Here are three rather poor Polaroid pics I just found of SLSF 10, the SW1 purchased from PNC in 1979 for use on Blakely Island outside of Mobile, AL. These pics were taken outside of the SLSF diesel shop in Springfield in the early spring, 1979, just after SLSF 10 was out of the shops after being rebuilt, refurbished, renumbered and given her new coat of mandarin orange and white paint before being sent to Mobile to relieve GE45 ton SLSF 11. SLSF 10 was originally GN 5103, built 9/41. She was then renumbered to GN 77, then to BN 77, then to WWV 77, then sold to PNC in 1978. The SLSF bought her from PNC in 3/79. What goes around comes around - SLSF 10 was renumbered to BN 70 in 1/81 after the BN gobbled up our favorite railroad, and she was again given the gangreen paint treatment. The Frisco had its new SW1 on display during the Ozarks model railroad meet going on in Springfield that weekend in 1979, which is why we were there to take the pics. She still reeked of new paint, and looked great! Note the tail end of U25b SLSF 819 in the first pic. That is son Kurt on the platform of the SW1 in the third pic. He was 11 years old then - my how time flies! This was a memorable Springfield visit for me - we not only enjoyed the meet and got in some good Frisco watching, but in addition I met Arthur Johnson, Lee Buffington and Ed Heiss for the first time on that visit. They each became good Frisco friends and mentors from that point on. I recall on the way back to StL we got snowed in on I-44 and decided to stop and spend the night in Rolla. At least Kurt and I enjoyed a good pizza at Pryor's for our travel troubles. Ken
Ethan - Yeah, the EMD SW1 was probably the only modern locomotive that had both the light weight and the power (when rebuilt) to do the job in Mobile to replace SLSF 11. SW1's were not available new in 1979, so they must have shopped around for a good used one. It may still be at work down there. Does anybody know? Ken
They're REAL LITTLE aren't they! I can't remember if I ever saw a picture of one next to any other equipment that gave away its proportions. Tom
Tom - Yes, the SW1 is a little guy for sure. I just put a ruler on my PRR SW1 (Walthers) - the body is about 30ft long, the frame is about 40ft long. Big porches - you could put some deck chairs out there! The front porch had a big sand box on it. The engine was a 600HP V-6 EMD 567, single stack. The SW1 was made from 1939 through 1953. The earlier EMD SW used a Winton 201A engine. A real sports car! Ken
