Georgia Road Transportation

SW1500 SW1504 SW1504E

Florida & Gulf Industries (FGI) maintained a substantial fleet of end cab switchers, inheriting five SW1500 units from the Apalachicola Northern Railroad (AN) and later purchasing eight ex-NdeM SW1504 units from dealer/lessor HELM Leasing (HLCX). The switcher fleet proved a good balance between horsepower and size, used primarily for yard duties at FGC-AFG terminals in Tampa, Tallahassee and Pensacola, FL.

The SW1500 fleet came when FGI acquired the remains of the Apalachicola Northern Railroad (AN) in the early 2000s. The legacy short-line had fallen on severe hard times, with the Port St. Joe paper mill closed. A barge to train coal contract remained for Seminole power, and a chip mill and Georgia Pacific saw mill on the Apalachicola, FL side kept things in the black. When CSX ousted the contract for an all rail movement for Seminole Power, the railroad found itself in hard times. It all of its fleet except the SW1500s and three GP15T units to reduce expenses. The G-P mill ceased production in 2009 and the AN was put up for sale. FGI stepped in to buy the railroad, as much for the locomotives and rolling stock as the bare bones customer base left. The SW1500s and GP15Ts found work on the FGC-AFG lines, and operations for the AN were moved to Chattahoochee, FL, the original interchange point with the CSX PD-P&A Subdivision, later sold to the FGC.

Always looking for a deal, FGI purchased ten SW1504 units from HELM Leasing (HLCX) in the mid 2000s. These units were part of a large group of units pulled back from a failed southern Mexico short line operated by Genesee & Wyoming Industries. GWI decided many of these were surplus, and sold them to HLCX, who in turn sold them to FGI for use on the FGC and AFG lines. The SW1504 was strictly an export locomotive to Mexico, differing from the standard SW1500 with a 6 inch longer frame to accommodate Blomberg road switcher trucks. NdeM used these locomotives to power anything from road locals to local passenger trains on some of the steam era lines in Central and Western Mexico.

During the move from Mexico City, MX to Panama City, FL, the CSXT manifest carrying them derailed, destroying three units and severely damaging seven others. The reparable units were moved to the FGC Terminal at Pensacola, FL where they were stored pending evaluation. The three relatively unscathed units were rebuilt and repainted for the FGC, one being rebuilt in kind to a SW1504 and two converted to SW1504E units with substantial upgrades to the cab, electrical cabinet and radiator. One SW1504E was mated to a SW Road Slug built out of a damaged SW1504 and transferred to the Valdosta Railroad (VSRR) of the newly acquired AMRR. This set worked the paper mill at Clyattville, FL, replacing aging GP-7s and two NW switcher units. The second SW1504E and lone standard SW1504 went to work on the FGC in general yard and switching service. The remaining two heavily damaged units were eventually cycled through the BAYL heavy shops at Panama City, FL and stripped for repair parts. Their cores would be converted to SW Road Slug configuration and mated to various FGC SW1500s, AMRR MP15AC and GP38-2L units and in one case, a FGC GP39 mother. These SW Road Slug sets were sent to various heavy switching and yard locations to free up hood unit road switchers for use on the Alabama Midland RR (AMRR) lines.