An FM H-20-44 locomotive, retired Union Pacific No. 1366.
(The original uploader was Can't Undo at English Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 3.0 <http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/>, via Wikimedia Commons)
FM H-20-44 DIESEL-ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVE
The FM H-20-44 was a diesel locomotive manufactured by Fairbanks-Morse from June 1947 – March 1954. It represented the company's first foray into the road switcher market. The 2,000 hp (1,490 kW), ten-cylinder opposed piston engine locomotive was referred to by F-M's engineering department as the "Heavy Duty" unit. It was configured in a B-B wheel arrangement mounted atop a pair of two-axle AAR Type-B road trucks with all axles powered. H-20-44s shared the same platform and much of the same carbody as the lighter-duty FM H-15-44, which began its production run three months later.
In the same manner as other F-M switcher models, the H-20-44 started out displaying a variety of Raymond Loewy-inspired contours, only to have the majority of these superfluous trim features stripped from the last few units built as a cost-cutting measure. Only 96 units were built for American railroads, as few firms saw sufficient value in moving freight in greater quantities or at a higher speeds than was possible with the typical 1,500 and 1,600 horsepower (1,200 kW) four-axle road switchers of the era. Also limiting the model's utility as a true road unit was its lack of a short hood, which the (ironically) lighter-duty H-15-44 did have. Three intact examples of the H-20-44 are known to survive today; all are the property of railroad museums.
A six axle version for better traction was catalogued, but no orders were placed, and no demos were built.
PRR FM H20-44 at Streigels, Baltimore, MD on August 22, 1970.
(Roger Puta, courtesy Marty Bernard, railfan 44, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)
Units produced
| Railroad | Quantity | Road numbers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Akron, Canton and Youngstown Railroad | 6 | 500–505 | 500 preserved at the Galveston Railroad Museum as "Union Pacific 410" |
| Fairbanks-Morse (demonstrator units) | 1 | 2000 | Serial number #L1032; sold to the UP later in 1947 and assigned #DS1366; now preserved at the Illinois Railway Museum |
| New York Central Railroad | 19 | 7100–7118 | |
| Pennsylvania Railroad | 38 | 8917–8942, 9300–9311 | #8931 and #8939 to Penn Central #7731 and #7739 in 1968, retired August 1970 |
| Pittsburgh and West Virginia Railway | 22 | 50–71 | |
| Union Pacific Railroad | 10 | DS1360–DS1365, DS1367–DS1370 | DS 1369 preserved at the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum in San Diego |
| Total | 96 |
Overview
Type and origin
Power type: Diesel-electric
Builder: Fairbanks-Morse
Model: H-20-44
Build date: June 1947 — March 1954
Total produced: 96
Specifications
Configuration:
• AAR B-B
• UIC B′B′
Gauge: 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Length: 51 ft 0 in (15.54 m)
Locomotive weight: 254,000 lb (115.2 tonnes)
Prime mover: FM 38D-8 1/8
Engine type: Two-stroke diesel
Aspiration: Roots blower
Displacement: 10,369 cu in (169,920 cm3)
Cylinders: 10 (Opposed piston)
Cylinder size: 8.125 in × 10 in (206 mm × 254 mm)
Transmission: DC generator, DC traction motors
Locomotive brake: Straight air
Train brakes: Air
Performance figures
Maximum speed: 70 mph (113 km/h)
Power output: 2,000 hp (1.49 MW)
Tractive effort: 42,125 lbf (187.38 kN)
Career
Locale: North America
Disposition: Three preserved, remainder scrapped