The Wisconsin Central FP45 has one of the most interesting second lives of any passenger cowl unit. Built in 1967 for the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe as an FP45, this locomotive spent its early career leading premier Santa Fe passenger and later freight trains in classic Warbonnet paint. In the 1990s, as Santa Fe modernized its roster, this veteran cowl unit was sold to the Wisconsin Central, where it was renumbered and rebuilt for heavy freight service in the upper Midwest.
On Wisconsin Central, the FP45 traded streamliners for long freights, roaming across Wisconsin, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, and connecting lines in WC’s distinctive maroon, gold, and black scheme. With its full-width cowl body and deep-chested 20-cylinder EMD 645 engine, it quickly became a favorite among railfans and crews—a rolling reminder of both Santa Fe’s passenger glory days and Wisconsin Central’s rise as a regional powerhouse.
Now, Sunset Models / 3rd Rail brings this unique FP45 to O Scale with museum-quality fidelity, using an ABS plastic shell, die-cast metal chassis, and fine brass detail parts that rival all-brass models in appearance and presence.
Road Number Offered
Wisconsin Central 6652
Ex–Santa Fe FP45, rebuilt for freight service and painted in Wisconsin Central colors.
(6652 is the only true FP45 on the Wisconsin Central; other cowl units on WC were F45s.)
Model Features
• Precision ABS Plastic Shell with Die-Cast Metal Chassis
• Fine Brass Detail Parts — grilles, handrails, pilot hardware, horn cluster, antenna fittings, and roof details
• Road-Specific Wisconsin Central Details — correct headlight and number board arrangements, pilot style, rooftop equipment, exhaust details, and WC maroon/gold striping and lettering placement
• Powerful Can Motor Drive for smooth, quiet performance under heavy freight consists
• 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 and number boards
• Minimum Curvature:
– O-54 curves (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.
From Super Chief to the Northwoods
This FP45’s story stretches from high-speed passenger duty on Santa Fe’s transcontinental main line to heavy freight assignments in the forests and iron country of the upper Midwest. As Wisconsin Central 6652, it carried one of the most distinctive paint schemes ever applied to an FP45 and became a standout on a railroad known for interesting secondhand power.
Reserve your Wisconsin Central FP45 today and add a true one-of-a-kind cowl unit to your O Scale fleet—steeped in both Santa Fe and WC history.
Photos courtesy of brasstrains.com
