EMD GP9

EMD GP9

An EMD GP9 equipped with dynamic brakes on the Shenandoah Valley Railroad in Staunton, VA.
Type and origin
Power type Diesel-electric
Builder General Motors Electro-Motive Division (EMD)
General Motors Diesel (GMD)
Build date January 1954 August 1963
Total produced 4,112 (and 165 B units)
Specifications
AAR wheel arr B-B
Gauge 4 ft 8 12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Trucks EMD Bloomberg B (Flexicoil on some CN units)
Wheel diameter 40 in (1.016 m)
Minimum curve 21° (273 ft (83.21 m) radius)
Wheelbase 40 ft (12.19 m)
Length 56 ft 2 in (17.12 m)
Width 10 ft 3 12 in (3.14 m)
Height 15 ft 12 in (4.58 m)
Loco weight 259,500 lb (117,700 kg)
Fuel capacity 1,100 US gal (4,200 l; 920 imp gal)
Prime mover EMD 567C
RPM range 835 max
Engine type V16 Two-stroke diesel
Aspiration Roots-type supercharger
Displacement 9,072 cu in (148.66 L)
Generator EMD D-12-B
Traction motors (4) EMD D-37-B
Cylinders 16
Cylinder size 8 12 in × 10 in (216 mm × 254 mm)
Performance figures
Power output 1,750 hp (1.30 MW)
Tractive effort 64,750 lbf (288.0 kN)
Career
Locale North America, South America

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).[1] 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.

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.

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 Pacific Railway and Canadian National Railway still have many in their fleets in 2012 as switcher locomotives.

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

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
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 ether 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
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

Quebec Cartier Mining
9
1–9
Built with low-short-hoods.
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, USA

BNSF #1700, a GP9 "B" unit.
Railroad Quantity Road numbers Notes
Pennsylvania Railroad
40
7175B–7204B, 7230B–7239B
Union Pacific Railroad
125
130B–204B, 300B–349B
Total 165

Preservation

Several GP9 locomotives have been preserved at various railroad museums and as "park engines." The Western Pacific Railroad Museum at Portola, California rosters three of these units: Western Pacific Railroad 725 and 731, as well as Southern Pacific Railroad 2873, still painted in the Southern Pacific Santa Fe Railroad merger scheme. SP 2873 is a popular locomotive in the museum's Run a Locomotive program. There is also one on display at the Horseshoe Curve, Pennsylvania Railroad No. 7048. No. 7048 replaced K4s Pacific #1361 which in 1986 was removed from the site and rebuilt to haul excursion trains.

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.

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.[2] 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.[3]

Other operators include:

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to EMD GP9 locomotives.

References

External links

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