GM-EMD GP and SD Engines ("Geeps") Page 3 of 3

The GM-EMD GP and SD Engines ("Geeps")
(Page 3 of 4)

Gilbert made 13 GM-EMD (General Motors ElectroMotive Division) GP Engines, not counting the variations on some of the 13. Lionel made 41 more up to 2019, and continues to make them. Because there are so many, I have split them up over four web pages:

Gilbert Geeps   all are on page 1
Lionel Geeps    #8350 through #8551 are also on page 1
                         #8552 through #48007 are on page 2
                         #48009 through #48051 are on this page
                         #48058 and above are on page 4

Sometimes called "line switchers," they were envisioned by GM as general purpose engines, hence the designation GP. The 6-wheel trucks were developed for "special duty" (hence SD) on lighter rail lines and Lionel followed GM's nomenclature. David Dewey tells me "There are differences in body panels, louver locations, dimensions, etc." But body molds are so expensive that Lionel used a GP-7 body for the SD9s.

Ken Garber tells me the numbers indicate power: GP-7s were nominally 700 horsepower and the GP-9s 900.

Unless otherwise specified, the pictures on these pages are of engines in the collection of The Upstairs Train.

If you have a picture that you would like to share with the world of any engines not shown here, or a better picture of one that is shown, email them to me: theupstairstrain@gmail.com

#48009 American Flyer GP-7 made in 1991, which bore the number 8009.
(This is a picture I took of an engine in Jack Larson's collection.)

#48013 Conrail GP-7 made in 1995, which bore the number 5600.

The back ... and the front.

#48014 Northern Pacific GP-9 made in 1995, which bore the number 8014.

#48016 Merry Christmas GP-20 engine from 1995.

The back ... and the front.

#48017 Nickel Plate GP-9 set made in 1997, which bore the numbers 496 & 497.

#48017 Nickel Plate GP-9 powered unit #496.

#48017 Nickel Plate GP-9 non-powered unit #497.

#48019 Southern Pacific GP-20 made in 1998.
(Photo from Tom David's ebay store The Great Train Escape.)

#48020 Milwaukee Road GP-9 set made in 1998, which bore the number 304.
(Photo courtesy of Jerry Poniatowski.)

The very rare #48023 Santa Fe merger GP-9 made in 2000, which bore the number 2927.

Fred of Fred's Train Parts reports:
"Lionel announced the Santa Fe merger GP-9 in its 1997 Volume III catalog.
No one apparently had much interest in this piece until it came out,
expecting the dealers to discount it even further.
Lionel only made what they had orders for, and the thing became scarce overnight."

For seven years, you hardly ever saw one of these, but in 2007 they started coming out of the woodwork.
Since then, selling prices have fallen from nearly $500 to under $300.

(Pictures above and below courtesy of Tom David)

#48031 Santa Fe "Blue Bonnet" FlyerChief GP-7 #2849 made in 2017 and 2018.
(Artist's rendering from the American Flyer 2017 catalog)

#48032 Union Pacific FlyerChief GP-7 #125 made in 2017 and 2018.
(Artist's rendering from the American Flyer 2018 catalog)

#48037 Nickle Plate Road FlyerChief GP-7 #514 made in 2017 and 2018.
(Artist's rendering from the American Flyer 2017 catalog)

#48045 North Pole Central FlyerChief GP-7 #25 made in 2017 and 2018.
(Artist's rendering from the American Flyer 2018 catalog)

#48033 Rock Island GP-9 made in 2002, which bore the number 1272.
(Photo courtesy of the MW Collection.)

#48048 Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range SD9 made in 2005, which bore the number 170.
Lionel calls it an SD9 because it has 6-wheel trucks like EMD's real SD9, but it has a GP-7 body.
(Picture from the Lionel online catalog.)

#48049 Southern Pacific SD9 made in 2005, which bore the number 4379.
Like the #48048 above, it has a GP-7 body.
(Pictures above and below courtesy of Neil Bishop.)

#48051 Burlington GP-9 made in 2006, which bears the number 373.
(Picture courtesy of Mike Strickland.)

Show me the rest of the geeps.

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If you or your friends have some American Flyer trains and would like them to go to a nice home where they'll be loved and cared for, this is the place! Email me: theupstairstrain@gmail.com. See my Wish List for the items I need most. Thank you very much.

On the other side of the coin, I post pictures from time to time on my For Sale page of surplus items I have for sale.

This gallery will continue to grow and become more comprehensive as I collect more cars and as visitors send me pictures of the cars I don't yet have. If you have a car that you would like to share with the world, email me a picture: theupstairstrain@gmail.com.; Click here for a list of the pictures I need to complete the Gallery.

The books I am using for reference are listed in the Bibliography page. All the writing and all the pictures on this website are, however, my own, except where cited. No copyrighted materials have been included and all pictures provided by others are used by permission.

Now show me:

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