Columbus & Greenville Railway 601 on display in Columbus, Mississippi.
(Matthew Nichols, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)
BALDWIN DRS-6-4-1500 DIESEL-ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVE
The Baldwin DRS-6-4-1500 was a diesel-electric locomotive that was produced by Baldwin Locomotive Works between 1946 and 1952. DRS-6-4-1500, one of Baldwin’s heavy road-switchers, was rated at 1,500 horsepower and powered with a 608SC engine and rode on two three-axle trucks with an A1A-A1A wheel arrangement. As was the case with nearly all of Baldwin's diesel designs, Westinghouse supplied the company with all of the DRS-6-4-1500’s needed internal components such as traction motors, generators, and air equipment.
Overall, 91 units were sold in the United States and three North African countries over the course of six years. 29 units were sold domestically to seven railroads between 1946 and 1948, but the model did far better in the export market with 62 units purchased for Algerian, Moroccan, and Tunisian railways between 1946 and 1952. The model designed for foreign sale in Africa was listed as the DRS-6-4-1500E and was essentially the same as its domestic counterpart except for a different end cab setup. The DRS-6-4-1500 was replaced in Baldwin's catalog by the AS-416 in 1950, but it continued to be produced for export orders until 1952.
Southern Pacific Baldwin DRS-6-4-1500 5200 at Eddystone, Pennsylvania, August, 1948.
(Craig Garver, Public domain, https://www.flickr.com/photos/digitalrailartist/50517520762/in/photolist-2jY4uVh-2mHF7y2)
Southern Pacific
This was Baldwin's answer to the GE 70-tonner for dieselizing light rail lines. It was an A1A, 1500 hp unit. Southern Pacific bought three of these, SP 5200-5202. The first was built in August, 1948, and the other two followed in November. They were SP's only six-axle, four motor units. They were originally classed DRS-1 but that was changed to DF-100 in December, 1950. SP 5202 was rebuilt at El Paso with a BF-44 turbocharger, boosting horsepower to 1600. All three were rebuilt with Baldwin pnuematic m.u. in 1953. SP 5202 was retired on January 29, 1965, and traded in to EMD in February.
SP 5200 and 5201 were sold to the Mexican federal government on August 16, 1965, along with the Ferrocarril de Nacozari between Augua Prieta and Nacozari, Sonorora. They were repainted at the Douglas, Arizona, shops in a reverse SP tiger stripe scheme: black running gear, orange body, with black lettering and SP style stripes. They became FCdeN 5200-5201. The FCdeN was isolated from the rest of the Mexican railroad system until 1968 when the Ferrocarril del Pacifico extended their line from Naco to Augua Prieta along the US-Mexican border, and took over the FCdeN.
All Alco FCP certainly did not have a use for a pair of orphaned Baldwins. FCdeN 5201 became Chihuahua al Pacifico 400 on June 4, 1968, followed by FCdeN 5200 in December, 1969. It was scrapped in 1972, having been used mainly as a parts source for CH-P 400.
- Joseph A. Strapac, Southern Pacific Diesel Locomotive Compendium, Volume 1: Pre-1948 SP Numbers, T&NO and Cotton Belt Subsidiary Roads, Shade Tree Books, 2004, (pg 56, 60)
Union Pacific Baldwin DRS-6-4-1500 1250 at Walla Walla, Washington, April 27, 1950. Photographer: unknown.
(Craig Garver, Public domain, https://www.flickr.com/photos/digitalrailartist/50286615498/)
Original buyers
| Railroad | Quantity | Road Number(s) | Date Built | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baldwin Locomotive Works | 1 | 1500 (demo) | 1946 | Sold to Union Pacific as 1250 in 1948. |
| Baldwin Locomotive Works | 1 | 1501 (demo) | 1948 | Sold to Kennecott Copper as 901 in 1949, wrecked in 1952 and reconfigured to B-B trucks. |
| Columbus & Greenville Railway | 5 | 601–605 | 1946-1947 | 601 was the first diesel road switcher sold domestically by Baldwin. |
| Chicago & North Western Railway | 1 | 1504 | 1948 | Repowered by General Motors’ Electro-Motive Division 1500 hp 16-567C. |
| Norfolk Southern Railway | 10 | 1501–1510 | 1947-1948 | 1504, 1507, and 1508 were sold to Durham & Southern as 363, 364, and 365, respectively. The A1A-A1A trucks on 1507 and 1508 were replaced by B-B trucks. |
| Savannah & Atlanta Railway | 8 | 100–107 | 1948 | |
| Southern Pacific Company | 3 | 5200–5202 | 1948 | |
| Chemins de fer Algériens | 15 | DA 1-15 | 1946-1947 | (Algierian Railways) |
| Chemins de fer Algériens | 25 | DA 1-25 | 1947-1948 | |
| Chemins de fer du Maroc | 1 | DA 101 | 1946 | Renumbered as DA 301. (Moroccan Railways) |
| Chemins de fer du Maroc | 4 | DA 102-105 | 1947 | Renumbered as DA 302-305. |
| Chemins de fer du Maroc | 6 | DA 201-206 | ||
| Chemins de fer du Maroc | 2 | DA 306-307 | 1949 | |
| Chemins de fer du Maroc | 2 | DA 308-309 | 1951 | |
| Chemins de fer du Maroc | 3 | DC 331-333 | 1952 | Renumbered as DA 310-312. |
| Chemins de fer Tunisiens | 4 | DA 1-4 | 1946 | Renumbered as DA 301-304 in 1950/52, sold to Chemins de fer du Maroc in 1958 and renumbered to DA 321-324 with power reduced to 750 hp. (Tunisian Railways) |
| Total | 91 |
Overview
Type and origin
Power type: Diesel-electric
Builder: Baldwin Locomotive Works
Model: DRS-6-4-1500
Build date: 1946–1952
Total produced: 91
Specifications
Configuration:
• AAR A1A-A1A
Trucks: 6-wheel
Wheel diameter: 42"
Minimum curve: 30 degrees
Length: 58'
Adhesive weight: 187,000 lbs
Locomotive weight: 280,000 lbs
Prime mover; 608SC
RPM: Maximum RPM 625
Engine type: Four-stroke diesel engine
Generator: Westinghouse WE471
Traction motors: Westinghouse WE370
Tractive effort: Continuous 42,800 lbs at 10.5 mph with 15:63 gearing
Gear ratio: 68:15
Compressor: Westinghouse 3C2C
Performance figures
Maximum speed: 65 mph
Power output: 1,500 hp (1,100 kW)
