Oh I'd have to say...can't pick just one model! 1st: SP GP-9 2nd: SP GP60 3rd: SP SD-9 4th: SP SD40/45T-2 5th: SP B39-8 6th: SP AC4400CW I really like all the of Espee's EMD fleet and their B-series GE's and AC4400CW's.
To me nothing saids SP like a SD45T-2, I'm just sad I never got any photos of them in Ture SP form, with the full light package, all my photos are D&GRW versions of the SP. Next up would be the GP60.
Well I have to say, its kinda hard, so my top 4, probably are as follows. Oh and I really like the idea of SD90MACs, SD70M-2s painted into speed letter grey and scarlet. ha ha ha.
The Trainmaster gets my vote. As the only railroad in the West to use the big TM, my hat is off to Espee for giving them a fairly long life, first in freight service and then afterwards, Bay Area commutes.
Ahh, the beautiful SD70M's, AC4400's, C44-9W's, SD50's, and the rest of the lower class EMD's and GE's, and for steam, nothing like a cab forward.
I spat out the GS-4 earlier. I am also quite fond of the SD-9's, the 70-tonners, the Alco PA's/PB's, the Trainmasters, the Cab-Forwards, and just about anything else in Southern Pacific livery.
Any Tunnel Motor anywhere. Here is a Cotton Belt Tunnel Motor on train #344 entering the yard at Commerce, Texas on April 12, 1973. Ed
Two models that I'm fond of, probably because they were the principal power in my part of the former SP, are the C-9 Consolidations and the rebuilt bloody nose SD9's. Here's a shot of George Lavacot's baby..... at Monmouth, Oregon this spring. Josh
I've decided I'm not really a big fan of the Dash 9s and 70ms in Bloody nose. For some reason, that nose is just too much on a comfort cab. And Actually, that's a feeling I have for most Wide nose units that didn't get a modified paint job. They just look wrong to me.
For myself, wide nose cabs just do look like "Espee." Nothing wrong with wide cabs and Espee had them, but it seems out-of-era or something. I have been in NC this week and NS in wide cabs seems perfectly normal. That is about all I se here, too. But I expect the long time NS fans may think wide cabs are very modern for the "real" NS, too.
I dont know YoHo, with SP having a couple hundred AC4400s, a hundred -9s and 25 SD70Ms, wide cab bloody noses made their mark and I love those ACs. They just looked like they meant trouble.
Daylight E-Units I have always been fond of the E-Units in Daylight colors. Not too long ago, there was a railroad weekend at the UP yard in Roseville CA. While 8444 was there in her glory, the California Railroad Museum sent over an E-9 in daylight colors with spark arrestors and all of the grabs etc. I took a photo of it, But I was only able to photo in sections
Favorite SP steam: Aw, heck--I grew up with these big beauties, and even though I model primarily Rio Grande standard gauge steam, SP has trackage rights on my Yuba River Sub, and there are times when SP takes full advantage. I've got quite a few older brass SP steamers, and one of my favorites is this 1965 Akane AC-8 Cab-Forward. Runs like a dream, hauls like a team of oxen. One very SWEET loco, IMO. Older brass, and prototypically articulated (only the rear drivers swing), but if pressed, she'll squeeze around a 24" radius (my minimum is 34"). I like her a lot. Wouldn't mind getting her a couple of friends. IMO, SP had some of the most beautiful steam ever built. Tom :tb-biggrin:
SD45T-2's and SD70M's, dont make me choose between them 2 it wont happen and will never get a straight answer
It's hard to narrow it down to one loco, so here's my favorites Anything in Daylight colors... Snow fighting locomotives GP40P-2's
