EMD "SW9" Locomotives: Specs, Roster, Data Sheet

Last revised: December 20, 2024

The SW9 was yet another highly successful switcher model for Electro-Motive and would go on to become one of its most successful.

Once again this locomotive was virtually identical to others in the series released up until that time, including the SW8's 567B prime mover and a horsepower rating that exceeded 1,000.

Overview

In total, 800 units were produced in the United States and Canada during a production run that ran from 1950-1953.

In any event, as with virtually every other small switcher model EMD produced, the SW9's reliability and versatility has become legendary with many remaining in operation on short lines, industrial settings, and excursion trains.

Photos

Santa Fe SW9 #1429 is seen here between assignments at Cleburne, Texas on August 7, 1978. Mike Bledsoe photo. American-Rails.com collection.

The SW9 began production in late 1950s, in both the U.S. and Canada, and was built during the same time period as the SW8. The design carried the typical EMC/EMD carbody with a short hood, which was tapered towards the end-cab.

A design that was common before the SW8, EMD went back to its standard two conical, exhaust stacks and the SW9 remained very short at just over 44-feet.

EMD stepped up the weight on the SW9, back to 124 tons, which was the same as the SW7. The model used General Motors' model D37 traction motors and could produce a respectable 43,000 pounds of continuous tractive effort, and 62,000 pounds of starting effort, for a locomotive of its small size.

Additionally, the SW9 featured the tried and proven 567B prime mover (also used in the SW8), which produce a healthy 1,200 horsepower.

A former Erie Lackawanna SW9, #453 (ex-Lackawanna #558), at Croxton Yard in Secaucus, New Jersey during the early Conrail era, circa 1976. American-Rails.com collection.

Many roads tended to like the higher horsepower switcher models since they were more ideal for use in many different applications (such as the ability to pull heavier freight trains on light branch lines).

By the time the SW9 was cataloged EMD was fast becoming the dominant locomotive builder having just released the GP7 in 1949.

Pennsylvania SW9 #9122 carries out swiching work in Richmond, Indiana during August, 1967. Rick Burn photo.

The SW9 had a three year run with units rolling out of La Grange through December, 1953. By the end of its production the model had sold some 771 units along with an additional 22 examples of the cow-calf TR5 (10 sets and 2 additional calves).

As with previous SW models, the SW9 was well-liked for its versatility, reliability, ease of maintenance, and cheap price tag which allowed short lines and industries to purchase the model right along with the Class Is.

Data Sheet and Specifications

Entered Production (U.S.)	11/1950 (Chattanooga Traction Company #5)
Entered Production (Canada)	12/1950 (Great Northern #14-16)
Years Produced (U.S.)	11/1950 - 12/1953
Years Produced (Canada)	12/1950 - 3/1953
EMD Class	SW9
Engine	567B (12 Cylinder)
Engine Builder	EMD/GM
Horsepower	1200
RPM	800
Length	44' 5"
Height (Top Of Rail To Top Of Cab)	14' 6 1/2"
Width	9' 11 1/2"
Weight	248,000 Lbs
Fuel Capacity	600 Gallons
Air Compressor	WXO (Gardner-Denver)
Air Brake Schedule	6BL (Westinghouse)
Trucks	B-B
Truck Type	GRS Rigid Bolster, Drop-Side Equalizer (AAR Type-A)
Truck Wheelbase	8' 0"
Wheel Size	40"
Traction Motors	D27 (4), EMD/GM
Traction Generator	D15C, EMD/GM
Auxiliary Generator	EMD/GM
MU (Multiple-Unit)	Optional
Dynamic Brakes	No
Gear Ratio	62:15
Tractive Effort/Starting	62,000 Lbs
Tractive Effort/Continuous	43,000 Lbs at 11.0 mph
Top Speed	65 mph

Chesapeake & Ohio SW9 #5224 is loading at Ludington, Michigan as a pair of the railroad's famous carferries can be seen in the background with the #31 - the "City of Saginaw" - closest to the photographer in July, 1960. Rick Burn photo.

Production Rosters

Electro-Motive (EMD)

(Total Built = 780)

Owner	Road Number	Serial Number	Order Number	Completion Date	Quantity
Louisville & Nashville	2267-2276	9782-9791	4010	3/1951-4/1951	10
New York Central	8922-8928	9961-9967	4113	2/1951	7
New York Central	8929-8930	9968-9969	4110	2/1951	2
Grand Trunk Western	7010-7014	11165-11169	4045	6/1952	5
Nashville, Chattanooga & St Louis	34-38	11233-11237	4046	2/1951	5
Chesapeake & Ohio	5080-5089	11713-11722	4055	4/1952	10
Missouri-Kansas-Texas (Katy)	1226-1235	11733-11742	6112	2/1952-4/1952	10
Detroit & Toledo Shore Line	119	12458	4073	3/1951	1
Missouri Pacific	9170-9186	12551-12567	4074	4/1951-6/1951	17
Wabash	363-366	12622-12625	6159	4/1951	4
Southern Pacific (Texas & New Orleans)	108-112	12865-12869	4075	4/1953	5
Pennsylvania	8859-8860	13061-13062	6180	3/1951	2
Pennsylvania	8869-8870	13073-13074	6231	3/1951	2
Atlantic Coast Line	652-661	13129-13138	6182	2/1951	10
Chicago, Burlington & Quincy	9269-9270	13212-13213	4083	8/1951-9/1951	2
Great Northern	17-23	13297-13303	4088	5/1951	7
Chattanooga Traction Company	5	13515	4091	11/1950	1
Erie Railroad	434	13829	4099	3/1951	1
Union Railroad	575-576	13953-13954	6229	2/1951	2
New York, Chicago & St. Louis (Nickel Plate Road)	233-237	13955-13959	6236	2/1951	5
Atlantic Coast Line	662-671	13960-13969	6182	2/1951-3/1951	10
Great Lakes Steel	27	13970	6329	8/1951	1
Texas & Pacific (Missouri Pacific)	1024-1028	14022-14026	4062	2/1951	5
Lehigh Valley	280-285	14043-14048	4103	5/1951	6
Delaware, Lackawanna & Western	551-553	14068-14070	4111	6/1951	3
Philadelphia, Bethlehem & New England	35-36	14095-14096	6228	2/1951	2
Pittsburgh & Lake Erie (New York Central)	8931-8940	14099-14108	6242	3/1951	10
Pittsburgh, Chartiers & Youghiogheny Railway	2-3	14109-14110	6244	2/1951	2
Missouri Pacific	9187-9191	14325-14329	4114	4/1951	5
Illinois Central	9430-9464	14353-14387	4093	6/1951-7/1951	35
Belt Railway Of Chicago	520-521	14394-14395	6249	6/1951	2
Louisville & Nashville	2277-2291	14444-14458	4010	4/1951-6/1951	15
Lehigh Valley	286-292	14499-14505	4120	5/1951	7
Cambria & Indiana	30-31	14508-14509	6223	7/1951	2
Texas & Pacific (Missouri Pacific)	1029-1036	14510-14517	6288	7/1951-8/1951	8
Republic Steel	344	14556	6289	8/1951	1
Weyerhaeuser Timber Company	302-303	14562-14563	4102	8/1951	2
Steelton & Highspire	40-41	14743-14744	6302	7/1951	2
Central Railroad Of New Jersey	1084-1092	14745-14753	4122	12/1951	9
Maine Central	334	14754	6300	8/1951	1
Spokane, Portland & Seattle	43-45	14756-14758	6315	8/1951-10/1951	3
Atlantic Coast Line	672-715	14898-14941	4098	9/1951-11/1951	44
Charleston & Western Carolina	802	14942	4129	1/1952	1
Wabash	367-371	15058-15062	4134	2/1952	5
Union Railroad	577	15064	6254	10/1951	1
Union Railroad	578	15065	6374	10/1951	1
Houston Belt & Terminal	22-31	15120-15129	6333	8/1951	10
Oliver Iron Mining	934-936	15130-15132	6325	10/1951-12/1951	3
Philadelphia, Bethlehem & New England	37-38	15133-15134	4131	1/1952	2
Great Lakes Steel	28	15139	6331	12/1951	1
Belt Railway Of Chicago	522-523	15207-15208	6276	10/1951	2
New York Central	8941-8951	15487-15497	4108	2/1952	11
Chesapeake & Ohio	5245-5261	15504-15520	4097	10/1951-11/1951	17
Chesapeake & Ohio	5262-5265	15521-15524	4151	11/1951	4
Great Western Railway (Colorado)	121	15553	6313	9/1951	1
Great Western Railway (Colorado)	122	15554	6353	11/1951	1
Maryland & Pennsylvania	82	15558	4095	11/1951	1
Peoria & Pekin Union	411-412	15560-15561	4106	11/1951	2
Monessen Southwestern Railway	23	15562	6221	12/1951	1
Monessen Southwestern Railway	24-25	15563-15564	6307	1/1952	2
Milwaukee Road	1643-1645	15565-15567	6328	10/1951	3
St. Louis-San Francisco Railway (Frisco)	305-309	15594-15598	4105	1/1952	5
Charleston & Western Carolina	803	15602	4129	1/1952	1
Georgia Railroad	906-907	15604-15605	6346	10/1951	2
Inspiration Consolidated Copper Company	22-23	15606-15607	6343	12/1951	2
St. Louis Southwestern Railway (Cotton Belt)	1058-1061	15608-15611	6320	12/1951-1/1952	4
Arkansas & Louisiana Missouri	12	15636	6350	1/1952	1
Chicago & Illinois Western	104	15637	6349	11/1951	1
Northern Pacific	115-117	15684-15686	4153	2/1952	3
Delaware, Lackawanna & Western	554-557	15731-15734	6341	7/1952	4
Boston & Maine	1220-1226	15748-15754	6338	1/1952	7
Bauxite Northern Railway	10	15838	6361	2/1952	1
St. Louis-San Francisco Railway (Frisco)	310-314	15861-15865	4105	1/1952	5
Baltimore & Ohio Chicago Terminal (B&OCT)	590-597	15886-15893	6366	2/1952-4/1952	8
Erie Railroad	435-438	15933-15936	4169	4/1952	4
Union Railroad	579-588	15959-15968	6374	11/1951, 3/1952	10
Erie Railroad	439-440	16173-16174	6378	4/1952	2
Detroit & Toledo Shore Line	120-121	16208-16209	4154	11/1952	2
New York Central	8962-8989	16284-16311	4143	1/1953	28
New York Central	8990-9001	16312-16323	4192	2/1953	12
Pittsburgh & Lake Erie (New York Central)	8952-8961	16330-16339	6368	9/1952-12/1952	10
New York, Chicago & St. Louis (Nickel Plate Road)	238-244	16360-16366	4175	5/1952	7
Illinois Central	9465-9484	16407-16426	4123	5/1952-6/1952	20
Illinois Central	9320-9334	16427-16441	4184	10/1952-11/1952	15
Montour Railroad	73-76	16442-16445	6380	5/1952	4
Wisconsin Central (Soo Line)	2111-2115	16482-16486	4155	11/1952-12/1952	5
Cambria & Indiana	32-37	16553-16558	6385	3/1952	6
Western Pacific	601-604	16636-16639	4168	5/1952-6/1952	4
Apalachicola Northern	705-706	16640-16641	6390	3/1952	2
Western Pacific	605-606	16679-16680	4168	6/1952-7/1952	2
Pennsylvania	8513-8522, 8529-8536	16724-16741	4170	12/1952, 3/1953	18
Pennsylvania	8523-8528, 8537-8541	16742-16752	4194	12/1952	11
Pennsylvania	8542-8444	16753-16755	4195	3/1953	3
Central of Georgia	301-304	16803-16806	4141	7/1952	4
Chicago, West Pullman & Southern	47-48	16829-16830	4193	11/1952	2
Terminal Railroad Association Of St. Louis	1206-1218	16831-16843	4135	10/1952	13
Chicago & North Western	1101-1105	16910-16914	6404	5/1952	5
Ashley Drew & Northern	174	16940	6407	5/1952	1
Apalachicola Northern	707-709	16950-16952	6405	12/1952	3
Central of Georgia	305-306	16960-16961	4141	7/1952	2
Montour Railroad	77-80	17060-17063	4199	12/1952	4
Central Railroad of New Jersey	1093-1094	17111-17112	6433	12/1952	2
Great Lakes Steel	29	17113	6434	11/1952	1
Pittsburgh Chartiers & Youghiogheny	4	17224	6438	12/1952	1
Conemaugh & Black Lick	118-119	17225-17226	4186	11/1952	2
Steelton & Highspire	42-43	17227-17228	4187	10/1952	2
Louisville & Nashville	2292-2294	17253-17255	4136	1/1953	3
Chesapeake & Ohio	5090-5091	17262-17263	4206	1/1953	2
Florida East Coast	221-228	17359-17366	4189	12/1952-1/1953	8
Atlantic Coast Line	716	17395	6455	12/1952	1
Montour Railroad	81-84	17430-17433	4199	1/1953	4
Northern Pacific	118	17478	4166	1/1953	1
Wabash	372-374	17580-17582	4150	3/1953	3
Central of Georgia	307-310	17649-17652	4196	2/1953-3/1953	4
Grand Trunk Western	7015-7016	17653-17654	4178	1/1953	2
Union Pacific	1825-1846	17805-17826	4133	4/1953	22
Louisville & Nashville	2295-2296	17841-17842	4203	2/1953	2
Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range	11-25	17870-17884	4209	3/1953	15
Delaware, Lackawanna & Western	558-560	17887-17889	6488	6/1953	3
Mississippi Central	201-210	17988-17997	6503	4/1953-5/1953	10
Santa Fe	2420-2433	18086-18099	4219	5/1953	14
Campbells Creek Railroad	13	18174	4222	4/1953	1
Boston & Maine	1227-1231	18181-18185	4226	5/1953	5
Chicago & North Western	1122-1125	18219-18222	4225	6/1953	4
Reserve Mining	1211	18297	6509	6/1953	1
Kirby Lumber Company	1000	18298	6511	4/1953	1
Wheeling Steel	1252	18300	4127	4/1953	1
Wisconsin Central (Soo Line)	2117-2119	18437-18439	4156	9/1953	3
Bellefonte Central Railroad	5323	18589	4230	7/1953	1
Oliver Iron Mining Company	937-939	18621-18623	6521	8/1953	3
Monessen Southwestern Railway	27	18624	4229	9/1953	1
Pittsburgh Chartiers & Youghiogheny	5	18710	4236	9/1953	1
Rock Island	775-778	18731-18734	4238	11/1953	4
Indiana Harbor Belt	9002-9008	18790-18796	4239	9/1953-10/1953	7
Union Pacific	1847-1866	18835-18854	4216	10/1953-11/1953	20
Pittsburg & Shawmut	231-234	18860-18863	4244	10/1953	4
Apalachicola Northern	710-711	18869-18870	4246	11/1953	2
Santa Fe	2434-2438	18959-18963	6524	11/1953-12/1953	5
Rock Island	779	18964	4238	11/1953	1
Pittsburg & Shawmut	235-238	18965-18968	4244	11/1953	4
Pittsburg & Shawmut	239	19043	4244	11/1953	1
Maine Central	335	19044	4248	12/1953	1
Aliquippa & Southern	1200	19074	4249	12/1953	1
Chesapeake & Ohio	5092-5093	19298-19299	4253	12/1953	2
Wheeling Steel	1253	19305	4125	12/1953	1
Kosmos Timber Company	100	19306	4257	12/1953	1
Weyerhaeuser Timber Company	305	19307	6528	12/1953	1
Baltimore & Ohio	598-603	19308-19313	4258	12/1953	6

Rebuilds

(Total Built = 1)

SW9's completed from trade-in units, reusing the same serials as their predecessors.

Owner	Road Number	Serial Number	Order Number	Completion Date	Heritage	Quantity
Kansas City Southern	1304	13422	7523	4/1953	Ex-Kansas City Southern SW7 #1304.	1

General Motors Diesel (GMD)

(Total Built = 29)

Owner	Road Number	Serial Number	Order Number	Completion Date	Quantity
Great Northern Railway	14-16	A114-A116	C102	12/1950	3
Toronto, Hamilton & Buffalo	55-58	A121-A124	C103	12/1950-1/1951	4
Chesapeake & Ohio	5240-5244	A149-A153	C108	1/1951-2/1951	5
Steel Company Of Canada	70	A202	C113	2/1951	1
Canadian National	7000-7009	A334-A343	C138	1/1951-3/1951	10
Canadian Pacific	7400-7405	A489-A494	C158	1/1953-3/1953	6

Sources

Foster, Gerald. A Field Guide To Trains. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1996.

Hayden, Bob. Diesel Locomotives: Cyclopedia, Volume 2 (Model Railroader). Milwaukee: Kalmbach Publishing Company, 1980.

Marre, Louis A. Diesel Locomotives: The First 50 Years, A Guide To Diesels Built Before 1972. Milwaukee: Kalmbach Publishing Company, 1995.

Pinkepank, Jerry A. Diesel Spotter's Guide. Milwaukee: Kalmbach Publishing Company, 1967.

Solomon, Brian. EMD Locomotives. Minneapolis: MBI Publishing Company, 2006.

Taken from the South Winnebago Street Bridge in Rockford, Illinois, Illinois Central SW9 #434 is seen here at work along web of industrial and yard trackage at the North Fork of Kent Creek on July 29, 1964. Marty Bernard photo.

Spokane, Portland & Seattle SW9 #45 appears to be tied down in Portland, Oregon on October 2, 1968. Fred Byerly photo. American-Rails.com collection.

Because of this reliability and versatility SW9s continue to perform admirably in all types of settings from short lines to excursion trains, more than a half-century since the last unit rolled out of LaGrange, Illinois and London, Ontario.

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