Southern Pacific Railroad SD70M 9809 was built by General Motors Locomotive Group in June 1994, one of 25 of these locomotives acquired by the SP. This fleet proved to be a great purchase by the SP, as they became the backbone of the "I-5 Corridor" trains operating between Los Angeles CA and Portland OR, proving themselves enough that after completion of the Union Pacific's control of the Southern Pacific Railroad occurred on September 11, 1996, the UP purchased 1000 of these SD70M diesels. SP SD70Ms 9809 and 9811, along with UP Dash 8-40CW 7400 (the 1000th Dash 8 locomotive built), await a fresh crew before moving this train across the Tehachapi Mountains and into southern California. On March 6, 2002, SP 9809 would be renumbered Union Pacific 3983. (Bakersfield, California - April 22, 2000) Leo J. Munson Photograph, Craig Walker Collection
