Baldwin AS-616

Baldwin AS-616
Baldwin AS-616 diesel-electric locomotive at work for the Southern Pacific Transportation Company.
hideType and origin Power type Diesel-electric Builder Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton Model All Service - 6 powered axles - 1600 horsepower Build date September 1950–May 1954 Total produced 214 (+7 B units)
hideSpecifications Configuration: ​  • AAR C-C  • UIC Co′Co′ Gauge 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge Wheel diameter 42 in (1,067 mm) Minimum curve 30° (250.79 ft or 76.44 m radius) Wheelbase 32 ft 3 in (9.83 m) between bolsters Length 58 ft 00 in (17.68 m) Width 10 ft 00 in (3.05 m) Height 14 ft 00 in (4.27 m) Loco weight 327,800 lb (148,700 kilograms) Fuel capacity 900 US gallons (3,400 l; 750 imp gal) Prime mover De La Vergne 608SC RPM range 625 (max) Engine type Four-stroke engine Aspiration Turbocharged Generator Westinghouse WE471 Traction motors (6) Westinghouse WE370 Cylinders 8
hidePerformance figures Power output 1,600 hp (1,200 kW) Tractive effort Starting: 97,500 lbf (434 kN) Continuous: 78,750 lbf (350.3 kN) @ 6 mph (9.7 km/h)
hideCareer Operators Various Locale North America, Mexico, Brazil, Jamaica[1]

The Baldwin AS-616 (or as the locomotive is sometimes incorrectly known, the Baldwin DRS-6-6-1600)^{[citation needed][2]} was a diesel-electric locomotive of the road switcher type rated at 1,600 horsepower (1,200 kW), that rode on three-axle trucks, having a C-C wheel arrangement. Nineteen railroads bought 214 locomotives, and two railroads bought seven cabless B units. The AS-616 was valued for its extremely high tractive effort, far more than any ALCo or EMD product. It was used in much the same manner as its four-axle counterpart, the Baldwin AS-16, and its six-axle sister, the Baldwin AS-416, though the six- traction motor design allowed better tractive effort at lower speeds.

Original owners[]

Design[]

The AS-616 was very similar to the previous model, the Baldwin DRS-6-6-1500, riding on the same basic frame and sharing the same body. The design was very simple, lacking the 1950s styling of the competing EMD F3 and ALCO FA. The utilitarian design was valued for switching jobs, a position the AS-616 filled easily.

The AS-616 would be Baldwin's best selling road switcher of all time, and the builder's third greatest selling diesel electric model of all time.

Redesign[]

In 1954, Baldwin (believing the utilitarian design of their road switchers was the cause of their overall failure on the market) redesigned their entire roster of locomotives, with all gaining new abilities. The most notable effect of the redesign was the raising of the roof on all Baldwin road switchers, causing the roof to take the shape of a triangular prism. Only a few units were sold with this design, as Baldwin's failing sales had dropped to their lowest at the time. Baldwin began offering dynamic braking on all road switchers, though the AS-616 was already offered with optional dynamic brakes.

Usage[]

Despite being marketed as a road switcher (like the EMD SD9 and ALCO RSD-4 of the same time period), the AS-616 saw most use as a heavy switcher. The impressive tractive effort and GSC rigid bolster trimount trucks appealed to roads with heavy hump yards (such as Southern Pacific). Ultimately, while many saw road service, the AS-616 was a switcher that was far ahead of its time.

Baldwin offered more options on the AS-616 in comparison to the DRS-6-6-1500, with some units gaining boilers, and others gaining dynamic braking. Baldwin also offered Multiple-unit train control on the AS-616, though many roads bought the unit purely for switching, opting out of MU. Some units that lacked MU were given MU by the parent company (or by a Baldwin associate)^[5] depending on the road's preference.

By the 1970s almost all Baldwin AS-616s had been scrapped or sold. A select few railroads-Trona Railway being a major operator^[6]- kept their Baldwin diesels running far past their builder's lifetime.

Preservation[]

Nine AS-616 diesels are preserved.

• Oregon and Northwestern Railroad #1, former Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton demonstrator #1601
• Trona Railway #52, at SMS Rail Lines as part of a former Trona Railway collection
• Southern Pacific #5250, in Jamaica
• Southern Pacific #5253, at Western Pacific Railroad Museum as Oregon & Northwestern #4
• Southern Pacific #5274, at Western Pacific Railroad Museum as Oregon & Northwestern #3
• Southern Pacific #5249, at SMS Rail Lines as part of a former Trona Railway collection
• Kaiser Steel #1012A, reportedly still with Kaiser Bauxite of Jamaica
• Kaiser Steel #1012B, at SMS Rail Lines, operational
• Estrada de Ferro Central do Brasil #3380

^[7]

Notes[]