Sitting at EMD's factory in La Grange, Illinois, is Southern Pacific GP9 5643. Southern Pacific assigned class DF-607 to this order of 104 diesels (SP 5643 was the eighteenth unit of the order). Producing 1750 horsepower, this locomotive was built in February 1956 and, as seen here, wore the SP's classic "Black Widow" paint scheme. This engine would, of course, eventually wear the SP's gray and red "Bloody Nose" scheme later, and would also, in 1965, be renumbered SP 3476. It would be renumbered again when it was rebuilt in the railroad's Sacramento Shops in May 1972 as GP9E 3349. This workhouse would be retired on 9/20/91, and on 4/12/93 it was sold to the R.L. White Leasing Company in Brownfield, TX. It was then leased to Southern Switching of Stamford, TX. Note that this engine is not on the delivery tracks, and is missing some of its handrails. Reportedly, 5643 was held back at EMD for some minor glitch; it didn't go into service in lockstep time order with other units. (Photographer unknown, Craig Walker collection)
Not
just heritage schemes, not just commemorative schemes - this album is devoted to some of the world's most interesting paint schemes, past or present.
