Southern Pacific 1518

Southern Pacific Railroad's (SP) number 1518 is an EMD SD7, and was the first ever SD series diesel locomotive, originally built in May 1951 as General Motors Electro-Motive Division's (EMD) prototype Demonstrator #990.[1] Its road number 990 was in reference to EMD Engineering Department's project number 15990. It successfully completed numerous demonstration tours for EMD on several railroads before being sold to Southern Pacific on 10/10/52, when it was returned to EMD's LaGrange, IL shops to be refurbished, repainted in SP's gloss orange on black "Tiger Stripe" paint, and renumbered to 5308.

Southern Pacific 1518
1518 in operation at Illinois Railway Museum in 2005
Type and origin Power type Diesel Builder General Motors Electro-Motive Division (EMD) Model SD7 Build date May 1951
Specifications Configuration: ​  • AAR C-C Gauge 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge Length 60 ft 8 in (18.49 m) Width 10 ft 8 in (3.25 m) Height 14 ft 1 in (4.29 m) Prime mover EMD 645CE Engine type V16 diesel Cylinders 16
Performance figures Power output 1,500 hp (1,100 kW)
Career Operators Southern Pacific Railroad Union Pacific Railroad Class DF-116 Numbers 5308, 2715, 1415, 1518 Delivered October 1952 Current owner Illinois Railway Museum Disposition operates in excursion service

When 5308 was delivered to SP shortly thereafter, it was slightly different from all other SD7s in that it was their only SD7 to have dual control stands, a winterization hatch over its forward fan (a rare, early feature for SP at that time, but not entirely unbeknownst to them: several of their F7s and the odd GP20 also had them), and two single A-200 "blat" horns mounted directly behind the cab atop the roof of the long hood. SP also added a steam generator inside the short hood, and a large "beer barrel" or "trash can" Mars signal light above the headlight on the front of the short hood. As a result of its unique singularity, SP classified 5308 into its own single-unit class, DF-116. SP 5308 entered service at Ogden, UT and was immediately sent to work on SP subsidiary Northwestern Pacific Railroad alongside SP's other SD7s on 10/23/52, less than two full weeks after ownership had transferred from EMD to SP.

In the mid-1950s, SP repainted it in their famous "Black Widow" paint scheme, and then, c. 1959, into their ubiquitous scarlet and grey "Bloody Nose" scheme, in which it remains to current day. Since it still had its unique original dual control stands, it was SP's only SD7 to ever have feathers painted onto both hood ends, denoting the two control stands for bi-directional operation, similar to their San Francisco-San Jose, California commute GP9s.

In 1965, SP renumbered the locomotive to 2715, replaced the two A-200 horns with a Nathan P3 on the right side, a Nathan M5 on the left side, and the large front Mars signal light with an end-mounted Pyle National sealed-beam Gyralight.

In the early 1970s, although it retained its dual control stands, it was repainted without its one-of-a-kind rear feather, and in 1/74, when SP's EMD MP15AC deliveries' road numbers approached the 27##s, they again renumbered it, this time, to 1415.

In 1980, the locomotive was rebuilt at the Sacramento General Shops as an SD7R, renumbered to its final 1518, and released for service on 2/5/80. In this rebuild, it also lost its singularly unique winterization hatch, and dual control stands and horns.

Remaining in service after the September 1996 merger between the Southern Pacific Railroad and Union Pacific Railroad, 1518 was retired on 5/5/97, and sent to the UP's roundhouse in Cheyenne, Wyoming, to be preserved. After spending time in storage, Southern Pacific 1518 was donated in April 2003 to the Illinois Railway Museum where it currently resides in operable condition.