EMD GP9
The EMD GP9 is a four-axle diesel-electric locomotive built by General Motors' Electro-Motive Division between 1954 and 1959. The GP9 succeeded the GP7 as the second model of EMD's General Purpose (GP) line,[1] incorporating a new sixteen-cylinder engine which generated 1,750 horsepower (1.30 MW).[2] This locomotive type was offered both with and without control cabs; locomotives built without control cabs were called GP9B locomotives.
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EMD constructed 3,626 GP9s, including 165 GP9Bs.[3][4] An additional 646 GP9s were built by General Motors Diesel, EMD's Canadian subsidiary, for a total of 4,257 GP9s produced when Canadian production ended in 1963.[3] The GP9 was succeeded by the similar but slightly more powerful GP18.[5]
Design and Production
EMD designed the GP9 as an improved version of the GP7, with an increase in power from 1,500 hp to 1,750 hp, and a change in prime mover to the latest version of the 567 engine, the 567C.[5] Externally, the GP9 strongly resembled its predecessor. Most were built with high short hoods, but the Southern Pacific ordered a number with low short hoods for improved crew visibility.[5]
EMD built GP9s at its LaGrange, Illinois facility until 1959, when American production was ended in favor of the GP18.[5] GMD production in Canada continued until August 1963, when the final GP9 was produced.[3]
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 although most Class 1 railroads stopped using these locomotives by the 1980s. 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.
The Illinois Central Railroad rebuilt some of its GP9s with their front (short) hood reduced in height for improved crew visibility. The IC designated these rebuilt locomotives GP10.
EMD has rebuilt and continues to rebuild GP9s into what it calls the GP20C-ECO, which is repowered with an EMD 8-710-G3A engine in place of the original 567 prime mover.[6]
Original buyers
GP9 locomotives built by Electro-Motive Division, U.S.
| Railroad | Quantity | Road numbers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electro-Motive Division (demonstrator) | 1 | 7257 | to Western Maryland 33 |
| Araraquara Railway, Brazil | 5 | 1001–1005 | 5 ft 3 in (1,600 mm) |
| Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway | 52 | 700–751 | Passed on to BNSF, all retired |
| Baltimore and Ohio Railroad | 194 | 675–696, 747–752, 3413–3425, 6447–6598, 6498:2 | 6513, 6554 now Greenville & Western 3751, 3752 |
| Bangor and Aroostook Railroad | 5 | 76–80 | |
| Belt Railway of Chicago | 3 | 471, 480, 481 | 471 is a GP9M |
| Boston and Maine Railroad | 50 | 1700–1749 | Remaining units to Guilford Rail System. The last 3 GP9s are on Pan Am Railways. |
| Butte, Anaconda and Pacific Railway | 4 | 104–107 | |
| Central of Georgia Railway | 11 | 160–170 | |
| Central Railroad of New Jersey | 2 | 1531, 1532 | GP9M |
| Central Vermont Railway | 18 | 4547–4557, 4923–4929 | |
| Chesapeake and Ohio Railway | 363 | 5901–6263 | |
| Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad | 8 | 221, 229, 233–238 | 221, 229 are GP9Ms |
| Chicago and North Western Railway | 59 | 1711–1720, 1725–1773 | |
| Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad | 20 | 270-289 | |
| Chicago Great Western | 1 | 120 | GP9M |
| Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad ("Milwaukee Road") | 128 | 280–331, 2368–2443 | 2368–2443 renumbered 200–279 (not in sequence). |
| Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad | 21 | 1312-1332 | |
| Clinchfield Railroad | 2 | 917, 918 | |
| Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad | 24 | 5901–5904, 5911–5914, 5921–5924, 5931–5934, 5941–5944, 5951–5954 | |
| Detroit, Toledo and Ironton Railroad | 13 | 980–992 | |
| Erie Railroad | 6 | 1260–1265 | |
| Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México | 10 | 6602, 7101–7107, 7101:2, 7102:2 | |
| Florida East Coast Railway | 26 | 651–676 | |
| Georgia Railroad | 3 | 1040–1042 | |
| Grand Trunk Railway | 16 | 4442–4450, 4558–4559, 4902–4906 | Grand Trunk Railway has since rebuilt the 4900s into GP9Rs and renumbered them into the 4600s with chopped noses. Some of the 4600s have since sold, majority still reside with the CN either in CN paint or GT paint. |
| Grand Trunk Western Railroad | 51 | 1751–1767, 4134–4139, 4539–4546, 4907–4922, 4930–4933 | |
| Great Northern Railway | 95 | 656–734, 900–915 | 900's are 1,350 hp (1,010 kW) GP9M. 733, 734 are 1,500 hp (1,100 kW) GP9Ms |
| Illinois Central Railroad | 348 | 9000–9257, 9300–9389 | |
| Kansas City Southern Railway | 4 | 162–165 | 162 is a GP9M |
| Lehigh Valley Railroad | 2 | 300, 301 | |
| Louisville and Nashville Railroad | 32 | 437, 441–459, 511, 513, 515–522, 553–554 | 437, 511, 513 are GP9Ms |
| Meridian and Bigbee Railroad | 1 | 102 | |
| Midland Valley Railroad | 2 | 152, 153 | GP9M |
| Minneapolis and St. Louis Railway | 23 | 600–608, 700–713 | 600's are 1,350 hp (1,010 kW) GP9M |
| Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad ("Soo Line") | 24 | 400–414, 550–558 | 400's freight; 550's passenger. |
| Soo Line (Wisconsin Central Railroad) | 21 | 2400–2413, 2550–2556 | 2400s freight; 2550s passenger. |
| Mississippi Export Railroad | 1 | 60 | |
| Missouri Pacific Railroad | 40 | 4332–4371 | |
| New York Central Railroad | 160 | 5904–6028, 6041–6075 | |
| New York Central (Cleveland Union Terminal) | 4 | 5900–5903 | |
| New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad ("Nickel Plate Road") | 107 | 448–534, 800–814, 448:2, 482:2, 496:2, 497:2, 503:2 | |
| New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad | 30 | 1200–1229 | |
| Norfolk and Western Railway | 306 | 10–13, 506–521, 620–699, 714–914, 813:2, 817:2, 799:2, 800:2, 805:2 | |
| Northern Pacific Railway | 176 | 200–375 | To Burlington Northern. Some have been rebuilt to GP28 standards and are called GP28Ms. |
| Pennsylvania Railroad | 270 | 7000–7269 | |
| Phelps Dodge Corporation (Morenci Mine) | 14 | 30–43 | |
| Phelps Dodge Corporation (New Cornelia Branch Mine) | 3 | 21–23 | |
| Seaboard Air Line Railroad | 58 | 1798, 1801, 1900–1929, 1954–1979 | 1798, 1801 are GP9Ms |
| Southern Railway | 2 | 2500, 2501 | |
| Southern Railway (Cincinnati, New Orleans and Texas Pacific Railway | 5 | 6245–6249 | |
| Southern Railway (Georgia Southern and Florida Railway) | 2 | 8214, 8215 | |
| Southern Railway (Live Oak, Perry and Gulf Railroad) | 2 | 302, 303 | |
| Southern Railway (New Orleans and Northeastern Railroad) | 2 | 6898, 6899 | |
| Southern Pacific Company | 255 | 5600–5719, 5730–5844, 5872–5891 | 5872 - 5891 built with low-short-hoods. |
| Southern Pacific (Texas and New Orleans Railroad) | 73 | 240–249, 280–283, 400–458 | |
| Southern Peru Copper Corporation | 4 | 20–23 | |
| Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway | 6 | 150–155 | 150–153 had steam boilers; to BN 1975-1980 |
| St. Louis Southwestern Railway ("Cotton Belt") | 12 | 820–831 | |
| Texas and Pacific Railway | 14 | 1131–1144 | |
| Texas Mexican Railway | 1 | 853 | |
| Union Pacific Railroad | 219 | 130–248, 250–349 | |
| Venezuelan National Railways | 6 | 001–006 | |
| Wabash Railroad | 12 | 484–495 | |
| Western Maryland Railway | 20 | 25–32, 34–45 | All custom fitted with low short hood at Hagerstown shops. EMD demo 7257 became WM 33. |
| Western Pacific Railroad | 8 | 725–732 | |
| Western Railway of Alabama | 2 | 530, 531 | |
| Winston-Salem Southbound Railway | 4 | 1501–1504 | 2 to Norfolk and Western Railway, 2 to Atlantic Coast Line Railroad. |
| Total | 3466 |
GP9 locomotives built by General Motors Diesel, Canada
| Railroad | Quantity | Road numbers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Algoma Central Railway | 2 | 171–172 | Last GP9's built; 172 to Essex Terminal 102 in 1986 and chop-nosed, now on OSR. |
| Canadian National Railways | 349 | 1724–1750, 2000–2024, 4100–4133,
4147–4156, 4228–4353, 4476–4538, 4560–4609, 4588–4601:2 |
|
| Canadian Pacific Railway | 200 | 8483–8546, 8611–8708, 8801–8823, 8825-8839 | 8501-8529 are equipped with steam generators. |
| Quebec Cartier Mining | 9 | 1–9 | Built with low-short-hoods.
Renumbered to 51-59 59 to Essex Terminal 108 in 1989. |
| Midland Railway Company of Manitoba | 1 | 2 | to Burlington Northern Manitoba Limited 2, then BNSF 1685 |
| New York Central Railroad | 12 | 6029–6040 | |
| Northern Alberta Railways | 10 | 201–210 | |
| Ontario Northland Railway | 6 | 1600–1605 | |
| Quebec North Shore and Labrador Railway | 54 | 124–177 | |
| Toronto, Hamilton and Buffalo Railway | 3 | 401–403 | |
| Total | 646 |
GP9B locomotives built by Electro-Motive Division, U.S.
| Railroad | Quantity | Road numbers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania Railroad | 40 | 7175B–7204B, 7230B–7239B | |
| Union Pacific Railroad | 125 | 130B–204B, 300B–349B | |
| Total | 165 |
Preservation
At least 23 GP9 locomotives have been preserved at various railroad museums, as "park engines", and as excursion engines according to The Diesel Shop:
- B&O 6607, originally numbered 3414, is at the B&O Railroad Museum, Baltimore, Maryland, in operating condition.[7]
- Southern Pacific 3194, a GP9R rebuild built as Texas and New Orleans 281, is at the Golden Gate RR Museum, California. It is in operating condition.[8]
CN GP9 leads a train up Yellowhead Pass.
An MBTA GP9 locomotive making a non-revenue move into South Station in Boston, Massachusetts. This locomotive was retired by the MBTA in 2004 and is now on static display at the Illinois Railway Museum as of September 2014.
A modified EMD GP9 of the Seminole Gulf Railway, Fort Myers, Florida.
This GTW rebuilt GP9 4619 is heading south on the Kalamazoo spur in Kalamazoo, MI.
Former BNSF 1685 high hood GP9 sitting in the Prairie Dog Central Yard. This was the last GP9 on the BNSF roster.
Current operators
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.[9] 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). BNSF donated it to the society in July 2010. Prairie Dog Central Railway operates the 1685 for both regular service and in some charter service as well as a backup when the steam locomotive No. 3 or 4138 isn't available.[10]
See also
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to EMD GP9 locomotives. |
References
- Schafer, Mike. (1996-11-08). Classic American railroads. Osceola, WI. p. 103. ISBN 0760302391. OCLC 35033722.
- Foster, Gerald L. (1996). "EMD GP9". A field guide to trains of North America. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. p. 28. ISBN 0395701120. OCLC 33242919.
- Marre, Louis A. (1995). Diesel locomotives : the first 50 years : a guide to diesels built before 1972. Waukesha, WI: Kalmbach Pub. Co. pp. 46–50. ISBN 0-89024-258-5. OCLC 34531120.
- Wilson, Jeff (2017). Guide to North American diesel locomotives. Waukesha, Wisconsin. p. 58. ISBN 978-1-62700-455-8. OCLC 992348779.
- Schafer, Mike (1998). Vintage diesel locomotives. Osceola, WI: Motorbooks International. p. 37. ISBN 0-7603-0507-2. OCLC 38738930.
- "Repowered Locomotives". Progress Rail. Retrieved 2021-08-10.
- "B&O No.6607". B&O Railroad Museum. Retrieved 2021-08-10.
- "GGRM: Collection". www.ggrm.org. Retrieved 2021-08-10.
- http://www.pdcrailway.com/History/4138.htm
- "Diesel Locomotive No. 1685". Prairie Dog Central Railway. Archived from the original on October 3, 2015.
- "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.
- 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. 32, January-February 1972 Early Geep Tally- Part II
- Extra 2200 South, Issue no.48, Sep-Oct 1974
- Extra 2200 South, Issue no.49, Nov-Dec 1974