Strasburg gets new diesel switcher

[Overmod]

Not sure if this best belongs here, or over in Locomotives:

A hot topic on LocoNotes for the last couple of days, and this morning on RyPN, is that the Strasburg Railroad has acquired an ex-ATSF SSB1200 (rebuild of an original SW9).  It was recently in Lancaster, still in faded ATSF colors, ready for delivery.  It will be interesting to see how this looks once Kelly & company have spruced it up...

[LNER4472]

What history I was able to come up with last night:


The locomotive began life as an EMD SW9 built for the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe in December 1953 (serial number 18960), numbered 2435 and one of nineteen of the model acquired by the railroad.  In 1974 the 2435 was rebuilt by AT&SF at the San Bernardino shops as an SSB1200 (SSB for Switcher, San Bernardino), one of 29 such rebuilds b y the railroad, and renumbered 1235 in Feb. 1974.  Unlike the eighteen SSB1200 rebuilds which were traded to Amtrak, the Santa Fe retired the loco on Dec. 13, 1984 and traded it in to GE; it was eventually resold in June 1987 to the Celanese Corporation for use as a switcher at their Narrows, Virginia plant.

The Strasburg Rail Road intends to retain the number 1235, and will spend the winter overhauling the loco for freight service, although the loco already has a rebuilt engine with new power packs, new wheels, roller bearings, and rebuilt traction motors. The railroad has not decided on a livery for the loco as of yet. As of this morning, the loco was in Lancaster, Pa. awaiting final forwarding to the Strasburg's Leaman Place Junction by Norfolk Southern.

[D.Carleton]

Something like this would be nice: http://www.railpictures.net/photo/336999/

I'm sure they have some black paint laying around.

[Firelock76]

Not the first diesel on the Strasburg property.

Mind you, they only use 'em when the have to.  

[Overmod]

D.Carleton

Something like this would be nice: http://www.railpictures.net/photo/336999/ I'm sure they have some black paint laying around.

Or perhaps not quite black paint ...

(one part yellow handrail paint to 15 parts black...)

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

I like Santa Fe's zebra stripes, they're appropriate for a switcher, although a bit much on an SD24 or RSD15.  They also look good on Pacific Harbor Line's power.