Passing through a winter wonderland in Ontario, this UP RP20CD, fresh from CAD's Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu plant, is pulled dead on this CP train, on its way to Roseville for the beginning of its operating life. Photo Credit: Bob Heathorn

While not as widespread as their 4 axle counterparts, the RP20CD were essentially heavier duty versions of those. 17 units were built for 3 railroads. UP with 13, CSX with 3, and NS with a single example.

The locomotives were built because not only were they needed to switch yards while being low emissions, but also, the whole point of their existence was that they would be more suitable for heavier duty yard operations. Yards such as Roseville in UP’s case, Queensgate in CSX’s, and Bellevue in NS’s.

Similarly to their 4 axle counterparts and even rival engines, the gensets were notoriously weak and failed easily. This would lead to all being retired from all railroads, with the last one being retired in the late 2010s. 1 CSX unit is stored in Huntington, West Virginia. The other 2 CSX RP20CDs ended up at LTEX, as did 4 of UP’s. The rest of UP’s were acquired by the Sierra Northern Railroad of Oakdale, California in 2022, with the exception of unit 893, whose whereabouts are unknown, last being photographed in late 2021. NS’s single example ended up being sold to Progress Rail in 2019.

Technical Specifications

General Info	-
Prime Mover	Deutz TCD2015V08 x3 (1)
Horsepower	2001 (2)
Truck Type	EMD HTC (4)
Axles	6
Traction Motors	6
Minimum Weight	368,000 lbs (4)
Maximum Weight	420,000 lbs (4)
Model Base Speed	65 MPH (4)
Top Speed	65, 70, 76, or 82 MPH (4)

Electrical System	-
Generator Max Current	735 Amps ⚠️ (3)
Max TM Current	1500 Amps
Max Continuous TM Current	1050 Amps
Traction Motor Type	DC
Adhesion	27%
Transition Mode	Automatic with no Selector
Transition Groups	2, 1, 1 (4)
Transition Shunts	1, 1, 0.5 (4)
Generator Transition	Yes
Traction Control	ETC
Dynamic Braking Mode	Electronic Blowers
DB Max Current	700 Amps
DB Max Continuous Current	700 Amps
Blended Braking	No

Miscellaneous	-
Head-End Power (HEP)	i mean you can if you want but why (aka no)
HEP Power Consumption	N/A
HEP Standby/Run Mode	N/A
Load Ramp Speed	5 Amps/Tick ⚠️
TM Overload Protection	No
Start Mode	Fully Automatic Start
Air Brake Schedule	26-L
Compressor CFM	159 (Atlas GAR37 @ 2750 RPM) (3)
Main Air Reservoir	35 Cubic Feet (4) ⚠️

Notes:

(1): While most Railpower products use Deutz engines, Cummins engines such as QSK19s were available. After 2015, most Railpower units were STRICTLY QSK powered.

(2): If the above applies to what you’re doing, the horsepower would be increased to 2100 Horsepower, as the QSK19s are rated for 700 HP each. The Max Generator Current would also be 900, as the QSK19s used the Marathon 572RDL.

(3): Multiply this by 3. Gensets had multiple generators and air compressors, hence their name.

(4): Specs may differ with the donor unit (Specs are based on the SD40-2).