my ESPEE MODELERS ARCHIVE

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

Southern Pacific SD9E

4300 - 4441, 4450, 4451

144 units rebuilt

11 SD9E's made it into Kodachrome paint:

• 4327,
• 4345,
• 4347,
• 4354,
• 4363,
• 4372,
• 4375,
• 4377,
• 4381,
• 4418,
• 4420.

see also Image Library of SD7/9 Detail Shots

Beginning in the mid 1970's, SP started to cycled the SD9's thru the Sacramento General Shops rebuilding them to gain another 10 years life - not bad considering they have only just disappeared? from the Roster...

For probably the best article on what SP did during rebuilds; see the article entitled "New Locomotives from Old: The Sacramento Locomotive Works Story" in the 1980 Southern Pacific Review by Joe Strapac.

Units rebuilt from Nov. 1970 started to get the hump/umbrella cowl behind the cab, this is a cover to protect the electrical cabinet from water ingress. The length of the cowl seems to vary, judging from various published photo's.

It would seem that only #4376-4409 had Farr Air-filters added. Apparently "most but not all" units in the #4370-4408 range received the "paper air filter" box - Source SP Historic Diesels Vol.4.

Rear numberboards got filled in, if they weren't all ready.

Light packages varied, depending what was on the unit originally, although all lost the large Mars Signal light. Some had the small square Mars? UDE light, or the small round/oval Pyle UDE light, or had a red lens installed in the top lamp of the dual Pyle signal light.

Only two retained their steam generators, 4450 and 4451.

Modifications continued throughout their lives, the square Mars UDE got changed for the round/oval Pyle light. Over time the light shows became single ended, and then all signal lights disappeared, just leaving headlights both ends.

The original dual headlight fitted to these, and other SP locos, had a glass door over both lamps. As this photo shows, and the later type, both on #4451 at South San Francisco - 3/1998.

Most of their life seems to have been spent in northern California and Oregon, except two (#4359 and 4375), that were assigned to the Englewood Hump in Houston.

Some units were fitted with snowfighting equipment.