EMD SD7R

Between May 1951 and November 1953, the Electro-Motive Division had built and delivered a total of 42 EMD SD7 diesel locomotives for the Southern Pacific Transportation Company as the Southern Pacific needed more locomotives for their freight trains.[1][2]

When they delivered to the Southern Pacific Railroad, they were originally numbered in a 52 and 53 sequence, the first 15 locomotives as 5279–5293, and the remaining 27 locomotives as 5309–5335, with 5321, 5322, 5323, 5334 and 5335 being built with an EMD 567C prime mover, and the rest of them being built with an EMD 567B prime mover.[1][2]

Then, in 1965, they were renumbered in a 2700 sequence as 2700–2742 until in 1974, when they were all renumbered as 1400–1442.[1] Due to the age of the EMD SD7 locomotives and their 567B prime movers, this resulted in the Southern Pacific Transportation Company rebuilding all 42 of their EMD SD7 diesel locomotives of what had become the EMD SD7R between January 1979 and June of 1980 under the General Rehabilitation and Improvement Program (G.R.I.P).[1][3][2]

The rebuilds had also included upgrades to the electrical systems, traction motors, as well as a changeout of the prime movers swapping the 16-cylinder 567B prime movers with 16-cylinder 645E3 prime movers, this resulted in the power output being updated from 1,500 hp (1.12 MW) to 2,000 hp (1.49 MW).[3][2]

After all 42 of the Southern Pacific's EMD SD7 units were rebuilt under the Southern Pacific's General Rehabilitation and Improvement Program (G.R.I.P), the Southern Pacific Railroad renumbered them to 1500–1542.[4][2]

All of the SD7R locomotives were painted in Southern Pacific's "Bloody Nose" paint scheme, but surprisingly, no SD7R diesel locomotives were painted into Southern Pacific's SPSF "Kodachrome" livery, and all of them had their steam generators removed upon being rebuilt.[2]

A new electrical cabinet was fitted, which resulted in an 'umbrella' or 'hump' behind the locomotive's cab. Southern Pacific unit #1507 received a 'normal' 36" cap top dynamic fan and a flat top or high shroud type DA-2001 and also kept its non-standard fuel tank.[2]

A full SP 5 light show was fitted both at the front end and the rear end similar to a DW103 or made from DA1001, 1002, 1003.[2]

41 of the SD7R locomotives had their dual tanks removed while the other three units #1506, #1528 and #1533 had kept their dual tanks.[2] #1541 had the roadname stacked at the rear of the unit in a Roman script.[2]

All 42 units were retired from active service on the Southern Pacific Transportation Company.[5][2] Four units (#1502, #1504, #1511 and #1537) were given to Progress Rail of Fresno, California, six units (#1500, #1510, #1525, #1529, #1531 and #1535) were sold to San Joaquin Valley Railroad at Fresno, California on November 3rd, 1995, and two units #1530 and #1532 were delivered to the Willamette and Pacific Railroad.[5] While the rest stayed with the Southern Pacific either to be scrapped or be part of the Union Pacific's roster.[2]

Out of all 42 of the EMD SD7R locomotives used on the Southern Pacific Transportation Company, four EMD SD7R diesel locomotives have been preserved:

Southern Pacific #1518 at the Illinois Railway Museum.

• Southern Pacific #1518, (originally EMD Demonstrator unit No. 990, Southern Pacific SD7 #5308, SD7 #2715 and SD7 #1415) is currently operational at the Illinois Railway Museum in Union, Illinois.[6][7]
• Southern Pacific #1530 (currently as PNWR #1501) (originally SP SD7 #5280, SD7 #2701 and SD7 #1401) was used on the Portland and Western Railroad for yard use until being retired on July 19th, 2023, and sidelined along with PNWR locomotives #1801, #1803, #1852, #1854 due to Genesee and Wyoming's EPA scandal.[8][9] #1501 was eventually acquired by Dieselmotive Company, Inc. (BUGX) in September 2023 and has been sold to the Oklahoma Railway Museum as of October 2023.[10]
• Southern Pacific #1532 (originally SP SD7 #5288, SD7 #2702 and SD7 #1402) is currently operational at the Portland and Western Railroad as SD9M #1853.[11]
• Southern Pacific #1533 (originally SP SD7 #5321, SD7 #2728 and SD7 #1428) is currently under ownership of Dieselmotive Company, Inc. (BUGX).[10]

• EMD SD7
• Southern Pacific 1518
• Portland and Western 1501

• Strapac, Joseph A. (1997). Southern Pacific Historic Diesels Volume 4, SD7 and SD9 Locomotives (1st ed.). Shade Tree Books, Bellflower, California. ISBN 9780930742171. OL 8360777M.
• Withers, Paul K. (1995). Diesel Era, November/December 1995, Volume 6 Number 6. Withers Publishing.
• Shine, Joseph (1991). SP into the '90's. Four Ways West Publications. ISBN 9780685752104.
• Shine, Joseph (1988). SP 1987/88 Motive Power Pictorial (1st ed.). Four-Ways West Publications. ISBN 9780961687434.
• Signor, John R. (2005). SP Trainline - Issues 83-93 (1st ed.). Southern Pacific Historical & Technical Society.

• Southern Pacific SD7R Info Page
• List of EMD SD7R locomotives