Description
Railroad Short Name: MILW
The debut of the SD9 in 1954 marked the next step forward for EMD’s Special Duty line of six-axle diesels. Except for the placement of the class lights, the SD9 looked almost the same as the SD7 introduced in 1952. But under the hood, the new 567C prime mover delivered 1,750 horsepower. While four-axle power still dominated overall sales, the SDs were soon drawing well-deserved attention. In service, the three-axle Flexicoil trucks delivered almost twice the pulling power of their GP counterparts, proving ideal for demanding assignments in helper, yard, transfer and heavy freight service. With its weight spread over six axles, the SD9 was also well suited to lightly built routes, and many were purchased especially for branch line duties. By the time production ended in 1959, 515 SD9s were in service on over a dozen railroads. Some are still going strong after 50+ years of service!
Based on units in service from 1959 renumbering to mid-1980s, features of these models include:
- Milwaukee-style all-weather windows
- Two single-chime air horns
- Nail-type radio antenna
- Bolted/cast-style handrail stanchions
- Mars dual sealed beam headlights
- Spark arrestors
- Winterization hatch
- Roller bearing journals
- Standard style uncoupling levers
- Pilots with footboards
Locomotive Features:
- 5 pole, skew-wound, high-torque, high-efficiency can motor
- Helical gears with 14:1 ratio for smooth, quiet running
- Easy multiple-unit operation
- Superb paint and lettering
- LED constant and directional headlights
- Heavy die-cast metal underframe
- Proto MAX(TM) metal knuckle couplers
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