An EMD GP9 is a four-axle diesel-electric locomotive built by General Motors' Electro-Motive Division in the United States, and General Motors Diesel in Canada between January, 1954, and August, 1963. US production ended in December, 1959, while an additional thirteen units were built in Canada, including the last two in August, 1963. Power was provided by an EMD 567C sixteen-cylinder engine which generated 1,750 horsepower (1.30 MW). This locomotive type was offered both with and without control cabs; locomotives built without control cabs were called GP9B locomotives. All GP9B locomotives were built in the United States between February, 1954, and December, 1959.
Video EMD GP9
Production
A total of 3,441 units of this locomotive model were built for American railroads, with an additional 646 for Canadian railroads and 10 for Mexican railroads. 5 units were built for a railroad in Brazil, 4 units were built for a railroad in Peru and 6 units were built for a railroad in Venezuela. Of the GP9B, 165 examples were built for American railroads.
Maps EMD GP9
Rebuilds
There were 40 GP9M units built that are included in the 3,441 units built for United States railroads. A GP9M was built with parts from another older EMD locomotive, either an F unit or a damaged GP7. The use of parts from these older locomotives caused the GP9Ms to have a lower power rating than a GP9. This would be either 1,350 horsepower (1.01 MW) if the donor locomotive was an FT/F2 or 1,500 horsepower (1.12 MW) from F3/F7/GP7 locomotives.
Many rebuilt GP9s remain in service today with shortline railroads and industrial operators. Some remain in rebuilt form on some major Class I railroads, as switcher locomotives. Canadian National still has many GP9RM locomotives in operation, as of 2016. Canadian Pacific had many GP9u locomotives in operation; however, they were all retired in 2015.
Several GP9s were rebuilt with a 1,500 horsepower (1.12 MW) CAT 3512 and re-classified as GP15C.
Original buyers
GP9 locomotives built by Electro-Motive Division, USA
GP9 locomotives built by General Motors Diesel, Canada
GP9B locomotives built by Electro-Motive Division, USA
Preservation
At least 24 GP9 locomotives have been preserved at various railroad museums, as "park engines", and as excursion engines according to The Diesel Shop:
- Carrizo Gorge Rwy 3878 was originally Southern Pacific 5890 is on the Carrizo Gorge Rwy at Campo, CA
- Carrizo Gorge Rwy 4324 was originally Chicago & Northwestern 1716 is on the Carrizo Gorge Rwy at Campo, CA.
- B&O 6607 was originally Baltimore & Ohio 3414 and is at the B&O RR Museum, Baltimore, MD
- Conrail 7332 was originally New York Central 7332 and is at the Gopher State RR Museum
- Nickel Plate 514 is at the Steamtown Museum in Scranton, PA
- Grand Trunk 4428 and 4433 are at the Saginaw Rwy Museum
- Illinois Transportation Museum 200 was originally Union Pacific 200 and is at the Ilinois Transportation Museum in Union, IL
- Naugatuck RR 1732 was originally Boston & Maine 1732 and is at the Railroad Museum of New England
- Nickel Plate 426 is at the Ilinois Transportation Museum in Union, Illinois.
- Nickel Plate 532 us at the Virginia Museum of Transportation in Roanoke, VA.
- Norfolk & Western 620 is at the North Carolina Transportation Museum.
- Pennsylvania 7000 is at the United RR Historical Museum.
- Pennsylvania 7006 is at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania.
- Pennsylvania 7048 is owned by the Railroaders' Memorial Museum and is on display at Horseshoe Curve in Altoona, PA.
- Southern Pacific 2873 was originally Texas & New Orleans 443 and is at the Western Pacific RR Museum in Portola, CA.
- Southern Pacific 3194 was originally SP 5600 and is at the Golden Gate RR Museum, CA.
- Southern Pacific 5623 is owned by Howard Wise and Errol Ohman.
- SP 3873 was originally St. Louis Southwestern 827 and is at the San Diego Rwy Museum, CA.
- Union Pacific 296 is at the Boulder County Rwy Historical Society, NV.
- Western Pacific 725 and 731 are at the Western Pacific RR Museum in Portola, CA.
- Western Pacific 727 is on display in Elko, NV.
- Illinois Central 8733 was originally IC 9386 and is at the Monticello Railway Museum, IL
Current operators
The Northwestern Pacific Railroad rosters an ex-Burlington Northern GP9, now in the NWP's "Bloody Nose" paint scheme, for mainly switching and MOW operations in Northern California. The Buffalo & Pittsburgh Railroad operates a former N&W GP9, now numbered 626. Its home yard is the Bradford, PA yard. The California Western Railroad, better known as the "Skunk Train," has three GP9s in their fleet. The Santa Maria Valley Railroad operates a former Milwaukee Road GP9 numbered 1801.
In the mid 1980s to early 1990s Guilford Rail System (now Pan Am Railways) started painting and renumbering their GP9 fleet into the Guilford Transportation scheme with the Springfield Terminal name on the side. Pan Am Railways still rosters 6 of the 50 GP9s that are left, the rest either having been scrapped or sold. The last 6 GP9s still rostered on PAR are 51, 52, 62, 71, 72, and 77. The 77 was painted into the Boston and Maine maroon and gold "Minuteman" scheme for Pan Am's heritage fleet, and the 52 was painted in the Maine Central green scheme.
The Hartwell Railroad operates former Chicago and North Western GP9 4556, née Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific 1315.
The Vintage Locomotive Society currently operates two GP9 locomotives: No. 4138 was built by General Motors Diesel (GMD) in November 1958 for the Grand Trunk Western (which eventually became part of Canadian National Railway). It was donated by CN to the Society in August 2002. 4138 is used on the Prairie Dog Central Railway in regular service and in some charter service. It acts as backup power should steam locomotive No. 3 be unavailable. No. 1685 was built by General Motors Diesel (GMD) in March 1957 for the Midland Railway Company of Manitoba as locomotive No. 2 (which became Burlington Northern Manitoba Limited No. 2, then BNSF No. 1685). It was donated to the Society by BNSF in July 2010. 1685 is used on the Prairie Dog Central Railway in regular service and in some charter service. It also acts as backup power should steam locomotive No. 3 or 4138 be unavailable.
CN still has a strong fleet of GP9 locomotives in service, designated as GP9RM, which were rebuilt in the 1980s. They use the following number series: 4000s, 4100s, 7000s, and 7200s.
Other operators include:
- Butte, Anaconda and Pacific Railway
- Central Montana Rail (ex. Great Northern, still operate high nose, long-hood forward)
- Montana Rail Link
- Montreal, Maine and Atlantic Railway - ex-Bangor and Aroostook Railroad and ex-Canadian Pacific Railway
- Adrian & Blissfield Railroad
- Leadville, Colorado and Southern Railroad
- Ontario Northland Railway
- Grafton & Upton Railroad
- Essex Terminal Railway (ETL)
See also
- List of GM-EMD locomotives
- List of GMD Locomotives
References
- "The History of EMD Diesel Engines". Pacific Southwest Railway Museum. Archived from the original on July 22, 2014. Retrieved December 14, 2005.
- Dorin, Patrick C. (1972). Chicago and North Western Power. Burbank, California: Superior Publishing. pp. 108-110. ISBN 0-87564-715-4.
- Kristopans, Andre J. http://utahrails.net/ajkristopans/ROADSWITCHERS567.php#gp9
- Kristopans, Andre J. http://utahrails.net/ajkristopans/GMEXPORT2_22-Sep-2015_update.txt has the export GP9s toward the bottom of the page.
- Kristopans, Andre J. http://utahrails.net/ajkristopans/GENERALMOTORSDIESEL.php has the Canadian GP9 serial numbers.
- Pinkpank, Jerry A (1973). The Second Diesel Spotter's Guide. Kalmbach Books. pp. 12, 26, 52-56. ISBN 0-89024-026-4. LCCN 66-22894.
- Extra 2200 South, Issue no.48, Sep-Oct 1974
- Extra 2200 South, Issue no.49, Nov-Dec 1974
External links
- The Diesel Shop GP9 Data sheet
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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