Re: SP No. 9

Concerning the last of steam on the SPNG: Quoting Farrell,"The steam era officially ended 10-16-'54 with the arrival of the Little Giant (The Diesel).After that, No. 9 and No. 188 were retained for standby service. No. 9 saw occasional service when the Diesel was in for repairs.
No. 9 had been loaned to Plaster city for a while in 1953 when their Diesels were broken. Then in 1956, she was shopped at Bakersfield and fitted with a diamond stack, box headlight and painted with gold, silver and red trim. About all that accomplished was to generate a lot of gripes so that in 1958 she was converted back to her usual appearance.
SP applied for abandonment in 1959 and final approval was received late that year. No. 9 saw limited freight use that year but on April 25, 1960, the Diesel hauled No. 9 to Laws where it sits today. It was donated to the city of Bishop. Number 18 was donated to Independence, Ca. in 1955."
Les Clark