Espee “Kraut” Diesel-Hydraulic Moves Over Niles Canyon Line


SOUTHERN PACIFIC ML4000 C’C’ No. 9010 made several moves over the Pacific Locomotive Association’s former Southern Pacific Niles Canyon Railway on June 9, 2013. It wasn’t running, but acted as a cab car while power was provided by ex-SP SD9 No. 5472. Built by Krauss-Maffei of Munich, Germany, in 1964, the big C’C’ diesel’s axles are powered mechanically through transmissions and drive shafts, rather than electrically as on a diesel-electric. Wanting more horsepower and tractive effort in a single unit than EMD, GE, or Alco could deliver at the time, SP and Rio Grande each bought three carbody-style KM 4000-h.p. “Prototypes” in 1961. Rio Grande bowed out of the experiment and sold its three units to SP, which later ordered an- other 15 “Series” production hydraulics from K-M in an updated hood unit configuration. (Alco did attempt to meet the foreign competition with a trio of distinctive and slightly more successful 4300-h.p. DH643 diesel-hydraulics for SP, each powered by a pair of 12-251 engines.) As EMD and GE increased the available horsepower and tractive ef- fort with their six-axle 3600- and 3300-h.p. conventional diesels in the late 1960s, the exotic, Maybach-powered K-M’s were retired by Novem- ber 1968. No. 9010, however survived. It was modified as SP 8799, a camera car that was used to film the SP system for the railroad’s new


22 JULY 2013 • RAILFAN.COM


engineer training aid, the world's first aircraft-style full-motion loco- motive simulator. The railroad retired No. 8799 in 1984 and in 1986 it was purchased by the California State Railroad Museum; in 2008 the Pacific Locomotive Association acquired it.


After members Charles Franz and Dennis Mann convinced PLA to save the big German, a crew spearheaded by Howard Wise started to re- store it. CSRM volunteers had removed the full-width nose SP had ap- plied to house the camera equipment, and PLA members fabricated a re- placement short hood, complete with a full SP light package, using the original blueprints. Surprisingly, both Maybach engines remain; the No. 1 engine will likely never run again, having suffered extensive water damage during its years of disuse. The No. 2 engine is in good condition, however, and eventually may be restored to operation. The front trans- mission, radiators, and other key parts are missing, however. The SP and Rio Grande ML4000s were not the only K-M’s in the Western Hemisphere; another 16 units were built to meter gauge be- tween 1966 and 1969 for Estrado de Ferro Vitoria a Minas in Brazil. All are believed to have been scrapped, making SP 9010 the last of its breed in the world. Visit sp9010.ncry.org for more information on the SP 9010 project and K-M’s in general.". — WALT LANKENAU


EVAN WERKEMA


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62