EMD SD9E

EMD SD9E
Southern Pacific SD9E units #4415 at Signal 4955 between Leland and Wolf Creek, Oregon in July of 1982
Type and origin Power type Diesel-electric Builder General Motors Electro-Motive Division (EMD) Model SD9 SD9E Build date March 1954 – May 1956 Total produced 150 Rebuild date August 1970 – March 1980 Number rebuilt 144
Specifications Configuration: ​  • AAR C-C Gauge 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge Wheel diameter 40 in (1,016 mm) Wheelbase 48 ft 7 in (14.8 m) Length 60 ft 8.5 in (18.5 m) Fuel capacity 1,200 or 2,400 US gal (4,500 or 9,100 l; 1,000 or 2,000 imp gal) Lubricant cap. 200 US gal (757 L) Sandbox cap. 50 cu ft (1.4 m3) Prime mover EMD 567C Engine type V16 diesel Boiler Vapor-Clarkson Steam Boiler OK4625 Cylinders 16
Performance figures Power output SD9: 1,750 hp (1.30 MW) SD9E: 1,800 hp (1.34 MW)
Career Disposition Some preserved, some scrapped

The EMD SD9E was a rebuild from EMD SD9 diesel locomotives that were built by General-Motors Electro-Motive Division for the Southern Pacific Transportation Company.

History

The Southern Pacific Transportation Company began ordering 150 EMD SD9 units from General-Motors Electro-Motive Division where they originally classified their units as DF-120, DF-121, DF-122, DF-124 and DF-125, with the first 105 units being numbered as 5340–5444, and the other 45 units being numbered as 5449–5493.

The Southern Pacific Transportation Company had 53 of their units #5340–5391 fitted with the Vapor-Clarkson Steam Boiler OK4625 type steam generator upon when those 53 units were ordered from General-Motors Electro-Motive Division.

Then, in 1965, the Southern Pacific had reclassified their EMD SD9 units as the Southern Pacific classes EF618-1, EF618-2, EF618-3, EF618-4 and EF618-5, as well as renumbering them as 3800-3966.

Then, between August 1970 and March 1980, the Southern Pacific Transportation Company had rebuilt 144 of their 150 SD9 units under the General Rehabilitation and Improvement Program (G.R.I.P) into SD9E units and they had renumbered 142 of their rebuilt units as 4300-4441 and two additional rebuilt units being renumbered as 4450 and 4451, as well as reclassifying their 142 units as EF618E-1 and EF618R-1, and had classified their two units #4450 and #4451 as EF618E-2.

Preservation

Stored

• Southern Pacific SD9E #4451 is currently stored in derelict condition at Schellville, California where its future remains undetermined.
• Southern Pacific SD9E locomotive #4433 was used on the Portland and Western Railroad (P&W) as PNWR #1854 for switching and industry service, however it is still in service specifically for being assigned to the rock train. The unit was retired in February 2024 and was stored at Albany, Oregon for the time being.

Currently preserved

Southern Pacific SD9E locomotive #4364 (Now restored as #5399) with Portland and Western (P&W) GP39-2 #2305 at the PNWR’s main dispatch yard in Albany, Oregon on April 28, 2022.

• Southern Pacific SD9E locomotive #4303 is currently under ownership of the Dieselmotive Company Inc. (BUGX) as BUGX #4303.
• Southern Pacific SD9E locomotive #4304 is currently under ownership of the Dieselmotive Company Inc. (BUGX) as BUGX #4304.
• Southern Pacific SD9E locomotive #4364 (Now restored as #5399) is operational at the Albany and Eastern Railroad (AERC).
• Southern Pacific SD9E locomotive #4397 was used on the Portland and Western Railroad (P&W) as PNWR #1852 for switching and industry service, it was sidelined due to G&W's EPA scandal, but was sold to Dieselmotive Company Inc. (BUGX) in January 2024.
• Southern Pacific SD9E #4404 is currently at the Pend Oreille Valley Railroad (POVA).
• Southern Pacific SD9E locomotive #4423 (Now restored as SD9 #5472) is operational at the Niles Canyon Railway.
• Southern Pacific SD9E locomotive #4426 is currently operational at the Nevada Northern Railway Museum as Nevada Northern #204.
• Southern Pacific SD9E locomotive #4427 is currently being used in revenue freight service on the Dakota Southern Railway.
• Southern Pacific SD9E #4439 is currently under ownership of Western Rail Inc. (WRIX) as WRIX #439.

Formerly preserved, scrapped during preservation

• Southern Pacific SD9E #4368 was used on the Port of Tillamook Bay Railroad (POTB) until being scrapped in October 2010 after POTB had went defunct in 2007.
• Southern Pacific SD9E #4381 (that still had the Southern Pacific's "Kodachrome" livery of the proposed and failed merger between Southern Pacific and Santa Fe) was used on the Port of Tillamook Bay Railroad (POTB) until being scrapped in January 1999 after being involved in an accident when its brakes had failed which it had derailed and rolled down a hill.
• Southern Pacific SD9E #4414 was used on the Port of Tillamook Bay Railroad (POTB) until being scrapped in October 2010 at the Tillamook Air Museum after POTB had went defunct in 2007.
• Southern Pacific SD9E #4432 was used on the Port of Tillamook Bay Railroad (POTB) until being scrapped in October 2010 after POTB had went defunct in 2007
• Southern Pacific SD9E #4450 "Huff" was used on the Golden Gate Railroad Museum before being donated to Western Pacific Railroad Museum alongside Southern Pacific SD9E #4404 until being scrapped in August 2013 due to its poor condition and lack of alignment control couplers.

Bibliography

• Shine, Joseph (1988). SP 1987/88 Motive Power Pictorial (1st ed.). Four-Ways West Publications. ISBN 9780961687434. Search this book on
• Withers, Paul K. (1996). Diesel Era November/December 1996, Vol 7 No.6. Withers Publishing. Search this book on

Further reading

• Bassett, Mark S. & J. Joan (2011). Nevada Northern Railway. Arcadia Pub. ISBN 978-0738574752. Search this book on
• "Cadillac SD9 #4450 Arrives at Museum". GGRM News. 1998-06-08. Archived from the original on 1999-09-01. Retrieved 2023-09-03.
• Burkhardt, D. C. Jesse (1994). Backwoods Railroads: Branchlines and Shortlines of Western Oregon (1st ed.). Washington State University Press. ISBN 9780874221046. Search this book on
• Shine, Joseph (1991). SP into the '90's. Four Ways West Publications. ISBN 9780685752104. Search this book on
• Strapac, Joseph A. (1981). 1980 Southern Pacific Review (1st ed.). Shade Tree Books and Pacific Coast Chapter R&LHS. ISBN 9780930742041. Search this book on
• 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
• Shippen, Bill (1995). Southern Pacific 1995 Motive Power Annual (1st ed.). Four Ways West Publications. ISBN 9781885614087. Search this book on
• Shippen, Bill; Shine, Joe (1999). Southern Pacific in Transition (1st ed.). Four Ways West Publications. ISBN 9781885614261. Search this book on
• Limas, Peter (1998). Southern Pacific Rails, A Motive Power Finale. White River Productions. ISBN 9780965904049. Search this book on

External links

• Southern Pacific SD9E Information Page
• List of EMD SD9E locomotives

---