Cab Ride Southern Pacific SW1 1006 At Perris, California

Built by Electro-Motive Corporation (EMC) in November 1939, SW1 1006 was only the 7th, diesel locomotive bought by the Southern Pacific Railroad. Electro-Motive Corporation became the Electro-Motive Division (EMD) of General Motors in 1941.

In early 2019, the Southern California Railway Museum completed a multi-year restoration that saw this now 83-year-old locomotive returned to her as built appearance. Including going so far as cutting down her exhaust stack to its factory-built height. Most railroads (including Southern Pacific) quickly modified their early EMC/EMD switchers short exhaust stacks to a taller cab-height version to carry the fumes and oil droplets in the exhaust higher above the cabs. This modification was later adopted by EMD as a standard feature on their switcher models.

As part of 1006's backdating, she was also repainted into her all black with white pinstripe EMC demonstrator scheme, which Southern Pacific adopted as their diesel switcher scheme in the early years. The railroad just simply painted Southern Pacific Lines on the hood and called it good.

1006 is powered by a "small" 6-567 (3402 cubic inch) 600-horsepower roots-blown V6, the smallest of the 567-series 2-stroke diesels placed in locomotives.

By first generation diesel locomotive standards, where a locomotive was usually sold for scrap or used as trade-in credit by their 15th birthday -- the 14 SW1's owned by SP had very long careers. Most were still on the SP's roster into the mid-1970's with a few hanging on into the 1980's. 1006 was, I believe, sold to a west coast steel plant in the 1970's and later sold for scrap. The museum bought the locomotive from the scrap dealer, and it has been here in the museum in Perris since then. And as we see now, is beautifully restored and well cared for.

Thanks to engineer Carson and the Southern California Railway Museum, I was able to get my second ever cab ride. For an extra $10, in addition to the $5 all-day train ride fee, they offer cab rides in the engines too, so heck yeah, I was all in for that!

Southern California Railway Museum website www.socalrailway.org

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