ILLINOIS CENTRAL #6071

Builder: EMD
Build Date: July 1964
Type: SD40
Status: Display

Illinois Central SD40 No. 6071 was built by the Electro-Motive Division (EMD) of General Motors in July 1964 as No. 434. Originally, the locomotive was built as a test bed for EMD’s then-new 645 prime mover, and was the first SD40 type locomotive ever produced. It was painted in a blue and yellow paint scheme similar to one used by the Santa Fe Railway, but had only a small number applied on the sides of the cab with no other markings. After it was built, it spent time on the Santa Fe undergoing extensive, in-service testing for EMD.

After the testing was complete, several SD40 demonstrator locomotives were built with the new 645 prime mover, all with the number 434, followed by letters, such as 434A, 434B, etc., to not conflict with the original No. 434. These demonstrators toured many railroads as a sales tool for EMD.

The SD40 would go on to become one of the most popular locomotives ever produced in history, with almost 4,000 built between the 1960s and late 1980s. The 434 was the very first of this type; it was built using components from an older SD35 type locomotive. SD40s produced after the 434 had their own unique design.

After EMD was done using the 434 for testing, it was returned to the EMD factory in La Grange, Illinois and placed in storage. It was later sold to the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio (GM&O) Railroad when they found themselves short of locomotives after a serious derailment. No. 434 was one they could purchase and place in service immediately. The GM&O renumbered it to 950, and it operated primarily between Chicago and St. Louis until 1972. On August 10 of that year, the GM&O merged with the Illinois Central Railroad to form Illinois Central Gulf (ICG). The ICG renumbered the locomotive to 6071, its current number. In 1988, the ICG renamed itself back to the Illinois Central (IC) Railroad. The IC continued to use No. 6071 in regular freight service into the late 1990s. It was during this time that it received its current black and white paint job, known as the “Death Star” paint scheme by railfans.

In 1999, the IC was merged into the Canadian National Railway (CN). CN used No. 6071 until 2009, when it was selected for preservation and donated to the Monticello Railway Museum. The museum is very fortunate to own this historic locomotive, as it is the prototype for one of the most famous locomotives in history, and helped set the standards for future locomotive development in North America.

Currently inoperable, No. 6071 is displayed inside of the Nelson Crossing Carbarn and is open for visitors to enter its cab to see how locomotives of its type are controlled.

Scroll down to see more photos of No. 6071.