EMD SD7R

EMD SD7R
Two of SP's then forty-year-old SD7R's still at work switching the East End of the Roseville Yard.
Type and origin Power type Diesel-electric Builder General Motors Electro-Motive Division (EMD) Model SD7 SD7R Build date May 1951 – November 1953 Total produced 42 Rebuild date January 1979 – June 1980
Specifications Configuration: ​  • AAR C-C Gauge 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge Trucks EMD Flexicoil C Wheel diameter 40 in (1,016 mm) Minimum curve 23° (250 ft (76.20 m) radius) Wheelbase 48 ft 7 in (14.81 m) Length 61 ft 2 3⁄4 in (18.66 m) Width 10 ft 8 in (3.25 m) Height 15 ft 4 1⁄2 in (4.69 m) Loco weight 309,000 lb (140,000 kg) Fuel capacity 1,200 US gal (4,500 L; 1,000 imp gal) Prime mover EMD 16-567B/16-567C (SD7) EMD 16-645CE (SD7R) RPM range 800 Engine type V16 diesel engine Aspiration Roots-type supercharger Displacement 9,072 cu in (148.66 L) Generator D-12-C Traction motors (6) D-27-B Cylinders 16
Performance figures Power output 1,500 hp (1.12 MW) Tractive effort 77,250 lbf (343,600 N)
Career Numbers 1500–1542 Disposition Three preserved, remainder scrapped

The EMD SD7R (sometimes known as the EMD SD7E) was a rebuild from EMD SD7 diesel locomotives that were built by General-Motors Electro-Motive Division for the Southern Pacific Transportation Company.

They were all originally built in May 1951 and November 1953 and rebuilt between January 1979 and June 1980.

History

Between May 1951 and November 1953, the Electro-Motive Division had built and delivered a total of 42 EMD SD7 diesel locomotives for the Southern Pacific Transportation Company as the Southern Pacific needed more locomotives for their freight trains.

When they delivered to the Southern Pacific Railroad, they were originally numbered in a 52 and 53 sequence, the first 15 locomotives as 5279–5293, and the remaining 27 locomotives as 5309–5335, with units 5321 through 5335 being built with an EMD 567C prime mover, and the rest of them being built with an EMD 567B prime mover.

Then, in 1965, they were renumbered in a 2700 sequence as 2700–2742 until in 1974, when they were all renumbered as 1400–1442. Due to the age of the EMD SD7 locomotives and their 567B prime movers, this resulted in the Southern Pacific Transportation Company rebuilding all 42 of their EMD SD7 diesel locomotives of what had become the EMD SD7R between January 1979 and June of 1980 under the General Rehabilitation and Improvement Program (G.R.I.P).

The rebuilds had also included upgrades to the electrical systems, traction motors, as well as a changeout of the prime movers swapping the 16-cylinder 567B prime movers with 16-cylinder 645CE prime movers.

Southern Pacific SD7R locomotives 1503 and 1518 at Roseville yard

After all 42 of the Southern Pacific's EMD SD7 units were rebuilt under the Southern Pacific's General Rehabilitation and Improvement Program (G.R.I.P), the Southern Pacific Railroad renumbered them to 1500–1542.

All of the SD7R locomotives were painted in Southern Pacific's "Bloody Nose" paint scheme, but surprisingly, none of the 42 SD7R diesel locomotives were painted into Southern Pacific's SPSF "Kodachrome" livery.

A new electrical cabinet was fitted, which resulted in an 'umbrella' or 'hump' behind the locomotive's cab. Southern Pacific unit #1507 received a 'normal' 36-inch (91 cm; 910 mm; 0.91 m; 0.00091 km; 0.00057 mi) cap top dynamic fan and a flat top or high shroud type DA-2001 and also kept its non-standard fuel tank.

A full SP 5 light show was fitted both at the front end and the rear end similar to a DW103 or made from DA1001, 1002, 1003. 41 of the SD7R locomotives had their dual tanks removed while the other three units #1506, #1528 and #1533 had kept their dual tanks. #1541 had the roadname stacked at the rear of the unit in a Roman script.

All 42 units were retired from active service on the Southern Pacific Transportation Company. Four units (#1502, #1504, #1511 and #1537) were given to Progress Rail of Fresno, California, six units (#1500, #1510, #1525, #1529, #1531 and #1535) were sold to San Joaquin Valley Railroad at Fresno, California, on November 3, 1995, and two units #1530 and #1532 were delivered to the Willamette and Pacific Railroad. While the rest stayed with the Southern Pacific either to be scrapped or be part of the Union Pacific's roster.

Preservation

Out of all 42 of the EMD SD7R locomotives used on the Southern Pacific Transportation Company, three EMD SD7R diesel locomotives have been preserved:

Currently preserved

Southern Pacific #1518 at the Illinois Railway Museum.

• Southern Pacific #1518, (originally EMD Demonstrator unit No. 990, Southern Pacific SD7 #5308, SD7 #2715 and SD7 #1415) is currently operational at the Illinois Railway Museum in Union, Illinois.
• Southern Pacific #1530 (currently as PNWR #1501) (originally SP SD7 #5280, SD7 #2701 and SD7 #1401) was used on the Portland and Western Railroad for yard use until being retired on July 19, 2023, and sidelined along with PNWR locomotives #1801, #1803, #1852, #1854 due to Genesee and Wyoming's EPA scandal. #1501 was eventually acquired by Dieselmotive Company, Inc. (BUGX) in September 2023.
• Southern Pacific #1533 (originally SP SD7 #5321, SD7 #2728 and SD7 #1428) is currently under ownership of Dieselmotive Company, Inc. (BUGX).

Formerly preserved, scrapped

• Southern Pacific #1532 (originally SP SD7 #5288, SD7 #2702 and SD7 #1402) was used in operation at the Portland and Western Railroad as SD9m #1853 but was scrapped in December 2009.

See also

• EMD SD9E
• EMD SD40R
• EMD SD45R

Further reading

• Strapac, Joseph A. (1997). Southern Pacific Historic Diesels Volume 4, SD7 and SD9 Locomotives (1st ed.). Shade Tree Books, Bellflower, California. ISBN 9780930742171. OL 8360777M. Search this book on
• Withers, Paul K. (1995). Diesel Era, November/December 1995, Volume 6 Number 6. Withers Publishing. Search this book on
• Shine, Joseph (1991). SP into the '90's. Four Ways West Publications. ISBN 9780685752104. Search this book on
• Shine, Joseph (1988). SP 1987/88 Motive Power Pictorial (1st ed.). Four-Ways West Publications. ISBN 9780961687434. Search this book on
• Signor, John R. (2005). SP Trainline - Issues 83-93 (1st ed.). Southern Pacific Historical & Technical Society. Search this book on

External links

• Southern Pacific SD7R Info Page
• List of EMD SD7R locomotives

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