Nostalgia & History > SP GP9s

EMD built over 4200 GP9s between 1954-63. SP rostered over 300 of these versatile and durable locomotives. NIS bought at least 20 that were stored in Exeter between 1995 and 1997 awaiting there final disposition.

1. SP 3378 leading the Terra Bella Turn on the Exeter Branch Line between Exeter and Ivanhoe, CA 08-1981
2. 3378 painted for new owner Foster Farms 02-1997 Exeter, CA
3. SP merger painted 3775 Kingsburg, CA 01-1991 note beacon light (for merger?)

Don Bowen
Saint Helena, CA



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/24/09 21:34 by dlbowen.

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Great pictures. Think they actually applied those rotary beacons before the merger, but could be wrong. Have seen them on several SP units that weren't in merger paint.
Thanks for sharing.
Todd Montgomery
Eugene OR

4. Bakersfield, CA 09-1980
5. La Selva Beach, CA between Santa Cruz and Watsonville
6. Western Farms 3399 this was only painted in Exeter by Sonny's Auto Body shop not refurbished by NIS

Don Bowen
Saint Helena, CA

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Excellent shots, Don. I really like the side-by-side shot of the 3831 and the 3837 at B-field. Great memories.

Thanks for sharing them with us,

Bob

ATSF100WEST......Out

This looks like your Ex-SP 3378, taken March 2007 in Turlock at the grain silos on the Tidewater Southern west of town. It had oil dripping out of the stack, making me think it had suffered a recent failure. And yup, that's Bob holding his camera up for scale.

Kit Courter
Menefee, CA
LunarLight Photography

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I sure do miss those engines. I sometimes wish I had one on the local I'm working. Nothing beats the sound of a 567 in run 8.

You wouldn't happen to haver a photo of the 3732, would you Dr. Don?

JDE

Thanks Don. I have always been a big fan of the SP GP9's. That Gray and red looks just great on those units.

"Nothing beats the sound of a 567 in run 8."

It was nice back in the day when the RPM followed the notches. Much easier to be in tune with the machine....

sphogger



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/25/09 13:03 by sphogger.

Steamjocky,

I have looked at my spreadsheet files of 6x7 negatives taken between 1982-99 and searched my scan files with XP but can not find any photos of SP 3732.

Don Bowen
Saint Helena, CA



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/25/09 16:20 by dlbowen.

Well, thanks for looking anyway. I do appreciate the effort.

JDE

Don,

What can I say that everyone else hasn't?

Great shots. Especially like 3775 in front of the Kingsburg depot Spent many hot summer afternoons growing up watching the Geeps of the Pixley Local switching cars at Del Monte just down from the depot.

Thanks for bringing back some great memories.

Daylight

PS. Have you been by to see the depot being rebuilt by the Friends of the Historic Kingsburg Depot (http://www.kingsburgdepot.org/) lateley?

At Kingsburg I remember a cotton seed oil plant (but I was there in the offseason.) And lately I looked at a book from about 1962, made up from those "Travel-Mat" placemats showing points of interest and (paid) mentions of restaurants, hotels, tourist traps etc. It mentions Kingsburg as the "largest watermelon shipping point in U.S."

Regarding the Kingsburg depot; the photo was taken in 1991 and it seemed that nothing happened for years. Will check the progress next time we pass through Kingsburg.

Don Bowen
Saint Helena, CA