I've got a couple of SR SD7's #202 and a second #202 that needs a little work. It will get renumbered of course. Both have Central of Georgia sublettering. I had another #202, but sold it (3's a crowd?) I also have a Central of Georgia SD35 "tuxedo" in route to help them. I will probably add an Atlas GP38, as it will take two Atlas units to replace the TE of one LL unit, and I have a particular "Deep South" NTrak freight to pull. The SD7s might have been old ladies in the era of the cars I have on hand to pull. So, I've been searching for them, so I could see the in-service dates pre-NS, but have come up "dry" so far. One thing I did find was a 1978 photo of #202 on the point of a long train, running short hood forward. OMG! Now here's a photo of that CofG SD35 on point running short hood forward too! So, OK, two questions: what are the in-service dates for the SD7's? And when did SR give in, and start running them short hood forward? I've been running them long hood forward since I got them, probably 5 years ago, or so: "I Wish That I Was On Ol' Rocky Top...." Just a couple more: Last one: (All images captured on the historic Sun'N'Sand NTrak layout, Scottsdale AZ)
#202 was actually in real life an SD-9. It had a builders date of March 1955. The SD-7 (Southern had one), SD-9's and SD-24's were set up with the short end as the front. Most early Southern units had the short end as the front, even though they were high hood units. It was later on, around the time of the GP-38 and other locomotives that came out around that time that Southern began designating the long end as the front. Regardless, the units were operated in either direction, from the pictures I have seen, it is perfectly acceptable for a prototype modeler to run either long or short hood forward. #202 made it to Norfolk Southern where it was renumbered 198. I don't know how long it lasted there (perhaps it is still around?).
Southern ran their GPs and SDs either way (probably equally so). I used to live by their main running through Greensboro in the 60s and 70s and remember seeing them both ways. I thought the early SDs ran into the early 70s, but I don't have my SOU diesel reference handy (still boxed up) to verify this. "Look Ahead, Look South"
Southern's only SD-7 was ex-CG 201 renumbered to #197 on June 1, 1982 and had a builder's date of May, 1953. ex-CG SD-9 units #202-207 had builder's dates of April-June, 1955. #202 and 207 were renumbered to 198 and 199, respectively on June 1, 1982. Southern always considered the front of a GP or SD to be the long hood as this was deemed to be safer for the crews in case of a collision, however, this did not affect which way crews ran them. It was just as common to see them short hood forward as the long way.
I think all Southern Hood units have the bell mounted on the designated 'front' of the engine. Look at the hood with the bell and you will see 'F' stenciled on the side sill below. Second generation units set up that way: GP30, GP35, and SD35.
Welcome, Ls-2 and NsaneTrain! Always good to have more Southern fans aboard. According to the Southern Motive Power Pictorial, SD9's # 203 & 204 were retired in 1978; # 205 & 206 were retired in 1980. Harold
From the NS Motive Power Review: # 197 was retired 5/89 and never received NS lettering # 198 & 199 (originally, CG 202 and 207, respectively) were rebuilt into SD9M # 58 & 59. Harold
While the Southern ran them in either direction, the end designated "F" normally had the bell. Of course, on Atlas' N scale high-hood GP38, the bell is on the wrong end for Southern. On first generation units, this was normally the short hood. The GP30 had the short hood designated as the front, and I *believe* the GP35 was long hood forward. ---jps
GP38's did have the bell mounted on the long hood end, such as this: If interested, I have 3 different threads with lots of GP38 pictures posted in the Norfolk Southern forum. Harold
On the short hood... N&W moved the bell to the long hood on EMDs when they ordered low-nose SD40-2s... That sole SD7 mentioned is preserved, in the VMT in Roanoke, VA
Thanks again for all this valuable data and pix of SR power. I hope to add a Geep38 tuxedo next month, and will post a shot of the 4 locos on the 75-car train of "modern" (pre-1972 for me) cars. That train depicts a heavy drag with cars of paper and Kaolin, and a few empty auto parts cars headed back from Atlanta. Of my recent Fords, I've had two from Atlanta, one from Chicago, and one from Norfolk. The train probably should have a few open auto racks, and CMW makes the 1960's Galaxies, but Geez, what would an auto rack weigh with all those little diecast autos racked up? I'd probably need a 5th loco!!! Didn't Ford build Falcon, Ranchero, Fairlane and eventually Torino at Atlanta Assembly during that era anyway? Back to trains.... The overhung bell is such a prominent detail, I will have to add those when I re-number the units and swap out the Accumates for MTs on the two new diesels. The old LL's have 1015s, and they worked fine with 3 SD9s on that train.
I presume that this is the "tuxedo" paint scheme? The black instead of green? Were any of the early freight diesels in green? Also, I think I have a photo of a NS GP40 set up to run both ways with a bell on both ends and a five chime horn on both ends. It was in Morehead City, NC where there is no place to turn the engine (I think).
Sapacif, Yes, Southern's early freight diesels did appear in a green tuxedo paint scheme. The Southern's first diesels were in a black (non-tuxedo) scheme. Here's a link to a model in this early scheme: http://southern-railway.railfan.net/srs/my_rs2.html This scheme was replaced by the green tuxedo scheme in the 1940s IIRC. Southern's RS-2s, 3s, NWs, SWs, GP-7s, 9s, FTs, and F3s appeared in this scheme. There were others but I can't remember those now. These gave way to the black tuxedo scheme in the late 1950s. Passenger diesels were switched to the black scheme in the 60s, but the E-8s were switched back to the green scheme in the 70s. That's the best I can remember right now! Here's a web site that has photos of SOUs early diesels in the green tuxedo scheme: http://southern-railway.railfan.net/sry/
