6003: SP's Last E-7A
April 22, 1968
(Plus the last three B's)
SP Index

The 6003 led a long carreer on SP, from August 1947 to September 1968. She was one of the first group of diesel passenger locomotives owned outright (not jointly with UP / CNW) by SP, E-7A's 6000 to 6004 and E-7B's 5900 to 5909. In the last three or four years prior to the discontinuance of the Golden State in February, 1968, she operated almost exclusively on Sunset Route trains. With the axing of the Golden State, she again frequented the Coast Route until retirement following her last turn on #'s 99 and 98 on September 7-8, 1968.

Wx4 Staff shot this series of photos on April 22, 1968, as she sat in San Jose on the head end of #98, with the idea of someday building a model. Any takers?

Other photos of the unit are located in Coast Daylight in San Jose Gallery: I.

B-unit photos follow below.



6003's Mates: the B's

By mid 1968, SP's E-7 fleet consisted of the 6003 and three B unit mates, 5900, 5909 and 5916. Although the 5916 held the highest number, it nevertheless was the most elderly, having been built in 1946 for the jointly (with UP, CNW) owned City of San Francisco. The 5900 and 5909 followed a year later. Thus, the above June 19, 1968 photo of the 6003, 5916 and 5900 at San Jose shows SP's three oldest active road units at the time.

Click on any photo for a larger image.

5916 left side,
June, 1968
5916 right side,
June, 1968

5909 right side,
Spring, 1968

SP company photo of 6003 on the Shasta Daylight