GENERAL MOTORS (EMD) GP7 1500 H.P. 4-MOTOR ROAD SWITCHER
Soo 559 Osceola, WI August 23, 1998 - photo by Barry Moore
Due to increasing ridership, the Minnesota Transportation Museum decided in 1997 to look for a road locomotive to replace switch engine NP SW1200 105 as the primary diesel locomotive. An early-model GP was favored for its higher horsepower, more suitable suspension, and ability to operate in either direction.
After a long search, Wisconsin Central GP-7 number 4159 was selected. The purchase was finalized on July 15th, 1998. Before being delivered to MTM, 4159 received its annual inspection at the WC's Fond Du Lac shops and a new paint job at the Wisconsin & Southern's Horicon, WI paint shop. It arrived in Osceola August 22nd, painted in Soo Line maroon and yellow and numbered Soo Line 559.
Soo Line "Geeps"
The Osceola & St. Croix Valley operates a section of the original Soo Line, which ran from Minneapolis to Sault Ste. Marie. In the 1950's, common passenger power on this line included nine GP-9 road-switchers from Electro-Motive.
Soo Line GP9's 550 through 556 were delivered in Dec '54/Jan '55. 557 and 558 followed in '56 due to increased traffic. When delivered, they were painted maroon with a yellow band which widened into a "pine tree" design on the front.
(Only Soo Line subsidiary Wisconsin Central GP9 2555, built double-ended in Jan '55, had a "pine tree" on both hoods. GP9 2555 paint scheme diagram, artwork copyright 1998 Rick Johnson/Soo Line
Historical and Technical Society and used with their permission.) "S O O L I N E" was spelled out in yellow on the long hood, and the locomotive number below the cab windows. (An excellent article on Soo GP9's appeared in the Spring 1997 issue of the SOO, published by the Soo Line Historical & Technical Society.) Interestingly, 558 pulled the final run of train 7 from Sault Ste. Marie to Minneapolis in 1960.
Our GP-7 is portraying these Soo Line locomotives which called at Osceola. We selected the number 559 because it follows the series and can also be derived from its current number, 4159.
The Soo GP9 2555 paint scheme with the "pine tree" on both ends was selected because the O&St.CV Ry runs 559 with either the long or short hood leading.
559 retained the Soo reporting mark for a brief period before being lettered with MTM's MNTX reporting mark below the cab number. Soo 559 is now identified as MNTX 559.
MNTX GP7 559's History
In late 1951 the Rock Island purchased 25 brand new GP-7 locomotives, numbered 1213 through 1237. Destined for general-purpose work in the midwest, they had M.U. connections, small fuel tanks, no dynamic brakes, and no steam generators. They were painted in shiny black and crimson red, separated by white trim stripes, sported white "wings" on each end, and had silver trucks. EMD built them at their La Grange, Illinois plant, and delivered them in October through December of 1951. The Rock Island liked the GP-7s. By the end of GP-7 production in May 1954, they owned 128 - the most of any single model on their roster.
Our GP-7 was built in November of 1951 as Rock Island 1223, builder's number 15182. Two photos in Robert P. Olmstead's book, taken in 1952, show very narrow fuel tanks, single-chime air-horns mounted on the sides of the hoods, on opposite corners from the cab doors, and M.U. recepticles mounted about two feet above the platform on each side of the walkway between locomotives.
Sometime in 1960 the 1223 was involved in a serious wreck. It was returned to EMD to be rebuilt in kind, and returned in February 1961. This time it was painted in maroon instead of the white "wings", crimson, and black, although the white pin-stripes were retained. Because the original frame was used, it is considered the same locomotive. However, much of the superstructure was redone. When purchased by MTM, the maroon paint and later white & blue showed beneath the C&NW green and yellow, but the original crimson and black was not found. Based on visual inspection, it appears not to have been repainted between its 1961 and 1976 rebuilds. A 1962 photo shows it had a winterization hatch, single-chime air horns atop the hood, fore and aft of the cab, and a full-width fuel tank. M.U. recepticle location was unchanged.
ROCK 4505 Ralph Back collection
In 1974 the Rock Island had so many worn-out locomotives they were frequently short of usable power. New locomotives were too expensive, so it was decided to rebuild the old GP-7, GP-9, and GP-18 locomotives. Because the Rock Island did not have the shop capacity, a deal was swung with Precision National. PNC would take ownership, rebuild the locomotives, and lease them back to the Rock Island. The work was actually performed by Morrison-Knudsen in Boise, Idaho, PNC in the Rock Island's Silvis, Illinois shops, or PNC in the Illinois Central Gulf's Paducah, Kentucky shops. It was originally planned to number the GP-7s in the 4400 series and the GP-9s in the 4500 series, but reality intervened. 1223 was to become the 4446, but when it actually returned to service on February 19, 1976, it was the 4505. Like the rest of the PNC rebuilds, it wore the new "THE ROCK" colors of light blue on the long hood and cab, and white on the short hood and frame. The external appearance was largely unaltered by the rebuild. External changes were mainly limited to the removal of the footboards, re-shaping the cut levers to be more easily accessible from the steps, and the addition of four rooftop access hatches over the prime mover. Many locomotives also lost their EMD builder's plates in the rebuild. Presumably the M.U. recepticles were changed to one each end, at platform height on the same side as the cab door.
ROCK 4505 in freight service with RI U33B 198 in Chicago, IL on April 8, 1976, two months after rebuilding in Silvis, IL.
Eric Hopp
When the Rock Island was liquidated by the bankruptcy court in March of 1980, PNC retained ownership of the geeps it had rebuilt. PNC did not need them for leasing, and soon found a buyer. In 1981 the Chicago & North Western purchased 109 GP-7s. They were given official C&NW paint jobs, renumbered 4100 through 4209, and placed in service. ROCK 4505 became C&NW 4159, entering service on April 26, 1981. This photo was taken about a year later. Note the snow plow pilot on the front. It was presumably added by the C&NW.
CNW 4159 Mike Guss collection
This photo shows C&NW 4159 in service in Green Bay, WI on July 26, 1983, about two years after being placed in service by the C&NW. It still has the old style spark arrestors and is without all-weather cab windows.
4159 image wanted
In 1988 the C&NW spun off some Wisconsin trackage to new regional Fox River Valley.
Included were GP-7's 4119, 4133, 4146, 4151, 4159, 4310, 4327, 4329, 4330, & 4332, and GP-9's 4304,
4326, 4501-4506, 4508-4510, & 4514.
Eric Hopp
In 1993 the Fox River Valley joined the Wisconsin Central camp. To our knowledge, their
ex-C&NW geeps remained in their ex-C&NW colors, and saw very little use. They are often
overlooked in WC rosters. 4119, 4133, 4151, 4159, 4504, & 4505 have been rented by the O&
St.CV or seen passing through Osceola on local LO68. In the photo at left our locomotive-to-be is bringing local freight LO68 from Amery to Withrow on May 17, 1997. (In this photo the all-weather cab windows and spark arrestors appear for the first time.)
Eric Hopp
On July 15, 1998 WC 4159 was purchased by MTM to become primary motive power on the
O&St.CV Ry. Prior to delivery it was given its annual inspection by the WC's Fond Du Lac shops and then sent to the Wisconsin & Southern for repainting into a Soo Line livery authentic to the line through Osceola. The WC brought it to Withrow on Friday, August 21st. Saturday morning the MTM crews took posession. This photo and the photo at the top of this page were taken Sunday the 23rd.
MNTX 559 at Northtown Ralph Back collection
During the 2001 operating season, MNTX 559 was sent to the BNSF Northtown Diesel Shop for work on one of its trucks.
This work was performed on a volunteer basis by MTM member / BNSF Northtown diesel electrcian John Peters.
This view shows MNTX 559 coupled to BNSF SD45-2 6486 at BNSF's Northtown Yard on August 28, 2001 before returning to MTM.
MNTX 559 Statistics
Built by
EMD - LaGrange plant
Date built
Nov 1951
Builder's No.
15182
Wreck rebuild
Feb, 1961
Date rebuilt (PNC for Rock Island CRP)
Feb 19, 1976 - Silvis, IL
Date acquired by MTM
July 15, 1998
Prime mover
16-567-B*
Lube oil capacity
200 gallons
Cooling water capacity
230 gallons
Gear ratio
61:16*
Top speed
71 mph*
Horsepower
1500
Weight
256,000
Sand capacity
18 cu. ft.
Wheel diameter
40"
Truck centers
31' 0"
Truck rigid wheelbase
9' 0"
Minimum radius - coupled to car
150' (39 degree)
Minimum radius - coupled to loco w/same type coupler
274' (21 degree)
Length between coupler pulling faces
55' 9"
Designated front
Short hood
Brake equipment
Probably 24RL*
*Over the years 559 has received a 16-567-BC upgrade, 26RL brakes, and 62:15 gearing which provides a top speed of 65 mph.
