SP 9010: The "Kraut" Out and About

A dedicated group of volunteers at the Pacific Locomotive Association's Niles Canyon Railway is restoring the last surviving Southern Pacific diesel hydraulic locomotive, the 9010, built by Krauss Maffei in Germany in 1964 (hence the nickname "Kraut"). The locomotive had been converted into an unpowered "camera car" in 1969, and after retirement in 1984, it sat derelict in Sacramento, CA until the PLA acquired it in 2008. Much progress has been made since then, internally and externally. On Sunday, June 9, 2013, the group decided to test out the 9010's reconstructed electrical and control system, using the PLA's restored SP SD9 5472 to push the "Kraut" around. The video is a composite of three round trips between the Brightside shops and the depot at Sunol, CA, arranged geographically as though it was all one trip.

[@k7ijh]

I had an opportunity to work on these on the old Shasta Division in the 60's. A thrill to see 9010 moving again - really impressive work!

[@shanepeterson4624]

Truly awesome! I wish I had had the opportunity to be there.

[@Mrruneight]

Excellent! She's looking real good. Thanks to all of you for your hard work.

[@Colemanorth]

Thanks for the work getting this big girl to this point, but thanks ESPECIALLY for this wonderful clip. Excellent shooting and sound as well! I wish Seattle wasn't so far away!!!

[@soarinskies1105]

God this locomotive looks so cool in that grey and red paint.

[@TrainsInRomania]

Really nice sound of this diesel-hydraulic beauty.

[@ErickC]

LOL the only sound in this video is the EMD 16-567C n the SD9 :D

[@MrEricmopar]

Bloody Noses forever!

[@davidnazario6646]

Cool machines 😎👍

[@mathuetax]

Wow, this is REALLY looking stunning!

[@lbickley]

Great work guys! Very exciting!!! Cheers, Lyle

[@2quintly]

Lookin' good.

[@espeescotty]

She's coming along nicely. Looking really good. And, it looks like one of her contemporaries came out to see her a 3:45.

[@boxcarwillies1603]

Can't wait to see her in running preservation!

[@mercury7590]

It will be nice to see a hydraulic running again when they are so rare over here.

[@boxcarwillies1603]

Yeah, for all I know she belongs to the only class of US hydraulic diesels built in series

[@fmnut]

Boxcarwillie S160 Well, if 3 constitutes a series, then don't forget Alco's C643DH model, also for SP.

[@DNRY122]

As the old truckers would say, "Ain't she a beautiful sight". Back in 1967, I had a short cab ride in a KM in Bakersfield Yard. It was MU'd (as I recall) with an F7 B unit. The only time I saw 8799 was about 40 years ago. My older daughter and I were heading out to OERM, and we stopped at West Colton for a bit of train watching. She pointed "way over yonder" and asked, "What's that funny looking engine?" She had spotted the Camera Car! I explained its purpose, and praised her good catch.

[@paulm.newitt3246]

When I was a kid in Dixon, I always knew when a K-M loco was running through town, no matter where you were! It had this high-shrill-straining-grinding sound at full speed (@60mph) pulling a long line of freight cars through town! I think that sound will surprise everyone when you fire her up, and she runs at speed!!!

[@alexpaumen3937]

+Paul M. Newitt Looking forward to listening to it.

[@Tom-Lahaye]

A lot of work already done, keep the steady pace going, great job! I hope we will see this hydraulic beast running on 2 engines in the near future. I understood that the very different technique and its difficult maintenance for the shops back in these days led to the quick demise for these loco's, but I'm sure it would be up to most other locomotives of the day and even of the 70's in terms of tractive effort, due to all axles in a bogie being connected by drive shafts.

[@natanaelvaz6490]

I like trains

[@MissRailfan]

Great lookin at that time

[@thetrainshop]

I can only imagine what she'd sound like under her own power. :3

[@ryan3052]

5472 has a nice P3

[@pur4567]

love this german locomotive I hope they get it running under its own power

[@windowsthefan]

so sp is not dead

[@Shane-Singleton]

Looks like she has a real roomy cab!

[@SierraRailway]

Operational work on the 9010 is a goal for the future, however she will need a pair of donor trucks and gearing before that is possible. As I understand it, PLA has secured a pair of (possibly the last surviving) KM diesel hydraulic trucks for this work, and they will be shipped to the NCRy. as time and funding permits. For now she is a cab unit, controlling other diesel locomotives.

[@mikeytrains1]

Any update on the Kraut? It looks wonderful!

[@jreichel1]

In the meantime, maybe a sound recording of the KM engines! Fake it a little bit, like the chuff sounds of the air compressors in the SP cab forward in Sacramento.

[@robinpearn6736]

I didn't realise that you had a Mabach MD870 powered loco over there. I have worked on numerous Hymek locos in the UK. Do you have to pre-heat the engine before start up, as we always had to? The first engine start video was great as well. I couldn't comment on it as comments blocked. I hope you have many good hours out of 9010. Best wishes.

[@catlover2368]

Wondering if my train simulator has one of these engines

[@rahmanaridho]

The horn sound like WABCO AA2, but the shape are not like it either. So, what is the horn on that locomotive

[@7822welshsteam]

In case you're wondering what she'll sound like, D7076 sounds remarkable like 5472 at the exhaust.

[@alexpaumen3937]

it has the same engine

[@7822welshsteam]

I know.

[@hermankoerts8185]

About Maybach engine-building: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gaXXn2eInJebrKc . In this documentary, the MD-engine is treated.

[@TexasRailfan21-RailfanRyan]

Last year the 9010 moved under her own power does anyone know the status of her rebuild??

[@ricardlupus]

As the locomotive is reversing through Brightside on the return journey, there's a close-up shot of the headlamps. They look like their swiveling in some rotating fashion, is this just an optical illusion or do they actually move like that for some reason?

[@rlnoel]

No they actually move like that to aid in visibility.

[@ikshields]

"Mars" headlights. SP was really into these for a long time. (I always enjoyed SP's fetish for lighting -- it made their engines look like they had more eyes than a jumping spider.) Here's the Wiki on them: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Light

[@auricom8472]

Sorry about my first comment but I do believe the engines in this locomotive were made by MAYBACH

[@g42c87]

According to the website, you are correct, they are Maybach.

[@Elfnetdesigns]

It's mid 2019, is she restored yet? Running under it's own power?

[@howlingwolven]

The rear block runs, yeah. The front block is apparently too far gone for restoration.

[@janeordway4841]

Great work. I just Don’t like the Design of it. Did SP buy any of these .?

[@BNSFGuy4723]

20 of them! Even the Rio Grande ran a few hydrolics

[@samb3196]

When will they be done restoring it?

[@SierraRailway]

+RailfanplaysMinecraft Optimistically, within five years.

[@windowsthefan]

why not sd40 type

[@sammorales6790]

Were she at now 11-25-14

[@kaifriedrich1763]

I like the other body design

[@TreefrogflagProductions]

Will she ever run under her own power?

[@Tom-Lahaye]

See my video Hymek D7076 hellfire, this will be the sound of one engine (unless 9010 has silencers, which our Hymek hasn't.

[@auricom8472]

If I am core the engines wet

[@hermankoerts8185]

Nice work ! Very interesting to see, as a European with interest in North-American railways. More about the history of Maybach: kzbin.info/www/bejne/lZiXfICbbLt9fK8 . Later in this documentary, rail applications are treated, and near the end hydraulic transmission is mentioned.

[@samb3196]

When will they be done restoring it?

[@g42c87]

After they score around $18,000 to repair and refurbish the compound drive shaft and the engine flexible coupling.