The 2002 DEC Model Railroader had a nice little article on the GP9, but I would really like to find an exhaustive treatment. Does anyone know of a book on this loco? Thanks,
Ted43, Below is one book recommendation. Here's the book by Kalmbach Publishing's 'Classic Trains' series: "GM's Geeps: The General Purpose Diesel" Book by Paul D. Schneider, Kalmbach Publishing Lots of black and white photos. You'll be able to find it at many well stocked train shops and online. The description reads: ============ For many railroad enthusiasts the golden years of American railroading were from the end of World War II to the late 1950s. A time when modern steam locomotives and brand-new, bright-colored diesels worked side by side, the carbuilders could barely meet the demand for glossy streamliners, and the rails were constantly busy. With wartime restrictions on photography gone, railfans flocked to trackside to photograph the action. Color film was still an expensive novelty, so the photos were black and white and these photos were the bread and butter of Trains magazine. FEATURE: Beautifully presented black and white photographs on glossy pages. The pages of this book capture GP7s, GP9s, and GP18s hard at work on US and Canadian railroads during the Golden Years of Railroading. Additional technical illustrations and photos are included to help spot the subtle differences between the various production models manufactured from 1949-1963. Chapters include: Hit The Road, Jack Geep Demonsrators -EMD Geeps, Model by Model. -Have It Your Way: Geep Factory Options. -Geeps Hard At Work. -Geeps Today. Photos in this book are from the David P Morgan Memorial Library of Kalmbach Publishing Co. Perfect-bound softcover; 11 x 8 1/2; 128 pages; 120 b&w photos; 5 illustrations; Retail Price : $20.95 ============= Also, Ted, there are still a fair number of GP9s still running, you may find the following URL interesting: http://www.trainweb.org/sp5623/index.htm It is the website of the owners of an original Southern Pacific GP-9 'Torpedo Tube' engine, that was purchased by them as private owners back in the mid-1990's and then lovingly cared for, restored, and running today painted in the beautiful Southern Pacific Black Widow paint of the 1950's. Have a look, you will see many photos of this particular SP variation of the GP-9: Hope all this helps!
Thanks John, Paul Schneider's book looks to be just what I want. Indeed there are many GP9s still in service, CN uses them for switching duties in many places; not far from where I live, the Essex Terminal Railway operates the last GP9 built - check this site http://www.stclairc.on.ca/people/pages/kgarber/railroad/ETR102.jpg
