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LawrenceKellie (460 posts)
Oct-16-01, 10:14 PM (EST) "Please Identify Engine? (~350 KB Graphics)" Saw this between Seattle, Washington, USA, and Portland, Oregon, USA. Had to take some snaps! It was nowhere near Tacoma! Unfortunately, since I have not lived and breathed railroads, I have no idea what type if engine it is. Anyone? Lawrence Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
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Subject Author Message Date ID RE: Please Identify Engine? (~350 K... AcesHigh Oct-16-01 1 RE: Please Identify Engine? (~350 K... LawrenceKellie Oct-16-01 2 RE: Please Identify Engine? (~350 K... ge44tonner Oct-16-01 3 RE: Please Identify Engine? (~350 K... AcesHigh Oct-17-01 4 RE: Please Identify Engine? (~350 K... tryagin Oct-17-01 5 RE: Please Identify Engine? (~350 K... OkrasaGhia Oct-17-01 6 RE: Please Identify Engine? (~350 K... condmike Oct-18-01 7 RE: Please Identify Engine? (~350 K... Richard Oct-18-01 8 RE: Please Identify Engine? (~350 K... GordonK Oct-20-01 9 RE: Please Identify Engine? (~350 K... rob20 Oct-20-01 10 RE: Please Identify Engine? (~350 K... Richard Oct-21-01 11 RE: Please Identify Engine? (~350 K... Richard Oct-21-01 12 RE: Please Identify Engine? (~350 K... jerseycentral Oct-21-01 13 RE: Please Identify Engine? (~350 K... gwhess Oct-22-01 14

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AcesHigh (44 posts)
Oct-16-01, 10:34 PM (EST) 1. "RE: Please Identify Engine? (~350 KB Graphics)" LAST EDITED ON Oct-16-01 AT 10:37 PM (EST)It's hard to tell the difference but it's either an Alco SW9 or SW12. The 9/12 denotes the horsepower, either 900 or 1200 Hp. I personally don't know the spotting differences to tell the two apart from each other, they share the same cab and hood.Where did you take the photo, or find the photo? I noticed part of the rear FB2 (floating bolster) truck is missing.Oops, i just read where you took the photo. Very good pic by the way. Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
LawrenceKellie (460 posts)
Oct-16-01, 10:40 PM (EST) 2. "RE: Please Identify Engine? (~350 KB Graphics)" Thanks for the comment on photo quality.Actually, it was down in Kalama, Washington, which is just about 30 miles north of Portland, Oregon, USA. It was sitting on a track near a very large grain silo complex, grain come in by rail, shipped out by ship.Lawrence Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
ge44tonner (15 posts)
Oct-16-01, 10:43 PM (EST) 3. "RE: Please Identify Engine? (~350 KB Graphics)" Actually, the SW switcher series was built by EMD (Electromotive division of GM) rather than by Alco. With two exhaust stacks, might be a SW 7, SW9, or SW1200. Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
AcesHigh (44 posts)
Oct-17-01, 03:54 AM (EST) 4. "RE: Please Identify Engine? (~350 KB Graphics)" LAST EDITED ON Oct-17-01 AT 03:55 AM (EST)Oops, i knew i shouldn't have said the manufacturer. I was unsure and thought for some reason Alco made it. Alco made the S series, correct? Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
tryagin (438 posts)
Oct-17-01, 11:41 AM (EST) 5. "RE: Please Identify Engine? (~350 KB Graphics)" Yah, ALCO switchers were "S" series and their carbodies were quite different:

An SP&S ALCO S-2I'll bet that Tacoma Rail Switcher is a pretty roiugh rider, missing that equalizer and spring!Tim Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
OkrasaGhia (101 posts)
Oct-17-01, 12:07 PM (EST) 6. "RE: Please Identify Engine? (~350 KB Graphics)" An intelligent (?) guess would be that it's an EMD SW1200. I'm basing this on its number '1203'. Some railroads have the type of engine in the number and it might be that Tacoma numbered theirs that way. I don't know of Tacoma Rail but if they are a small operator (<50 engines or something) that would support my theory.

//Okrasa
Chief Engineer
okrasaghia @ yahoo.com



Steam: 0-4-0T #9, 2-6-6-2 #37, 2-8-2 #40
Diesels: SW8 #16, F3 #53, F7 #54, FP7 #57, TrainMaster #88 Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
condmike (25 posts)
Oct-18-01, 03:55 PM (EST) 7. "RE: Please Identify Engine? (~350 KB Graphics)" I have to agree, that engine looks just like an SW1200 that the Reading Railroad Had. Except for the REAR truck,which is not factory, the SW1200 had trucks like the front one and they rode like a Caddie nice and smooth at high speeds ( 45 - 60 MPH). A lot better then the SW1000 which rode rough at speed. And far as the ALCO's S- series they rode like TANKS. Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
Richard (93 posts)
Oct-18-01, 10:15 PM (EST) 8. "RE: Please Identify Engine? (~350 KB Graphics)" The unit is a SW9/SW1200 built by EMD with AAR type switcher trucks. It looks to be bad ordered because of the casting missing on the rear truck on the engineers side of the unit. The AAR type switcher trucks were common on switchers up thru the SW1500 and were rated by many railroads to have a top speed of 45mph. Flexicoil trucks were also available for SW9, SW1200, SW1500 and MP15's which allowed the railroads to operate the units at higher speeds out on the main line. One such railroad that mixed Geeps and switchers was the P&LE railroad. The first picture shows the difference between the AAR switcher truck and the Blomberg Type B truck. The second photo shows a MP15DC braced by a pair of GP38-2


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GordonK (17 posts)
Oct-20-01, 01:21 AM (EST) 9. "RE: Please Identify Engine? (~350 KB Graphics)" For those curious about Tacoma Rail, it is a subsidiary of Tacoma Public Utilities, a publically owned utility of the City of Tacoma, Washington. TPU also operates Tacoma Power and Tacoma Water.Tacoma Rail, once known as Tacoma Municipal Beltline, serves Tacoma's waterfront industries and the Port of Tacoma. The Port handles international shipping including containers, bulk materials (alumina), and automobiles. Tacoma Rail handles rail traffic between the Port and related industries and the UP and BNSF.Their website says they have 30 miles of track and switched 67,762 cars in 2000.Here is their website:http://www.cityoftacoma.org/default.asp?main=/32Util/rail_portal.aspGK Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
rob20 (84 posts)
Oct-20-01, 09:34 PM (EST) 10. "RE: Please Identify Engine? (~350 KB Graphics)" not knowing a whole lot about spotting features I think it is a sw1200 and I think I know that because the long hood slopes (tapers) in just before the cab and I think a sw900 does not taper at all. Someone please prove me wrong Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
Richard (93 posts)
Oct-21-01, 10:07 PM (EST) 11. "RE: Please Identify Engine? (~350 KB Graphics)" Sorry to say, but the SW9 and SW1200 both share the same carbody. The biggest difference is the SW9 has 900HP and the SW1200 has, you guessed it, 1200HP. Also I think all EMD switcher from the SW1 through the MP15DC share the slope section in front of the cab Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
Richard (93 posts)
Oct-21-01, 10:17 PM (EST) 12. "RE: Please Identify Engine? (~350 KB Graphics)" SW9

SW1200

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jerseycentral (656 posts)
Oct-21-01, 10:40 PM (EST) 13. "RE: Please Identify Engine? (~350 KB Graphics)" of the humanity (or is it trainity) of seeing beautiful SWs ruined with CR stenciling! Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
gwhess (15 posts)
Oct-22-01, 11:44 PM (EST) 14. "RE: Please Identify Engine? (~350 KB Graphics)" Lawrence:According to the 5th edition of American Shortline Railway Guide, by Edward A. Lewis,the 1203 is an SW1200. Also, according to The Second Diesel Spotter's Guide by Jerry A Pinkepank, both the SW9 and SW1200 were 1200 hp locomotives. The SW9 had a 567B engine and the SW1200 had a 567C engine.Hope this helps.Gary
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