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The Baldwin DRS-4-4-1500

The Baldwin DRS-4-4-1500 was the first in a dizzying road switcher series the manufacturer would produce over a nine-year period. Built in the late 1940s the DRS-4-4-1500 found little success, as was so often the case with most road switcher models Baldwin attempted to market. At the time the model mostly resembled early road switcher designs that the American Locomotive Company (Alco) had been releasing, with much success, since 1941 including the RS1, RS2, and their variants (remember that this was just before the Electro-Motive Division released its phenomenally successful General Purpose series). Featuring a short hood, off-center cab, and trailing long hood the DRS-4-4-1500 had the look of the now classic road switcher. Interestingly, while the Baldwin Locomotive Works had little success with its early road switcher designs, later models released in the early 1950s were actually sold somewhat better. Today, no examples of the DRS-4-4-1500 are known to be preserved.

The Baldwin DRS-4-4-1500 began production in April, 1946 and was meant to compete against Alco who, at the time, led the industry manufacturing road switchers. Using a B-B truck arrangement which produced 1,500 horsepower the model found little success, which is not surprising considering Baldwin's stance towards main line freight locomotives. However, the DRS-4-4-1500 was the company's first attempt at such as by after World War II it realized steam was on its way out (the EMC's FT model that toured the country in 1939 almost single-handedly convinced the industry of diesel's supremacy over steam).

Aesthetically, the Baldwin DRS-4-4-1500 had a pleasing carbody and offered crews good visibility. However, mechanically railroads found its turbocharged model 608 SC prime mover troublesome and the locomotive, in general, difficult to maintain. As was the case with virtually all of Baldwin's diesel models, Westinghouse provided the builder all of its internal components like traction motors, generators, and air brakes/compressors (the two companies had collaborated on projects since the late 19th century).

Compared to Alco's RS2 model, built around the same time, the DRS-4-4-1500 did offer much better tractive effort; 59,200 pounds starting and 52,500 continuous. However, it lacked dynamic braking (which the RS2 did have), which did not make it particularly attractive in heavy drag/freight service. By the time production had ended in April, 1950 just 35 Baldwin DRS-4-4-1500s had been built, purchased by the Erie, Lehigh Valley, Soo, New York Central, Northern Pacific, Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines, Western Maryland, and St. Louis Brownsville & Mexico (Missouri Pacific). Additionally, the Iron Mines Company of Venezuela bought three units.

The reasoning behind Baldwin's complicated classification is fairly straightforward. Because the company was so focused and dedicated to building steam locomotives it carried over a version of the classic Whyte notation (developed by Frederick Whyte to classify steam designs) and applied it to diesels. Using the DRS-4-4-1500 model as an example the DRS referred to Diesel Road Switcher unit; the first number, 4, was the designation of four overall axles; the second number, 4, was the designation of four powered traction motors; and 1500 stood for the horsepower rating. By around 1950 Baldwin would drop this difficult system and instead use what it termed its Standard line, which simply referred to the motive power type and horsepower rating.

For a total production roster of Baldwin DRS-4-4-1500s please click here. Also, for technical data on the model please click here. Finally, for more information about the DRS-4-4-1500s and all Baldwin road switcher models please refer to the chart below.

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Baldwin Road Switchers

Model Type	Units Built	Date Built	Horsepower
AS16	127	1950-1955	1,600
AS416	25	1950-1955	1,600
AS616	214	1950-1954	1,600
RS12	50	1951-1956	1,200
DRS-4-4-1000	22	1948-1950	1,000
DRS-4-4-1500	35	1946-1950	1,500
DRS-6-4-1500	91	1946-1952	1,500
DRS-6-6-1500	83	1948-1950	1,500

(A deep thanks to the Museum of the Rockies at Montana State University for allowing Ron Nixon's historic collection of the Northern Pacific to be featured here. Please note that the photos featured on this page feature their corresponding image number so that you may quickly and easily find more information about it from their website. To view Ron Nixon's entire collection please click here.)

For more information on the Baldwin DRS-4-4-1500 road switchers consider Mike Schafer’s Vintage Diesel Locomotives which looks at virtually all of the classic builders and models from Alco PAs to early EMD Geeps. If you’re interested in classic Baldwins, or diesels in general, this book gives an excellent general history of both.

You may also want to consider the book Evolution of the American Diesel Locomotive by author J. Parker Lamb. As the title implies the book looks at the history and development of the diesel locomotives, covering 200 pages, from its earliest beginnings to the newest designs and models operated today. If you're interested in perhaps purchasing either (or both) of these books please visit the links below which will take you to ordering information through Amazon.com, the trusted online shopping network.

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