SPandS GP9 153-Silver

Description

SP&S GP9 tt Tiger Stripe scheme. This Special Run is being produced for us by Atlas.   This selection is for the Atlas ‘SILVER‘ version and is DC. See the Atlas ‘Gold’ version if you want this in DCC with sound. Two road numbers are being produced. See other selections for Gold versions and for the pair pricing.

This year, 2022, we celebrate 20 years of bringing Spokane Portland & Seattle special runs to the N Scale market. Can you believe it! 

SP&S Rd #153 is the only road number (GP-9tt version) that we have never done in our prior productions. Prior runs were done in the ‘Broadstripe’ scheme, #150, 151 & 152.

When the SP&S purchased six EMD GP-9’s in 1956, there were still 14 steam engines on the roster. The GP-9’s were to be used in freight service, with four of the six having steam generators so they could also be used in passenger service, which they frequently were. The ‘Broadstripe’ paint first appears on the SP&S in 1964 with the arrival of the C-424. In time, most of the roster received this scheme. Prior to that, the scheme we are releasing here, often called ‘tiger stripe’ or ‘pin stripe’, was the ‘as delivered’ scheme in 1956. Photos show that the roof later received the maroon paint, then back to the green according to the photos of the time.

These GP9’s were often used in excursion service and we see many photos of that in the SP&S books. Of special interest is one photo shared here from Ed Austin’s great book ‘Diesel’s of the SP&S’ (Morning Sun Publishing). The photo is of an excursion train tied up at Portland’s Hoyt St. Yard with the GP9#150 in Broadstripe leading GP9#152 in Tiger Stripe. This is showing that both versions were around at the same time. With this Tiger Stripe version being the most common for the time of service on the SP&S.

It is important for you to understand that we are building our run quantity based on these reservations. Now is your chance! No guarantees later.