Importer Of The Finest Brass
Railroad Models.
Available In "O", "HO", & "N"
Scales.
* * * Celebrating 30 Years Of
Excellence * * *
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GENERAL MOTORS - ELECTRO MOTIVE DIVISION In January 1954 EMD introduced the model F-9A cab unit and the F-9B booster. Similar to the previous F-7 units, the model had the Far-Air painted or Stainless steel grill on the sides, with an extra car body filter just ahead of the first porthole on the side. The major difference between the F-9 and previous model was a 1750 horsepower engine (vs. 1500 on the F-7), a GM 16-cylinder Model 567C engine. Like most EMD F-units, the F-9's had two LFM or "Blomberg" trucks and could be equipped with a variety of options, such as an extra nose light, dynamic brakes and steam generators for passenger service. By the time the F-9 was catalogued by GM, railroads had discovered that the road switcher was a much better locomotive for many types of service. Indeed , many roads purchased the 1750hsp GP-9 for assignments that previously would have been considered for the F-units. Better visibility made the GP-9 more flexible for switching, hump service, local freight, through freight and even passenger service. By this time it was known that passenger service was in decline, and that locomotives purchased should be capable of operating in freight service as passenger service was reduced. Thus the F-9 did not sell in the numbers that the previous F-3 and F-7 models did. A total of 87 F-9A and 154 F-9B units were built by the time that production ended in December 1956 and April 1957 respectively. Many roads also operated F-9's that were converted or rebuilt from older units. The Southern Pacific, Frisco, Denver & Rio Grande Western and others had such locomotives. EMD would do the upgrade work at La Grange, and they also sold "kits" that the railroads could use to perform the work in their own shops. A majority of these upgrades were wreck rebuilds, but the Southern Pacific program was used to rebuild virtually all of their early F-3's on the Texas lines. By the time the F-9's arrived on the railroad scene, most U.S. railroads were already dieselized. In Mexico and Canada, however, the F-9's were used to replace steam locomotives much as the earlier F-3's and F-7's did in the U.S. As with the earlier F-unit models, the F-9's have now been removed from service in most areas. Most were traded in on second generation diesel power, but a few remain. The classic "Bulldog" nose reminds everyone of the continuity between the first FT in 1938 and the last F-9 in 1956.
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