-54 (3-Rail)
– 48" minimum radius (2-Rail)
• ERR Cruise is compatible with Legacy, DCS, TMCC, and Conventional control systems, Blunami is not and indepently operated through the iPhone or Andriod Apps.
A Milwaukee Road Legend, In Every Era
The FP45 was a symbol of the Milwaukee Road’s last great push into passenger luxury, and later, a bold and powerful presence on fast freight across the Midwest and Pacific Northwest. Few locomotives transitioned so seamlessly between roles or became so visually iconic in both.
Sunset Models 3rd Rail proudly recreates these engines with the accuracy, refinement, and performance worthy of their storied history.
Reserve your Milwaukee Road FP45 today and experience one of the most striking diesel designs ever to operate on the North American rails.
Photos courtesy of brasstrains.com
