LPD Locomotives- SP

Southern Pacific Power: Endless Variety

Although these appear in earnest on this line only after the 1988 merger, there was a lot of run-through SP power as far back as 1983– mostly tunnel motors. After the merger with the D&RGW, many different types of SP power was seen in Colorado. I’ve tried to get a representative sample of the variety. 1988-1996 is one of my favorite eras.  The main issue is, many units in this era acquired deck-mount ditch lights, which are time-consuming to build and install.

Within a few years after the UP merger, most SP units were  retired, the prominent exception being the AC4400’s.

Since the SP era overlaps with the UP regime, I’ve been concentrating on upgrading the SP fleet to DCC, and I’m over  halfway done with it.

Back to: Locomotives (all)

Model Photos Remarks
GP38-2

  • Qty: 1
  • Era: 1988-1999
 sp4823 No. 4823 in as-built configuration, before all the distinctive SP lights were removed.  My first SP unit…  Not beefy enough for most mainline trains, it’s handy for locals and yard jobs. Blue-box Athearn.
GP40M

  • Qty: 2
    Era: 1992-2006
 sp7132

GP40M SP7122, from Atlas
 These speed-lettered GP40M’s appeared around 1992, and many can be found in Colorado to this day (albeit patched or painted with UP numbers…).
7132 is a blue-box Athearn that I detailed. The other (7122,) is Atlas and DCC.
SD40R

  • Qty: 1
  • Era: 1988-2001
 sp7317 A new RTR Athearn unit, which required relocation of the headlights and some serious weathering to fit into my era. The results were totally worth the effort.  DCC
In the real world, this unit was wrecked on 9/30/1991 just west of tunnel 26 east of Pinecliffe.
B40-8

  • Qty: 1
  • Era: 1988-1999
 ssw8087 From Atlas, a typical late-date Cotton Belt four-motor that has wandered into the Rockies.  These were more common here than often realized.  DCC
SD40T-2

  • Qty: 2
  • Era: 1984-2002
    (8322: 1994-2002)
 sp8322 Photo: detailed Athearn model of snoot No. 8322, as it would appear in 1994 or later.  It has working ditch lights. Blue-box Athearn model.  DCC
Second unit is one of the RTR Athearn ones, in original SP configuration and lettering.  DCC
SD45T-2

  • Qty: 4
  • Era: 1982-2002 (depending on which unit)

I have every SP paint scheme represented on my 45T fleet!

(After the UP-WP merger in 1982, SP power did start showing up on the Moffat.)

 sp9342 SP 9342.    It’s a recent Athearn RR release, but I repainted and lettered it, then heavily weathered it.  DCC
ssw9264 SSW No. 9264 is an extensive kitbash, done before the commercial models were available. I’m very proud of this unit! It has onboard battery-powered headlights. Yes, it’s a dummy.
sp9192 No. 9192 is an SPSF merger scheme unit.  You need at least one Kodachrome for those post-1985 operations!  Since this photo was taken I’ve weathered it heavily.  DCC
sp9308 The fourth SD45T-2, No. 9308, is a speed-lettered repaint.  DCC
GP60

  • Qty: 3
  • Era: 1992-2000

GP60 SP9738, detailed Athearn bluebox unit
 Pictured is No. 9738.  These are Athearn blue-box models, and receive the usual detail treatment.  They power RODVT / DVROT trains as well as the Ski Train on occasion. 9738 now DCC.My SSW unit is in thte shop undergoing conversion.
SD50

  • Qty: 1
  • Era: 1993-2003
 Walthers unit with ESU sound. This is technically a D&RGW unit that got the SP repainting treatment. Unfortunately the model doesn’t have ditch lights and I can’t figure out how to wire them to the board.  It’s OK like this for now. (Also, Walthers units are very sparse on details!)
EMD SD402M-2Qty: 1Era: 1993-2007

SD40M-2 8694, from Athearn.
 From Athearn: DCC with Tsunami sound. The prototype unit was rebuilt by Morrison-Knudsen from an Erie Lackawanna SDP45 carbody for SP.
AC4400

  • Qty: 5
  • Era: 1995-2009 (depending on which unit)
 sp263-wp I now have enough of these to call them a “fleet”!  These arrived in 1995, very late for my layout’s era, so most will stay pretty clean.  This shot shows Nos. 263 and 144 leading an eastbound EYCKC train at West Portal.
rearDPU-wp This photo demonstrates that little oddity of remote-control units: it really doesn’t matter which way they face!  It just looks wrong, but the railroads run them in strange configurations all the time.I have three blue-box units and two of the newer, ready-to-run kind.   I detailed the blue-box ones to enhance the realism.  Did you know that there are 13 grab irons on just the cab of these units?
SW-1500

  • Qty: 1
  • Era: 1989-2007
 sp2578 No. 2578 is a nicely-detailed Athearn model that I picked up second-hand.

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