EMD GP9

Infobox Locomotive
name=EMD GP9
powertype=Diesel-electric


caption=An EMD GP9 equipped with dynamic brakes on the Shenandoah Valley Railroad in Staunton, VA.
builder=General Motors Electro-Motive Division (EMD)
aarwheels=B-B
builddate=January 1954 – August 1963
primemover=EMD 567C
cylindercount=V16
poweroutput=convert|1750|hp|MW|2|abbr=on|lk=on
gauge=RailGauge|ussg|lk=on
locale=North America, South America
totalproduction=4,115 (and 165 B units)An EMD GP9 is a four-axle diesel 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 convert|1750|hp|MW|2|lk=on. [The History of EMD Diesel Engines.] 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.

A total of 3,444 units of this locomotive model were built for American railroads, with and additional 646 for Canadian railroads and ten for Mexican railroads. Five units were built for a railroad in Brazil, four units were built for a railroad in Peru and six units were built for a railroad in Venezuela. Of the GP9B, 165 examples were built for American railroads.

There were 40 GP9M units built that are included in the 3,444 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 horsepower rating than a GP9. This would be either convert|1350|hp|MW|2 if the donor locomotive was an FT/F2 or convert|1500|hp|MW|2 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, or as switcher locomotives. Canadian Pacific Railway and Canadian National Railway still have many in their fleets in 2007 as switcher locomotives.

Original buyers

GP9 locomotives built by Electro-Motive Division, USA

Preservation

Several GP9 locomotives have been preserved at various railroad museums and as "park engines." The GP is very popular among shortline railroad and can still be seen on the smaller railroads around the U.S.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 is on display at the Horseshoe Curve, Pennsylvania Railroad #7048. It does not run but instead stays on one stationary piece of track.

Notes

References

*

* Pinkepank, Jerry. "Second Diesel Spotter's Guide." Milwaukee [Wis] : Kalmbach.

* Kristopans, Andre http://community-1.webtv.net/ajkristopans/ROADSWITCHERS567/page2.html