Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad No. 803, a BLH S-8, September 1963.
(Roger Puta, courtesy Marty Bernard, railfan 44, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)
BALDWIN-LIMA-HAMILTON S-8 DIESEL-ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVE
The BLH S8 was an 875-horsepower (652 kW) diesel-electric switcher locomotive. The Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton Corporation produced a total of 63 units (61 for United States railroads and 2 for use in Cuba) between 1951 and 1953. Of these, nine were "calf" units built for Oliver Iron Mining Company in Minnesota. A tenth calf had been built for them on order, but when delivery was refused, it was fitted with a cab, and converted to a regular S8.
Magma Arizona Railroad Baldwin S8 8, at Superior, Arizona, January, 1975. Photographer unknown.
(Craig Garver, Public domain, https://www.flickr.com/photos/digitalrailartist/50254935911/)
Original owners
| Railroad | Quantity | Road numbers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Rolling Mill Company | 3 | 1151, 1152, 1201 | |
| Escanaba and Lake Superior Railroad | 1 | 102 | |
| La Salle and Bureau County Railroad | 1 | 8 | |
| McCloud Railway | 1 | 31 | Built with a single stack and space for a turbocharger for later conversion to a S-12, so is factored into the numbers of (and considered to be) an S-12 |
| Medford Corporation, (Medford, Oregon) | 1 | 8 | Only Baldwin switcher built with dynamic brakes; preserved by the Southern Oregon Railway Historical Society |
| New Orleans Public Belt Railroad | 2 | 50, 51 | |
| Oliver Iron Mining Company | 9 | 1200A–1206A, 1214A, 1215A | "Cow" units |
| Oliver Iron Mining Company | 9 | 1200B–1206B, 1214B, 1215B | "Calf" units |
| Pennsylvania Railroad | 6 | 8994–8999 | |
| Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines | 1 | 6006 | |
| Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad | 5 | 802–806 | |
| Sharon Steel Corporation | 8 | 3–10 | |
| Sloss-Sheffield Steel | 4 | 33–36 | |
| United Railways of Havana, Cuba | 2 | 8001, 8002 | |
| US Pipe and Foundry | 1 | 37 | Build as "calf"; fitted with cab before sale to USP&F; preserved by Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum (Calera, Alabama) as Jefferson Warrior 37 |
| US Steel | 1 | 13 | |
| Weyerhaeuser Company | 2 | 103, 105 | |
| Youngstown Sheet and Tube | 7 | 703, 800–805 | |
| Total | 54 | A units | |
| Total | 9 | B units |
Preservation
Only two intact examples of the S-8 are known to survive today, one of which is owned by a railroad museum, while the other is the property of a railway historical society.
Overview
Type and origin
Power type: Diesel-electric
Builder: Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton
Model: S8
Build date: March 1951 – September 1954
Total produced: 54, plus 9 "calf" units
Specifications
Configuration:
• AAR B-B
• UIC B′B′
Gauge: 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Prime mover: 606
RPM range: 625 rpm maximum
Engine type: Straight-6 Four-stroke diesel
Aspiration: Naturally aspirated, solid injection
Displacement: 1,979 cu in (32.43 L) per cylinder; 11,874 cu in (194.58 L) total
Generator: Westinghouse 480F
Traction motors: Westinghouse 362D (x 4)
Cylinders: 6
Cylinder size: 12+3⁄4 in × 15+1⁄2 in (324 mm × 394 mm)
Transmission: Electric
Gear ratio: 16:76
Locomotive brake: Air
Train brakes: Air
Couplers: AAR Type E knuckle
Performance figures
Maximum speed: 45 mph (72 km/h)
Power output: 875 hp (652 kW) (marketed as 800 hp)
Career
Locale: United States and Cuba
Disposition: Two preserved, remainder scrapped