my ESPEE MODELERS ARCHIVE

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

Southern Pacific
EMC SW1

SP #1000, 1004 - 1009

SP #1010 - 1016

14 units delivered

SP 1004 in 'Dress Black' paint in 1939	SP 1004 in Tiger Stripe at Santa Clara yard in 1955.	SP 1004 in its final paint scheme at Sacramento, Ca. 1975

The SW1's were SP's very first diesel locomotive purchases, and paved the way for bigger and better things.

By a 'strange' act of fate, they did not end up being the 'oldest' diesel locomotives that SP owned. this honor went to the E2A SF-1 , which went to SP on the split up of the 'City' equipment as used on the joint owned (SP/UP/CNW) City of San Francisco, City of Los Angeles Streamliners. This is fully documented in SP Dieselization by Garmany.

The reason for the 'missing' numbers in the first order, is that SP only bought one SW1 #1000 (Actually EMC Demonstrator #804). They then bought three ALCo HH-660's numbered 1001 to 1003. Another 6 SW1's arrived November 1939 #1004 to 1009. They never were renumbered, and the SW1's were retired still with their original 1939/41 numbers.

SW1 #804 demonstrated in 'basic black' with a white frame stripe, and a white pinstripe just below the hood handrail.

Upon SP buying the unit, they applied Southern Pacific Lines to the hood side, and the number 1000 on the cab side, similar to the Kato HO Scale Ph.1 NW2. Garmany doesn't mention the color of the lettering, and I'm not game enough to guess.

Some SW1's were leased to Pacific Electric, those that were, were relettered for Pacific Electric, units known to have been leased included #1007, 1010, 1011, 1012. All were returned to SP prior to retirement.

Photo's exist of them painted in the orange 'tiger stripe' scheme, and as SP started painting diesels in the 'Blood Nose' scheme in 1958, some, if not all would have ended their days in the Gray and Scarlet.

SW1 #1005 was transferred to the Houston Tie Plant and renumbered as SPMW #566.

SW1 #1006 was rescued from the steel scrap yard and resides at the Orange Empire Railway Museum in Perris CA. The locomotive runs but needs a lot of work to bring it up to full operational status. At the present it is having the braking system restored. In the next few years they should pretty well have it back to a presentable status. courtesy David Althaus, Diesel Foreman OERM

Prototype References:

• SP Dieselization by Garmany - Chapter 6 devoted to SP early diesels.
• Mainline Modeler Feb. 1992 Page 42 - SW1 Plans, Rosters, Phase I and Ib.
• Railroad Modeler Oct. 1976 Page 30 - SW1 Plans and proto photo's - no SP
• Extra 2200 South, Issue 56, Apr/May/Jun. 1976 - SP Roster.

Additional Information on this Page contributed by Bruce Conklin.