In the fall of 2019, Northern Central Railway of York (NCR)added a diesel engine to its permanent fleet, acquiring this General Purpose 9 (“GP9”) from the Adirondack Scenic Railroad. The locomotive was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in 1957 for the Pennsylvania Railroad and originally carried the number 7249.

GP9 locomotives were an upgraded version of the popular EMD GP7 locomotives. The GP9 features a 1750 horsepower engine powering 4 axles. Light enough to tread down small short lines and powerful enough to pull 100 freight cars down the main lines, the locomotive’s operational flexibility made it a favorite with railroads big and small. Over 4,000 GP9 locomotives were built between 1954 and 1959 with over 300 locomotives going to the Pennsylvania Railroad. Northern Central Railway operates approximately 17 miles of former Pennsylvania Railroad trackage, allowing the locomotive to continue to operate on its home rails.