EMD SW900

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EMD SW900
CRIP 907 (SW900) at Seneca, IL on January 28, 1967 (21798162974).jpg
Rock Island 907 at Seneca, Illinois on January 28, 1967
Type and origin
Power typeDiesel-electric
Builder
ModelSW900
Build dateDecember 1953 – March 1969
Total producedEMD: 274; GMD: 97
Specifications
Prime moverEMD 567C
Engine typeTwo-stroke diesel
AspirationRoots-type supercharger
Cylinders8
Performance figures
Power output900 hp (670 kW)
Career
Locale

An EMD SW900 is a diesel switcher locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division and General Motors Diesel (GMD) between December 1953 and March 1969.[1] Power was provided by an EMD 567C 8-cylinder engine that generated 900 horsepower (670 kW). Built concurrently with the SW1200, the eight-cylinder units had a single exhaust stack. The last two SW900s built by GMD for British Columbia Hydro were built with 8 cylinder 645E engines rated at 1,000 horsepower (750 kW).

260 examples of this locomotive model were built for American railroads and 97 were built for Canadian railroads. Canadian production of the SW900 lasted three and a half years past EMD production. Seven units were exported to Orinoco Mining Co (Venezuela); two units were exported to Southern Peru Copper Co; and five units were exported to the Liberian American-Swedish Minerals Company. Total production is 371 units.

Some SW900s were built with the generators from traded in EMC Winton-engined switchers and were classified as SW900M by EMD. Units rebuilt from SW or SC model locomotives developed 600 or 660 horsepower with the older generators instead of the full 900 horsepower of the SW900.

In the early 1960s, the Reading Company sent 14 of their Baldwin VO 1000 model switchers to EMD to have them rebuilt to SW900 specifications. The Reading units retained the Baldwin switcher carbody and were rated at 1000 horsepower by EMD.

A Cow-calf variation, the TR9, was cataloged, but none were built.

Original buyers[]

Built by Electro-Motive Division, USA[]

Railroad Quantity Road numbers Notes
Electro-Motive Division demonstrator 1 6534 to River Terminal 99
1 6535 to Waterloo Railway 4
Alabama By-Products Corporation 1 900
4 3–6
Armco Steel Corporation 13 B80, 1203–1214
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway 4 650–653
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad 29 625–653
Birmingham Southern Railroad 5 91–95
2 792, 818
Canton Railroad 5 44–48
Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Railway 1 94
1 3
Chicago and North Western Railway 2 144–145
Chicago Great Western Railway 1 5
Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad 29 550–563, 900–914 550-563 are 600 h.p. SW900M
Colorado and Wyoming Railway 1 214
() 1 201
Corinth and Counce Railroad 2 901–902
Cuyahoga Valley Railway 2 960–961
DeQueen and Eastern Railroad 1 D-4
Detroit Edison Company 1 214
Hammond Lumber Company (Feather River Railway) 1 102
1 900
2 7225-7226
Grand Trunk Western Railroad 13 7227–7232, 7262–7268
2 900–901
Great Lakes Steel Corporation 2 6-7
1 17
Hercules Powder Company 1 61
1 10
Jacksonville Terminal Company 3 37–39
Lancaster and Chester Railway 2 90–91 L&C 91 was the last EMD built SW900 in 11/65
Lehigh Valley Railroad 12 106-107, 110, 120–127, 130 107,110 are 600 h.p. SW900M, 106 is 660 h.p. SW900M
Liberian American-Swedish Minerals Company 5 201-205 Liberia, Africa
2 6–7
1 1
3 28–30
New York Central Railroad 16 9631–9646
New York Central System () 3 9628–9630
Northern Pacific Railway 1 100 NW 100 was rebuilt as an SW900m
7 1090–1096 Venezuela, South America
2 51-52
4 101–104
Raritan River Railroad 6 1–6
Reading Company 21 10-15, 1501–1515 10-15 are 660 h.p. SW900M
Republic Steel Corporation 12 345, 347–349, 354–359, 373–374
10 90–98, 100 99 was EMD demo
Sand Springs Railway 3 100–102
Simpson Logging Company 1 900 Built with dynamic brakes.
2 9-10 Peru, South America
Southern Pacific Transportation Company 10 4624–4633
2 21, 27
U.S. Steel Corporation 1 157
3 154–156
Valdosta Southern Railroad 1 955
1 1
3 1–3 Waterloo 4 was EMD demo 6535
Woodward Iron Company 1 62
Youngstown Sheet and Tube Company 5 900–904
Total 274

Built by General Motors Diesel, Canada[]

Railroad Quantity Road numbers Notes
Algoma Steel 1 51
Aluminum Company of Canada ("Alcan") 1 1003
British Columbia Electric Railway / BC Hydro 12 900–911 to Southern Railway of British Columbia BC Hydro 911 was the last SW900 built in 3/69, all twelve built with road trucks and M.U. and sometimes referred to as SW900RS
Canadian National Railways 54 7233–7261, 8535–8559 CN group 8535-8542 production started 12/53 first built
Canadian Pacific Railway 11 6710–6720
1 47074
1 1
Steel Company of Canada ("Stelco") 16 78–93
Total 97

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Foster, Gerald L. (1996). A field guide to trains of North America. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. pp. 10, 14. ISBN 0-395-70112-0.
  • Pinkepank, Jerry A. (1973). The Second Diesel Spotter's Guide. Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Kalmbach Publishing. ISBN 978-0-89024-026-7.
  • Extra 2200 South Volume 7 No.3 August September 1968 page 3
  • Northern Pacific Railway Diesel Era 1945-1970

External links[]


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