T-45d power armor

The T-45d Power Armor model was the first version of Power Armor to be successfully deployed in battle. These suits were lacking the mobility of later versions (such as the T-51b Power Armor), limiting the wearer's agility. The first version to hit the frontlines ran on Small Energy Cells, burning through them at an alarming rate. In response, later versions were manufactured with built-in MicroFusion Packs.

The T-45d Power Armor, originally built by the United States Military, is currently employed by several factions, including the Brotherhood of Steel and the Outcasts. Each one of these groups has their own variant of Power Armors.

History
In 2067, the T-45d first suit was deployed in Alaska during the Anchorage Reclamation. This Power Armor was incredibly effective against Chinese tanks and infantry. Its ability to carry heavy ordinance became key in various localized conflicts, and it had the power to destroy entire towns without endangering the wearer. In 2076, the more advanced T-51b was introduced.

Nearly two centuries later, around a hundred T-45d suits with MicroFusion packs were discovered by the Capital Wasteland Brotherhood of Steel in the ruins of Pentagon and were extensively used, with modifications and makeshift repairs.

Design
While it is similar in general shape to the more advanced T-51b Power Armor, it is significantly more primitive, using riveted steel plates instead of composite materials for construction and various subsystems of the armor exposed on the outside rather than sealed within.

In addition, a specialized body suit is required to be worn in order to use the armor. Compared to the simple body suit of the T-51b model, designed to simply reduce irritation, the underarmor is far more complex.

The design was used as basis for the MP-47/A Prototype Medic Power Armor and is visually identical to the T-45d series.

Appearances
The history of the T-45d was mentioned in the Fallout Bible timeline, while its designation was first mentioned in the Van Buren tech demo by Corporal Armstrong who wears the armor. The Museum of Technology in Fallout 3 has a log of proposed exhibits for 2078, which includes a suit of T-45d power armor.

For some reason when wearing this suit you cannot use the large lamp attached to the helmet instead of your Pip-Boy light.

Fallout 3 locations
The Power Helmet and Armor can be acquired by either going to Fort Independence and killing all the Brotherhood Outcasts then looting their armor, or by going to the Citadel and killing most of the Brotherhood of Steel (Which would be extremely hard) then looting the armor, or by finding The Brotherhood of Steel out in the D.C. Ruins, or by finding the Outcasts out in the Wasteland and killing them then looting their armor. You can also go to the Citadel and go to the the room with Prime, the robot, and upstairs in one of the rooms is a suit in decent condition.

Power Armor
Regular Power Armors can be acquired from merchants, although they rarely appear in stock. You also receive a complete suit of Power Armor in perfect 100% condition from Sarah Lyons at the beginning of the game's final quest, Take it Back!. Regular Power Armors can be also acquired from the corpses of fallen Brotherhood of Steel members. Power Helmets can be found from merchants and fallen Brotherhood of Steel members.

Brotherhood Power Armor
Most of the time you will have to take badly damaged Brotherhood Power Armor suits from corpses. However, by the time you acquire the training necessary to wear power armor, you should have had the opportunity to scavenge several badly damaged suits and combine them into a single suit in a decent state of repair.

Outcast Power Armor
Outcast Power Armors can be acquired from the corpses of fallen Outcasts and from Fort Independence. However, be warned that having Outcast variants in your inventory (equipped or not) when speaking to Protector Casdin will cause him to confiscate the armor unless you have gained the Outcasts' trust. Outcast Power Helmets can be acquired from fallen Outcasts. There is a unique version of this armor - Linden's Outcast Power Armor.

Army Power Armor
Army Power Armor & Helmet can only be acquired on the PC version using console commands.

Lyons' Pride Power Armor
Lyons' Pride Power Armor can be acquired from the corpses of fallen Lyons' Pride members: Sentinel Lyons, Knight Captain Gallows, Paladin Vargas, Paladin Glade, Paladin Kodiak and Knight Captain Dusk. It has no corresponding power helmet. Gallows, Vargas and Sentinel Lyons are essential, thus will only be knocked unconscious, making it impossible to loot them.

It is possible to reverse-pickpocket the armor. One way is to get a fully-repaired Tesla Armor and slip it in one of the above-mentioned NPC's. Exit the room and come back and they'll be wearing the armor. Then pickpocket the armor. It's win-win for everyone!

Ashur's Power Armor
Ashur's Power Armor looks to be a unique version of the Tribal Power Armor and is only found with The Pitt DLC. It is worn by Ashur, leader of The Pitt.

Tribal Power Armor
Tribal Power Armor is only found with The Pitt DLC. It can be aquired by giving 100 Ingots to Everett for the unmarked side quest Mill Worker.

IDs
In Fallout 3, there are several variants of this armor model, with slight variation in appearance (different color and insignia), but the same statistics. Each of these variants has a different Base ID.

Trivia

 * According to the Fallout 3 artbook, the power armor was designed directly in 3D, skipping the concept art phase.
 * You can repair Power Armor with the T-51b Power Armor, but you can't do the reverse. It might be a bug or it might be the fact that the T-51b Power Armor is more advanced and uses more advanced parts.
 * Wearing power armor normally requires the player to aquire Power Armor Training by talking to Paladin Gunny in the Citadel. Or completing the Anchorage Reclamation. However, the skill can be unlocked via the console in the PC version by typing 'setpccanusepowerarmor 1' or if you have The Pitt DLC Pack and have gained Ashur's Power Armor and leave The Pitt, then you will be able to wear any power armor without Paladin Gunny teaching you.

Quotes

 * "Though that design was intended for the "real" F3 power armor (T-51b), we wanted to have an alternate texture for the armor Armstrong describes, T-45d, which ran off small energy cells. It would only have appeared in the tutorial as a "back in the day" detail." - J.E. Sawyer
 * "I [...] have fifty three hours of field experience in the T-45d Power Armor, citizen. Most of those were during the Anchorage Reclamation.[...]This T-45d eats up small energy cells like Chans at a rice buffet!" - Corporal Armstrong