Spotlight on EMD SD9sby Deane Motis & Others |
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EMD serial #20655 left the LaGrange plant in July 1955 as SD9 Demonstrator #110; its first and only stop was the Duluth Missabe & Iron Range where it became the #5591. The U.S. Steel subsidiary transferred the six-motor road-switcher to USS family-member Bessemer & lake Erie as #831. (Wade Massie photo at Butler, PA on 30 March 1991) |
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Even though EMD's first-generation four-axle and six-axle freight haulers were both powered
by the venerable V16-567 powerplant, the railroad industry was more partial to the
four-motor geep. During the 7.5 years both models were produced (2/1952 to 6/1959), orders
for six-axle units nearly reached 700; in contrast, railroads purchased more than 6300 GP7/9s.
- a ratio of 9 to 1.
The SD9 had a starting tractive force of 91,000 lb, which was 42 percent greater than a four-motor geep. The TE differential, which represented a substantial savings in long-term operating costs, caught the attention of more than a couple of first-time buyers. Production of the SD9 drew to a close in June 1959, with 515 units placed in service on class one, short line and industrial railroads. Interestingly none of the SD9s (nor SD7s) were purchased by Canadian railroads. Yet, more than 40 of 567C-powered model were bought by foreign users. A production roster has been provided. Additionally, a technical data sheet can be reached by using this link. | |
Original SD9 Owners |
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| Atlanta & St. Andrews Bay
A hostler readies a pair "Bay Line" SD9s at Panama City, FL. Ron Plazotta(**) photo April 1973 | Baltimore & Ohio
With morning work completed, B&O #1835 stands idle at Willard, Ohio. R. Craig photo 16 August 1964 |
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| Central of Georgia
Southern CoG subsidiary purchased five SD9s; #205 shown at Atlanta, Georgia. Blythe Gabriel photo 8 / Dean Motis collection | Chicago Burlington & Quincy
Burlington's 12-year-old #338 stands idle at Denver Colorado . Photographer unknown(**) October 1965 |
| CB&Q/ Colorado & Southern
C&S relied heavily on both of EMD's first-generation SD models. Ed Fulcomer at Cheyenne WY photo, 7 September 1968/ Deane Motis coll. | Chicago & Illinois Midland
C&IM had fewest miles (100) of any SD9 owner; #50 shown at Springfield, IL. John Stubblefield(**) photo 25 April 1967 |
| Chicago & North Western
C&NW #1703 was equipped with D/B and steam generator, at Proviso, Chicago. Chuck Zeiler photo 9 January 1966 | Chicago & North Western
C&NW #6614 (ex-#1724) received a chopped nose in 1971 and had d/b removed. Jim Jeffery photo at Des Moines, Iowa, February 1974 (Ralph Back collection) |
| Denver & Rio Grande Western
Rio Grande's SD9s were sure-footed climbers, #5310 at Salt Lake City, Utah. Deane Motis photo 4 September 1983 | Duluth Missabe & Iron Range
DM&IR SD9s were classy looking and well maintained, #139 Proctor, MN. Deane Motis 10 December 1977 |
| Electro-Motive Division SD9 Demonstrator #5591 at Denver Colorado. (A search is underway) | Elgin Joliet & Eastern
The #601, one of three SD9s bought new by EJ&E, rests at Joliet, Illinois. Joe Brockmeyer photo, 31 May 1970 (**) |
| Great Northern
GN #584 wears an interim economy paint scheme at Minneapolis, Minnesota Jim Siedl photo, November 1966 | Milwaukee Road
A late 1950s renumbering saw Milwaukee SD9 2226 become the #532. Greg MacGregor photo at Bellingham WA, 14 April 1973 / Dean Motis collection |
| Nickel Plate
NKP sampled six-motors from all 1st-gen builders, including #340 from EMD. The Garys photo February 1965 / Deane Motis collection | Pennsylvania
Built in 1958, #6916 served 3 owners (PRR, PC and Conrail) in its 25-years. R. Craig photo at Northwood, Ohio, 14 October 1969 |
| Reserve Mininge
The #1224 at age 36 was sold to E&LS in 1992; retirement came 10 years later. Tom Wilson photo at Green Bay WI, 6 April 1991 / Deane Motis collection | SOO Line
Ordered by WC, the SD9 was delivered to merger partner SOO as 2381. Ralph Back photo at Shoreham Yard, Minneapolis, 4 July 1976 |
| Southern Pacific
Loco built as Espee 5418 and later re-built to SD9E 4406, shown at Mojave, CA. Deane Motis photo, 12 September 1988 |
SP #4418 wears uniform of proposed Espee and Santa Fe merger at Mojave, CA. Eleven SP SD9Rs were painted in the SPSF scheme - 4327, 4345, 4347, 4354, 4363, 4372, 4375, 4377, 4381, 4418, and 4420. |
| Chilean Exploration
Six-motor #L13 sports a home-made nose treatment. Larry Russsell photo / Deane Motis collection, May 1980 | Korean National Railway
Twelve-year-old #5017 delivers oil to an industrial user on Taegu's out-skirts. 12 May 1969 |
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* * * SD9 Production Roster * * *
| Railroad | Road No. | Bldr Nmbr | Bldr Date | Notes | |
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| Atlanta & St. Andrews Bay | 503 & 504 | 21046, 21047 | 1/56 | -- | |
| 505 | 24062 | 4/58 | -- | ||
| Baltimore & Ohio | 765 & 766 | 20121 & 20122 | 12/54 | Re-#d B&O 1831 & 1832 < ex-B&O 7405 & 7405 | |
| 767-771 | 20124-20128 | 11/53 | Re-#d to B&O 1833-1837 < ex-B&O 7406-7411 | ||
| 772 | 20123 | 12/54 | Re-#d to B&O 1838 < ex-B&O 7412 | ||
| 773 & 774 | 20451 & 20452 | 4/55 | Re-#d to B&O 1839 & 1840 < ex-B&O 7413 & 7414 | ||
| Central of Georgia | 202-207 | 20445-20450 | 3-6/55 | -- | |
| Chicago Burlington & Quincy | 325-344 | 18984-19003 | 5-10/53 | Steam-generator equipped | |
| 345-374 | 20555-20584 | 6-10/55 | -- | ||
| 430-439 | 23609--23618 | 10/57 | -- | ||
| 440-459 | 23619--23638 | 8-10/57 | -- | ||
| CB&Q / Colorado & Southern | 820-830 | 22403-22313 | 12/56-1/57 | -- | |
| 831-835 | 25011-25015 | 4/59 | -- | ||
| 836-842 | 25156-25162 | 4/59 | -- | ||
| Chicago & Illinois Midland | 50-54 | 20691-20695 | 11/55 | -- | |
| Chicago & North Western | 1701 & 1702 | 19506 & 19507 | 5/54 | -- | |
| 1703-1707 | 19498-19502 | 5/54 | -- | ||
| 1708-1710 | 19503-19505 | 5/54 | -- | ||
| 1721-1724 | 20687-20690 | 10-11/55 | -- | ||
| Several units equipped with steam generators | |||||
| Denver & Rio Grande Western | 5305-5314 | 22808-22817 | 7/57 | -- | |
| Duluth Missabe & Iron Range | 101-109 | 21727-21735 | 3-4/56 | -- | |
| 110 | 20655 | 7/55 | Ex-EMD Demonstrator #5591 | ||
| 111-130 | 23099-23118 | 1-3/57 | #129 & 130 s/g equipped | ||
| 131-157 | 23911-23937 | 2-4/58 | -- | ||
| 158 | 24487 | 4/58 | -- | ||
| 159-174 | 25259-25274 | 4-5/59 | -- | ||
| EMD | 5591 | 20655 | 7/55 | Demonstrator; sold to DM&IR 110 | |
| Elgin Joliet & Eastern | 600-602 | 23120-23122 | 3/57 | -- | |
| Great Northern | 573-578 | 19340-19345 | 2/54 | -- | |
| 579-583 | 21247-21251 | 5/56 | -- | ||
| 584-589 | 22486-22491 | 1/57 | -- | ||
| 590-597 | 24092-24099 | 4/58 | -- | ||
| 598 & 599 | 24100 & 24101 | 4/58 | -- | ||
| Milwaukee Road | 2224-2237 | 18769-18782 | -1-2/54 | Re-#d to xxxxxx | |
| Nickel Plate | 340-359 | 23155-23174 | 3-4/57 | -- | |
| Pennsylvania | 7600-7624 | 24167-24191 | 11/57-1/58 | -- | |
| Reserve Mining | 1220-1222 | 19989-19991 | 6/55 | -- | |
| 1223 & 1224 | 21066 & 22417 | 5, 12/56 | -- | ||
| 1225 | 25436 | 6/59 | -- | ||
| SOO Line | 2381 | 20120 | 12/54 | Ordered by Wisconsin Central (original) | |
| Southern Pacific | 5340-5371 | 19428-19460 | 3-5/54 | Steam-generator equipped | |
| 5372-5386 | 20223-20237 | 1-5/55 | Steam-generator equipped | ||
| 5387-5417 | 19928-19958 | 2-4/54 | -- | ||
| 5418-5423 | 19983-19988 | 4/55 | -- | ||
| 5424-5444 | 20202-20222 | 1-5/55 | -- | ||
| 5449-5493 | 21274-21288 | 1-5/56 | -- | ||
| Export Locomotives | |||||
| Chile Exploration | 901-903 | 21484-21486 | 3/56 | -- | |
| 904 & 905 | 21562 & 21563 | 3/56 | -- | ||
| Korean National | 5001-5020 | 23481-23500 | 5-7/57 | Ex-KNR 101-120 | |
| 50201-5029 | 23897-23905 | 10/57 | Ex-KNR 121-129 | ||
| Venezuela (Orinoco Mining) | 1011-1014 | 21942-21945 | 5/56 | -- | |
| 1015-1017 | 23400-23402 | 5/57 | -- | ||
| 1018-1020 | 24574-24576 | 5/58 | -- | ||
Reference sources:
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