One Response to SW1500 350

1. Mark Davidson says:

   February 19, 2025 at 1:19 AM

   Location is Springfield, Missouri.

   The locomotives are east of the Springfield Diesel Shop at Springfield / Kansas Avenue / West Yard. The roadway overpass on the left of the image is North Kansas Avenue Expressway. Just to its west is a tall utility pole line owned by Springfield City Utilities. In the lower foreground is the railroad’s north side access road that extends between Kansas Avenue and West Division Street leading to the diesel shop, signal shop, West Shops, track panel plant and ribbon rail processing complexes and Benwood Yard.

   We can narrow the date window for the photograph to a 30-month period. The General Motors (GM) Electro Motive Division (EMD) SW1500 locomotive SLSF 350 was shipped to the railroad on 4/4/1972. Behind it is an unidentified number EMD FP7A cab unit. Note the extended distance between the cab and first radiator cooling fan.

   Only 3 of these units SLSF 41 (5041), 43 (5043) and 50 (5050) remained on the roster during this period. The last of these units, SLSF 43, was retired in October 1974. Unfortunately, the unit numbers of the Pyle National Gyralite equipped unit coupled to the switch engine locomotive and the GP7 are not discernible in the image to possibly help further narrow the date.

   Further in the distance, just above the locomotives at the switch engine cab top height, are horizontal insulated steam and condensate return lines. These supplied steam from the West Shops power plant to the diesel shop and service tracks for cleaning processes, heating buildings, warming fuel, oil, water and wash rack lines.

   View is looking south.

   Hope this helps.

   Thanks!

   Mark

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