Western Railroad Discussion > SP Motive Power question???

Can anyone tell me the time period span that the large Gothic Block lettering in two lines on the long hood of SP's SD-7's was used? Also what was the time span for the "wagon-wheel" radio antenna? Thanks for all replies.

I beleive the large gothic (freight-car style) lettering was tried in about 1958 when the SP was playing with paint schemes. At least one F7 also got the gothic lettering.

pilotblue wrote:
>
> Can anyone tell me the time period span that the large Gothic
> Block lettering in two lines on the long hood of SP's SD-7's
> was used?

5322 and 5325 were the two SD7s that got the treatment. At the time they were mostly working out of Oakland, which allowed the Big Mucky-mucks at 65 Market Street plenty of opportunity to come over and take a look-see. They received that paint scheme in late Summer or early Fall 1958, and both continued to wear it long after they were renumbered 2729 and 2732, respectively. By the late Sixties, they were mostly working in the San Joaquin Valley, and would eventually end up as yard goats at Roseville (along with many other SD7s) after the Baldwin AS616s were retired. I don't recall if either was repainted with "normal" lettering before they entered the GRIP program for upgrading (during which time they were indeed repainted), but during the early Seventies, Roseville repainted many of their SD7s.

> Also what was the time span for the "wagon-wheel" radio antenna?

Hmmm. It's not something I really paid attention to. I know many SD7s at Roseville still had 'em during the mid Seventies.