BN 440, an SW1000, works in Eola Yard at Aurora, Illinois.
(The original uploader was Slambo at English Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)
EMD SW1000
The EMD SW1000 is a model of 4-axle diesel switcher locomotives built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between June 1966 and October 1972. Power was provided by an EMD 645E 8-cylinder engine which generated 1,000 horsepower (750 kW). This locomotive was built on the same common frame as the EMD SW1500, giving it an overall length of 44 feet 8 inches (13.61 m). Over one-third of SW1000 production went to the Burlington Northern Railroad.
History
The SW1000 was taller than previous EMD switchers, which posed a problem for industrial customers: at many facilities, tight clearances existed, and the SW1000 exceeded them. As a result, most production went to railroads, not industries. EMD corrected this problem with the SW1001, which was an SW1000 with its height and walkways lowered for better clearance.
A total of 114 EMD SW1000s were built for railroads and industrial operations in the United States. One was exported to Jamaica for a mining operation and four were exported to industrial operators in Mexico.
As at January 2014, two EMD SW1000s are operated by Via Rail at its Montreal Maintenance Centre.
Quebec-Gatineau Railway No. 1500 in 2009.
(Félix Mathieu-Bégin, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)
Preservation
Around August 2022, the Oregon Rail Heritage Center acquired former BNSF SW1000 No. 3613 (former BN No. 388).
SW1000 Locomotives as built by EMD
| Railroad | Quantity | Road numbers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Altos Hornos de Mexico | 2 | 132, 137 | |
| Cementos Anahuac (Mexico) | 1 | No Number | Transferred to Cemex acquired Anahuac in 1987 |
| Appalachian Power | 1 | 1 | Now owned by Roanoke Chapter NRHS. |
| Armco Steel | 1 | B81 | |
| Birmingham Southern Railroad | 8 | 10-17 | 15 to 17 scrapped 1973; 13 became 213 and sold to Watco, Inc. |
| Burlington Northern | 43 | 375-394, 427-449 | No. 442 rebuilt without cab; transferred to BNSF with one sold to GATX Rail Locomotive Group |
| Chicago Burlington and Quincy | 12 | 9310-9321 | to Burlington Northern 574-585 |
| Ferrocarril Chihuahua Cellulose (Mexico) | 1 | 1811 | to Ferromex |
| Corn Products International | 2 | 68–69 | |
| Cuyahoga Valley Railroad | 1 | 1050 | |
| Denver and Rio Grande | 10 | 140-149 | |
| Detroit Edison | 1 | 216 | |
| Duluth and Northeastern | 1 | 35 | to Cloquet Terminal Railroad |
| Eastman Kodak | 1 | 8 | |
| E I DuPont Nemours and Company | 2 | 106-107 | |
| General Motors-Central Foundry Division | 1 | No Number | |
| Great Lakes Steel Corporation | 1 | 58 | |
| Hampton and Branchville | 1 | 120 | |
| Houston Belt and Terminal | 3 | 40-42 | |
| Inland Steel | 4 | 115-118 | All sold to Via Rail |
| Jones and Laughlin Steel | 2 | 102–103 | |
| Kaiser Bauxite (Jamaica) | 1 | 5109 | |
| Mobil Chemical | 1 | 2 | |
| New Orleans Public Belt | 6 | 101-106 | |
| Public Service Company of Indiana | 1 | 1 | |
| Wisconsin Electric Power | 1 | No Number | |
| Youngstown Sheet and Tube | 10 | 905-914 | |
| Total | 119 |
Overview
Type and origin
Power type: Diesel-electric
Builder: General Motors Electro-Motive Division
Model: SW1000
Build date: June 1966 – October 1972
Total produced: 119
Specifications
Configuration: AAR B-B
Gauge: 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Length: 44 ft 8 in (13.61 m)
Prime mover: EMD 8-645E
Engine type: V8 Diesel engine
Cylinders: 8
Performance figures
Power output: 1,000 hp (750 kW)
Career
Locale: United States, Jamaica, Mexico, South Korea, Canada
