1600-1649 Series

MP15AC/ MP15DC Yard Switchers

MP15AC

In the modern era where most Class One railroads are slowly retiring their end cab switchers for heavier and more flexible six axle power, Georgia Road continues to employ a substantial fleet in various terminal locations on the system. Georgia Road added ex-NS, exx-SOU units with the purchased two former NS classification yards in the early 2000s on its Central Georgia Southern RR (CGS) and Alabama Interstate (ALIS) subsidiaries. These units were late production units, most equipped with the later silenced exhaust. These units mixed freely with former Soo (ex-MILW) MP15AC and former SP units.

Beginning in 2015, Georgia Road began upgrading the series with R/C controls for use in heavy yard and terminal switching. During 2018, several units were passed through a life extension program where they were given upgraded components including reconfigured cooling reduce strain on the diminutive switchers as they worked in yards with longer and heavier cuts of cars. Others were overhauled in kind. In all cases, the MP type units found themselves paired with SW1500, SW14 and the rebuilder upgraded SW15Ms. This was due to the units having toilet facilities lacked by the SW series units.

In a deviation from the standard road scheme, Georgia Road opted to paint the end cab switcher fleet in single coat black, lacking the tell-tale Cornell Red found on most of the fleet. Units coming out of rebuild and upgrade programs continued to receive what was dubbed as the Georgia Road “basic black” yard locomotive scheme.