my ESPEE MODELERS ARCHIVE

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

Southern Pacific SW900

SP #4624-4633

SP #1170-1179

10 units delivered

Delivered in 1954, they came painted in the Road-switcher version of Tiger Stripe, ie. orange safety stripes with aluminum hood/cab ends. Accessories included a large Mars barrel signal light fore and aft, auxiliary numberboards mounted in front of the single exhaust stack, mu and dropsteps and a chime horn on the front of the cab roof.

Assignments included service on the Northwestern Pacific, Oakland and Los Angeles branchlines including Pacific Electric trackage. On the Northwestern Pacific, duty included pulling a 3300 series Combine, while filling in for RDC #10 when it was modified by a logging truck, requiring a trip to Sacramento General Shops for repairs.

They received gray and scarlet paint, prior to the 1965 renumbering, and still carried all their as delivered accessories. Original roadname lettering was all on one line and carried over to the gray and scarlet scheme. Renumbered in 1965 to the 1170 series, some units lost their Mars signal lights for smaller Pyle versions.

Late 1974 saw these being cycled through Houston Shops, emerging as SW900E's.

Prototype References:

• Trains, August 1986 page 14 - #1192 in Kodachrome paint.
• SP Dieselization by John Bonds Garmany page 278 - photo of 4628 in Road-switcher Tiger Stripe paint dated 1959.
• Southern Pacific Motive Power Annual 1974-76 - pages 15-17.
• SP 1987/88 Motive Power Pictorial by Joe.W.Shine, Page 22 - photo of 1192 in Kodachrome.