SP 5872-5891

These units were built in a single group. They were intended strictly as freight units. They were the only low nosed GP9's delivered to any class one railroad. They had no boilers and a five light cluser at front including a two sealed beam light (nose), a two light gyralight (between numberboards) and a single red UDE light (nose) which only came on during emergency brake applications. The rear lights were the same as other Pacific Lines freight units. All of these units were delivered in grey and red bloody nosed paint.

For many years I have known the story of these units being the only factory, low-nose GP9's built for a class one railroad. I thought it was time to delve a little more into the story and post some info on those NON-class one low-nose GP9's. They were built for Phelps-Dodge corporation which operated copper mines in Arizona and New Mexico and had their own railroad to transport the product from the mines to the interchange with the SP. The locomotive fleet carried reporting marks PHDX. They also rostered GP38-2 and GP39-2 units. I see no evidence of revenue freight cars with those reporting marks.

The locomotives of focus are as follows:

	PHDX 21-22	19981-19982	5390	4/1955
	PHDX 23		22080		5470	9/1956
	PHDX 30-42	20596-20608	5401	8/1955
	PHDX 43		23250		5534	4/1957

While these units were built with factory, low-hoods, it was considered a customization and not a regular production feature. Also, the low hoods were more common in appearance to "chop" noses which became popular than the angled low front hood exhibited by SP's 20 examples and many GP18 and GP20 units.

SP 5872-5891 - built 8-9/1959 - builders numbers 25631-25650:

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