Baldwin "DT-6-6-2000" Locomotives: Specs, Roster, Data Sheet

Last revised: December 28, 2024

The DT-6-6-2000 was one of the most interesting models released by a major manufacturer.

This design was a specialized type of locomotive intended for use in heavy drag service over short distances, such as on terminal railroads or moving cuts of cars between local yards.

Believing that there was a market for such, Baldwin released the DT-6-6-2000 directly after World War II, one of first models to employ the company's own prime mover.

For a switcher, it was massive and, ironically longer than virtually every road switcher or cab unit on the market at that time.

As John Kirkland explains in "The Diesel Builders: Volume Three," the locomotive featured dual control stands for maximum flexibility, thus allowing operation in either direction without turning the locomotive.

Ironically, for a design geared towards switching, the DT-6-6-2000 retained a high-hood on both ends, thus restricting a crew's 360-degree view from either the ground (seeing the engineer) or the cab.

Unfortunately, the design had mechanical issues and railroads were never really interested in such a specialized locomotive resulting in fewer than 50 constructed when production had ended.

Photos

A Baldwin Locomotive Works builder's photo featuring one of its massive DT-6-6-2000 transfer switchers, demonstrator #2000, in December, 1948. This unit became Santa Fe #2606. Unfortunately, the transfer market never really took off and coupled with Baldwin's chronic reliability issues few of these sold. Despite their problems, Baldwin's diesels could certainly pull thanks to their powerful Westinghouse traction motors. For this reason, short line SMS Rail Lines in New Jersey still employs a rather sizable fleet of Baldwins in freight service.

Overview

The DT-6-6-2000 was an incredibly large switcher, originally cataloged in May of 1946. At over 70 feet in length, and weighing a hefty 360,000 pounds (180 tons), the switcher was certainly one of the largest, longest, and heaviest of its kind ever built.

It utilized two of Baldwin's 608NA prime movers equipped with C-C trucks and producing 2,000 horsepower. Even into the 1940s, Baldwin still shrugged off the notion of diesels as main line freight locomotive.

The company also held the philosophy that any such model it did produce should be customized to whatever task a railroad desired or requested.

Santa Fe DT-6-6-2000 #2602 goes for a spin on the turntable at Redondo Junction (Los Angeles); July, 1956. American-Rails.com collection.

This notion harkened back to the days of steam, which were always manufactured and tailored to a railroad's specific needs.

This specialization led to the DT-6-6-2000's development. The switcher's classification was similarly based from the steam era and is why it includes many letters, dashes, and numbers.

The "DT" referred to Diesel Transfer while the first "6" referred to six overall axles; the second "6" referred to six powered traction motors; and "2000" stood for the horsepower rating.

The original DT-6-6-2000 variant was Elgin, Joliet & Eastern #100 completed on May 13, 1946. As a test-bed unit it was slightly different from the production DT-6-6-2000's with normally aspirated (NA), 8-cylinder engines and no crosswalks.

The latter was a feature requested on production DT-6-6-2000's, increasing their overall length by nearly 4 feet.

EJ&E #100

Delivery Date	5/13/1946
Baldwin Class	0-6-6-0-1000/2 NA5
Engine	608NA, 8-Cylinder In-Line (2)
Engine Builder	De La Vergne
Horsepower	2000
Carbody Styling	Baldwin
Length (Between Coupler Pulling Faces)	70' 6"
Weight	365,000 Lbs
Height (Top Of Rail To Top Of Cab)	14'
Width	10'
Trucks	C-C
Truck Type	GSC Rigid Bolster
Truck Wheelbase	13'
Wheel Size	42"
Traction Motors	370F (6), Westinghouse
Traction Generator	480C, Westinghouse
Auxiliary Generator	YG40D, Westinghouse
Gear Ratio	15:63
Tractive Effort Rating	64,200 Lbs at 9.4 MPH.
Top Speed	60 MPH

Data Sheet and Specifications

Entered Production	3/3/1948 (Elgin, Joliet & Eastern #101)
Years Produced	3/3/1948 - 8/23/1950
Baldwin Class	DT-6-6-1000/2 SC
Engine	606SC, 6-Cylinder In-Line, Supercharged
Engine Builder	De La Vergne
Turbocharger	Model H-503 (Elliott Company)
Horsepower	2000
RPM	625
Carbody Styling	Baldwin
Length (Between Coupler Pulling Faces)	74'
Weight	354,000 Lbs (Optional ballasting up to 375,000 Lbs.)
Height (Top Of Rail To Top Of Cab)	14'
Width	10'
Trucks	C-C
Truck Type	GSC Rigid Bolster
Truck Wheelbase	13'
Wheel Size	42"
Traction Motors	370G (6), Westinghouse
Traction Generator	480F, Westinghouse
Auxiliary Generator	YG40D, Westinghouse
Gear Ratio	15:63
Tractive Effort Rating	64,200 Lbs at 9.4 MPH.
Top Speed	60 MPH

Production Roster

Total Built = 45

Owner	Road Number	Baldwin Serial Number	Construction Number	Completion Date
Elgin, Joliet & Eastern	101	1	73709	3/3/1948
Elgin, Joliet & Eastern	102	2	73710	3/7/1948
Elgin, Joliet & Eastern	103	3	73711	3/13/1948
Elgin, Joliet & Eastern	104	4	73712	3/19/1948
Elgin, Joliet & Eastern	105	5	73713	4/1/1948
Elgin, Joliet & Eastern	106	6	73714	3/31/1948
Elgin, Joliet & Eastern	107	7	73715	4/8/1948
Elgin, Joliet & Eastern	108	8	73716	4/21/1948
Elgin, Joliet & Eastern	109	9	73717	4/23/1948
Elgin, Joliet & Eastern	110	10	73718	4/29/1948
Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe	2600	11	73748	6/3/1948
Elgin, Joliet & Eastern	111	12	73719	5/6/1948
Elgin, Joliet & Eastern	112	13	73720	5/7/1948
Elgin, Joliet & Eastern	113	14	73721	5/24/1948
Elgin, Joliet & Eastern	114	15	73722	6/5/1948
Elgin, Joliet & Eastern	115	16	73723	6/7/1948
Elgin, Joliet & Eastern	116	17	73724	6/25/1948
Elgin, Joliet & Eastern	117	18	73725	7/1/1948
Elgin, Joliet & Eastern	118	19	73726	7/6/1948
Elgin, Joliet & Eastern	119	20	73727	7/12/1948
Elgin, Joliet & Eastern	120	21	73728	8/2/1948
Elgin, Joliet & Eastern	121	22	73729	9/9/1948
Elgin, Joliet & Eastern	122	23	73730	8/13/1948
Elgin, Joliet & Eastern	123	24	73731	9/13/1948
Elgin, Joliet & Eastern	124	25	73732	9/13/1948
Elgin, Joliet & Eastern	125	26	73733	9/13/1948
Trona Railway	50	27	74123	4/22/1949
Trona Railway	51	28	74124	4/22/1949
St. Louis Southwestern Railway (Cotton Belt)	260	29	73532	5/28/1948
Minneapolis, Northfield & Southern	20	30	74137	12/17/1948
Minneapolis, Northfield & Southern	21	31	74138	12/30/1948
Minneapolis, Northfield & Southern	22	32	74139	1/12/1949
Minneapolis, Northfield & Southern	23	33	74140	1/14/1949
Minneapolis, Northfield & Southern	24	34	74141	1/18/1949
Baldwin Locomotive Works	2000 (2nd): Became Santa Fe #2606	35	73980	12/1/1948
Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe	2601	36	74434	8/10/1949
Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe	2602	37	74435	7/26/1949
Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe	2603	38	74436	11/23/1949
Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe	2604	39	74437	12/8/1949
Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe	2605	40	74438	11/29/1949
Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic	300	41	74668	10/25/1949
Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic	301	42	74669	10/23/1949
Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic	302	43	74670	10/24/1949
Baldwin Locomotive Works	2001 (2nd): Became Elgin, Joliet & Eastern #126	44	74671	2/1/1950
Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic	303	45	74672	8/23/1950

Reception

As it turned out there was not much of a market for the transfer switcher; Baldwin ultimately only sold 46 units by the time production had ended in February of 1950.

The Elgin, Joliet & Eastern purchased the most, 27 (including one of the demonstrators), and actually became quite famous for its fleet although they would later be re-powered with Electro-Motive's reliable model 567 prime movers.

With EMD power plants the locomotives remained in service into the 1970's. Today, one Baldwin DT-6-6-2000 remains preserved; former Minneapolis, Northfield & Southern Railway #21 at the Illinois Railway Museum.

Sources

Foster, Gerald. A Field Guide To Trains. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1996.

Kirkland, John F. Diesel Builders, The: Volume Three, Baldwin Locomotive Works. Pasadena: Interurban Press, 1994.

Pinkepank, Jerry A. Diesel Spotter's Guide. Milwaukee: Kalmbach Publishing Company, 1967.

Solomon, Brian. Baldwin Locomotives. Minneapolis: Voyageur Press, 2009.