EMD SW9

Technical Specifics

The EMD SW9 was a diesel-electric switcher locomotive produced by General Motors' Electro-Motive Division between November 1950 and December 1953. It served as the direct successor to the SW7, carrying forward the same 1,200 horsepower output while incorporating refinements to the mechanical configuration. Construction of the type was not limited to EMD's American facilities; General Motors Diesel in London, Ontario also produced examples for Canadian railroads, with Canadian production running from December 1950 through March 1953. When tallied across both production sites, approximately 786 units went to American railroads and 29 to Canadian buyers, bringing the total number constructed to around 815 units across the entire production run. Among the more unusual variants of the SW9 were the TR5 cow-and-calf sets, in which a powered cab unit was paired with an unpowered booster unit sharing a common control system. Ten such paired sets were assembled, with eight going to the Union Pacific Railroad and two destined for the Union Railroad of Pittsburgh. The Union Railroad additionally acquired two standalone TR5B calf units, making these articulated switcher configurations a notable footnote in the SW9's production history. The SW9's legacy extended well beyond its initial production run. In 1994, Amtrak acquired nine SW9 units from various railroads and contracted the National Railway Equipment Company to rebuild them for continued service. These rebuilt locomotives were reclassified as the SW1000R, demonstrating the fundamental soundness of the original design and its capacity to support extended service lives with appropriate modernization.

Model Train Manufacturers

Brands that produce EMD SW9 in HO scale

Prototype Reference

Real-world information about this equipment type

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