One Response to VO-1000m 204

  1. Mark Davidson says:
    April 13, 2025 at 4:50 AM

    Location is Springfield, Missouri.

    Coupled to the west is VO-1000m locomotive SLSF 203. The locomotives are working one of the two lead jobs, the north lead and the south lead, at the east end of Springfield Yard (SY). The yard is also known as (aka) Kansas Avenue or West Yard. A separate west lead job, also typically with two units, and a trimmer engine, typically one unit, worked at the west end of the yard. Showing just above the cab of SLSF 203 is the yardmaster’s tower at the Springfield Yard Office. The west end of the yard office is visible to the right of the locomotives.

    Locomotives SLSF 203 and 204 were originally built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in Eddystone, Pennsylvania. They entered service on the Frisco on 1/9/1942 and 12/15/1941 respectively. In 1959 six VO-1000 units (SLSF 200-204, 206) were sent to GMs Electro-Motive Division (EMD) for repowering. The rebuilt units received the modified or “m” model designation. During rebuilding this group were also equipped with multiple unit (MU) controls.

    Earlier three VO-1000 units (SLSF 205, 210, 215) had been repowered by GM EMD in 1957. The first group repowered did not receive multiple unit (MU) controls. All of the units were repowered at the firm’s La Grange, Illinois plant. When repowered EMD installed their 12-567C engines. As a result, they fitted with EMD SW1200 hood with twin exhaust stacks. The new hood was 1′-3 3/4” wider at 7′ 0″ than the original Baldwin hood at 5′-8 1/4″.

    The hood tapered inward near the raised battery boxes at the main generator hood section ahead of the cab. The new hood, 11′-9 1/2″ tall, was elevated 5 5/8″ to the height to match the original Baldwin height of 12′-3 1/8″ above railhead. The hood side doors featured 8 stamped louver doors at the engine compartment with clasp type door latches. The units were equipped with GP7 style round handrails and stanchions with pipe bolt fittings mounted on side sills and pilot faces.

    The front headlight was replaced with Pyle National wedge-shaped duel sealed beam (vertically stacked) headlight castings. The original rear round headlight was modified with internally mounted horizontal twin sealed beam adaptor plates and lamps. The 6 multiple unit (MU) equipped units featured cab subbase and battery box door modifications with clasp style latches and new ventilation louvers, elevated end drop steps and crossover handrails, electrical junction boxes to the left of the drop steps and duel 4 place air hose connections on end pilots either side of couplers.

    Photograph date is 1978 just before unit SLSF 204 was retired. SLSF 203 was retired in July 1979.

    View is looking southwest.

    Hope this helps.

    Thanks!

    Mark

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