Nostalgia & History > For SD9 Lovers

SOO 2381 in Wisconsin Rapids, WI on August 23, 1966


Enjoy,
Marty Bernard

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Their only one to boot!  Thanks for posting, Marty.

Nick Tharalson,
Marion, IA

ntharalson Wrote:
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> Their only one to boot!

I didn't realize that.  It was originally WC 2381 built in December 1954.

Marty Bernard

I'm in that camp too. Didn't know Soo had an SD9. Wonder what assignments it typically got. 

A recent issue of the Soo Line T&HS magazine had an article about the SD9. It was loved by crews that used it and in its later life was treated like any other road unit. It was especially liked in one of the Soo's yards (Enderlin, ND IIRC) which is on a slight grade.

Tom Y

The Soo 2381 was originally purchased to be the ore dock, pusher, engine in Ashland, WI.. The Soo folks were not big fans of six wheelers and this was the only one they bought, until the mains were rebuilt with heavier rail, ties and Dresser trap rock to support new SD-40s in the 70s. While the 2381 did pretty much stay around Ashland and the Eastern Division it did occasionally stray to other divisions and it became the "pet" of a well known manager/railfan who managed to have it follow him around the Soo during his career there, including pushing trains out of the Twin Ports.

That manager who like myself "boomed" around the country working for many railroads early in our careers, now is GM at one of California's shortlines and probably nearing retirement like me.

exprail  

It looks naked without dynamic braking.

I was always told that the 2381 was the lightest first generation SD built for use in N America, it went to Natl Ry Equip and sat in their inventory for quite a few years, I know of one shortline owner that would have loved to buy it but alas NRE had always placed too dear a price on her and she was cut up.   On SOO the 2381 had the exact opposite reputation of a "roundhouse queen" she took a licking and kept on ticking....per a retired Shoreham roundhouse foreman I know.

The Soo didn't believe in dynamic braking and were quite satisfied with power braking as long as only a minimum brake application
was used. Later as an engineer on the WC I appreciated dynamic brakes using them frequently on the Dresser, Minneapolis and Withrow subs..

exprail

Wow. That's got to be one of the rarest shots I've ever seen here. Thanks!!