User:Skilsdhuo/sandbox/EMD GP9

The EMD GP9 is a four-axle road switcher 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, incorporating a new sixteen-cylinder engine which generated 1750 hp. This locomotive type was offered both with and without control cabs; locomotives built without control cabs were called GP9B locomotives.

EMD constructed 3,626 GP9s, including 165 GP9Bs. 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. The GP9 was succeeded by the similar but slightly more powerful GP18.

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. 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.

EMD built GP9s at its LaGrange, Illinois facility until 1959, when American production was ended in favor of the GP18. GMD production in Canada continued until August 1963, when the final GP9 was produced.

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 1350 hp if the donor locomotive was an FT/F2 or 1500 hp 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 1500 hp 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 a Caterpillar engine in place of the original 567 prime mover.

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:
 * Boston and Maine 1732 is preserved and on display at the Railroad Museum of New England.
 * Burlington Northern 1875 and 1956 are stored in a yard in Anaheim, California. 1875 is ex NP 252, and 1956 is ex CB&Q 271.
 * BNSF Railway 1685, built as Midland Railway 2, is currently powering excursions at the Prairie Dog Central Railway.
 * B&O 6499 is at the West Chester Railroad in West Chester, Pennsylvania.
 * B&O 6607, originally numbered 3414, is at the B&O Railroad Museum, Baltimore, Maryland, in operating condition.
 * Conrail 7332, originally New York Central 5932, is stored in a yard in St Paul, Minnesota. It was owned by Gopher State Railway Museum, now by Vintage Locomotives Inc.
 * Nickel Plate 514 is at the Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton, Pennsylvania.
 * Grand Trunk 4428 and 4433 are owned by GLLX leasing in Michigan, and are basically preserved units.
 * Indiana Transportation Museum 200, originally Union Pacific 200, is at the Indiana Transportation Museum in Noblesville, Indiana.
 * MBTA 902, originally Grand Trunk 4915, is preserved at the Illinois Railway Museum.
 * Nickel Plate 532 is at the Virginia Museum of Transportation in Roanoke, Virginia.
 * Norfolk & Western 620 is at the North Carolina Transportation Museum.
 * Pan Am Railways GP9s at the Heber Valley Railroad (HVRX) in Heber City, Utah.
 * Pennsylvania Railroad 7000 is at the United RR Historical Society's heritage railroad, the Cape May Seashore Lines. It is currently operating in excursion service.
 * Pennsylvania Railroad 7006 is on display at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania.
 * Pennsylvania Railroad 7048 is owned by the Railroaders' Memorial Museum and is on display at Horseshoe Curve in Altoona, Pennsylvania.
 * Prairie Dog Central Railway 4138, built as a Central Vermont locomotive, is in operational condition and is currently powering excursions.
 * South Branch Valley Railroad 6600 is former B&O 747 in SBVR colors.
 * South Branch Valley Railroad 6604, originally B&O 751, is now restored to original passenger service livery.
 * Southern Pacific 2873, originally Texas and New Orleans 443, is at the Western Pacific Railroad Museum in Portola, California.
 * 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.
 * Southern Pacific 5623 is owned by Howard Wise and Errol Ohman. It is operational at the Niles Canyon Railway.
 * Southern Pacific 3709 is undergoing restoration at the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum in Campo, California.
 * Southern Pacific 3873, originally Cotton Belt 830, is preserved in operational condition at the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum in Campo, California.
 * Union Pacific 296 is in use at the Heber Valley Railroad (HVRX) in Heber City, Utah.
 * Western Pacific 725 and 731 are at the Western Pacific Railroad Museum in Portola, California.
 * Western Pacific 727 is on display in Elko, NV.
 * Illinois Central 8733, a GP11 rebuild built as IC 9386, is at the Monticello Railway Museum in Monticello, Illinois.

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). 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.

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 of GP9s and their variants/rebuilds include:
 * Butte, Anaconda and Pacific Railway
 * Central Montana Rail (ex. Great Northern, still operate high nose, long-hood forward)
 * Dakota Northern Railroad
 * Montana Rail Link
 * Montreal, Maine and Atlantic Railway - ex-Bangor and Aroostook Railroad and ex-Canadian Pacific Railway
 * Pennsylvania Northeastern Railroad
 * Adrian & Blissfield Railroad
 * Leadville, Colorado and Southern Railroad
 * Ontario Northland Railway
 * Grafton & Upton Railroad
 * New Hope & Ivyland Railroad
 * Essex Terminal Railway (ETL)
 * Aspen Crossing Railway (ex-Canadian Pacific Railway 1624)
 * Finger Lakes Railway (1701, 1703 both units see little use and reports have both locomotives listed as being up for sale.)
 * Naugatuck Railroad in Connecticut operates former N&W 686, and has N&W 859 as well
 * YorkRail uses most GP9s for shunting activities.