SW9 Diesel Locomotive

Prototype Information

EMD launched the SW9 in 1950 as a powerful successor to the SW7 switcher. It featured a 12-cylinder 567B engine that generated 1,200 horsepower. This model maintained the classic EMD switcher silhouette with a low hood and a rear-mounted cab for maximum visibility. It excelled at heavy yard switching and short-distance transfer runs. Major railroads like the Pennsylvania, Union Pacific, and Atlantic Coast Line quickly integrated these units into their terminal operations.

Production continued until 1953, with EMD and its Canadian subsidiary GMD building nearly 800 units. The SW9 earned a reputation for extreme durability and simple maintenance, outlasting many of its contemporaries. While Class I railroads eventually sold or scrapped most of the fleet, dozens of SW9s migrated to industrial plants and shortline railroads. Many of these robust locomotives still move freight today, over seven decades after they first left the factory.