my ESPEE MODELERS ARCHIVE

California's Railroad to the U.S. 1861 - 1996

Southern Pacific S-12

SP 1442 - 1463 (2100 - 2120)

SP 1492 - 1513 (2124 - 2145)

SP 1539 - 1550 (2146 - 2157)

SP 1498, 1505 (T&NO 121, 122) SP 2124, 2125

59 units delivered

SP units
		1442	1443	1444	1445	1446	1447	1448	1449
1450	1451	1452	1453	1454	1455	1456	1457	1458	1459
1460	1461	1462	1463
SP units
		1492	1493	1494	1495	1496	1497	1498	1499
1500	1501	1502	1503	1504	1505	1506	1507	1508	1509
1510	1511	1512	1513
SP units
									1539
1540	1541	1542	1543	1544	1545	1546	1547	1548	1549
1550

1965
2100	2101	2102	2103	2104	2105	2106	2107	2108	2109
2110	2111	2112	2113	2114	2115	2116	2117	2118	2119
2120	2121	2122	2123	2124	2125	2126	2127	2128	2129
2130	2131	2132	2133	2134	2135	2136	2137	2138	2139
2140	2141	2142	2143	2144	2145	2146	2147	2148	2149
2150	2151	2152	2153	2154	2155	2156	2157		2111

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SP purchased 4 orders of S-12's from Baldwin. The last two orders 1492 - 1513 and 1539 - 1550 came with the Washer/Dryer headlights (Detail Associates 1016), and a grate/door in the bottom of the radiator. The 1539 - 1550 order also came with full length side handrails, MU and dropsteps, (as well as the aforementioned items) and was the only order to have the oval exhaust stack a la the Athearn model.

Initially the first order of S-12's (1442 - 1463) worked all over the Pacific Lines, by the time of the 1965 renumbering most had been reassigned to northern California and Oregon.

The three T&NO units eventually migrated to Los Angeles shortly before retirement in 1969.

The second SP order (1492 - 1513) had a similar history to the first order, found everywhere on Pacific lines. Most ended up in Oregon, except for:

• two Pacific Lines units SP 1498 and 1505 were transferred to the T&NO in 1956 and renumbered 121 and 122, to replace two FM H12-44's (T&NO 119, 120) that were to be delivered to T&NO, but never were, SP decided to keep all the H12-44's on the west coast. In 1965 #121 and 122 were renumbered SP 2124, 2125, and in 1969 moved to LA with the 3 other T&NO S-12's.

SP's third and final order of S-12's (1539 - 1550) were only ever found near and around the Los Angeles area, except for #2149, 2153 and 2156 which were sent to Oregon in the mid 1970's.

There were a number of detail variations over the years:

• Train indicator numberboards appearing about halfway down the hood, later moved to be in front of the cab.
• Single blat horns, and later chimes mounted on the hood, to chimes on the front of the cab roof.
• Exhaust stacks on early units were a round tapered type, some had extensions fitted.
• Radio antenna varied with a whip type (DA 1802) and Firecracker (DA 1805, DW157) evident in photo's.
• Some units had an early Rotary Beacon mounted on a stalk.
• Steam Era type classification lights appear on early units.
• The small oval hood side number board was later plated over with sheet metal.
• Although these units had one large round headlight, it contained two bulbs.

Prototype References:

• SP Motive Power Annual 1970 - Built by Baldwin article.
• SP Motive Power Review 1983-85 - SP Baldwin Diesels, The S-12's page 18.
• SP Dieselization by John Bonds Garmany.

Additional S Scale info courtesy James Baglien.