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The FM H20-44

(Please note that the latter models featured here are not the H20-44.)

The FM H20-44 was the most powerful four-axle road switcher the builder ever produced. Ironically, for the locomotive's high horsepower it more closely resembled Fairbanks Morse's switcher line in that it featured an end-cab design instead of the common off-set cab that FM used on its road switchers. This styling difference would hurt the locomotive's marketing attractiveness as railroads were simply not interested in a switcher-type model for use in even light freight duty. With the GP7 model offered by 1949 and the American Locomotive Company already producing the popular RS2 (and soon released the RS3), roads found these models far more attractive despite having a little less horsepower. While the H20-44 sold better than other models FM produced overall its sale were only lukewarm at best. Few Fairbanks Morse diesel locomotives were ever preserved but thankfully, three H20-44s were saved and are on display at various museums around the country.

The FM H20-44 began production in August, 1947 using the builder's standard 2-cycle 38D8 1/8 opposed piston prime mover, which could produce 2,000 horsepower. Additionally, it featured AAR Type-B trucks and all of the locomotives internal components such as traction motors and generators were outsourced to Westinghouse. It was Fairbanks Morse most powerful four-axle road switcher although it was a tough sell to railroads who, as mentioned above, did not like the overall design for the service in which it was intended. Aside from the high horsepower rating, the H20-44 also offered very high tractive, which was certainly one of its more marketable points; 75,000 pounds starting and 55,000 pounds continuous. At 51 feet in length it was somewhat shorter than either the H15-44 or H16-44 (most of which was due to lack of short, front hood).

As was the case with most of FM's diesel locomotive models the company hired famed industrial designer Raymond Loewy to give the H20-44 fine lines and exterior features. Finding such design features somewhat frivolous and doing little to boost sales FM scrapped Loewy's recommendations in the model's latter years of production to save on construction costs. In any event, Fairbanks Morse apparently learned from the unsuccessful nature of the H20-44 and offered no future switcher-type models that included such a high horsepower rating. Instead, in 1950 it released the H12-44 switcher that went on to becoming its most successful overhaul design. In regards to the model's classification system, it was more or less similar to what Baldwin used in its early diesel designs but was not quite as complicated in understanding. For example, the H20-44's designation was as follows; “H” stood for Hood unit, "20" was the horsepower rating, and each 4 meant four axles and four traction motors.

When production had ended in March, 1954 the FM H20-44 the model had sold just 96 units to a handful of Class I railroads. The Pennsylvania Railroad would come to purchase the most, 38. It should be noted that while the H20-44 sold less than 100 units it is not necessarily because Fairbanks Morse's models in general were unreliable, as was usually the case with Alco (early on anyway) and particularly Baldwin. Reliability with FM's diesel locomotives has often been questioned but I believe the issue was mostly due to the fact that FM's opposed-piston prime mover was difficult to maintain and far different from the standard designs being offered by the other builders. For instance, in regards to the Train Master, it has been noted by John Kirkland in his book The Diesel Builders Volume 1 that the locomotives performed admirably for more than 20 years on the Southern Pacific due to a maintenance team that understood the model, despite taking a daily beating in freight service.

When production had ended on the FM H20-44 in March 1954 it had sold to five different railroads; the Akron, Canton & Youngstown (6), New York Central (19), Pennsylvania (38), Pittsburgh & West Virginia (22), and Union Pacific (10). UP also went on to purchase FM's demonstrator, #2000 giving the railroad a total of 11 units.

Today, at least three FM H20-44s are preserved; Union Pacific #DS-1366 at the San Diego Railway Museum, UP #DS-1369 at the Illinois Railway Museum, and AC&Y #505 at the Center for Transportation & Commerce in Galveston, Texas (painted as UP #410). For more information about these preserved locomotives please click here. Also, for a total production roster of FM H20-44 please click here. Lastly, for more information about the FM H20-44 and all of the builder's road switcher models please refer to the chart below.

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Fairbanks Morse Road Switchers

Model Type	Units Built	Date Built	Horsepower
H15-44	35	1947-1949	1,500
H16-44	296	1950-1963	1,600
H16-66 (Baby Train Master)	59	1951-1958	1,600
H20-44	96	1947-1954	2,000
H24-66 (Train Master)	127	1953-1957	2,400

For more information on Fairbanks-Morse locomotives 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 FMs, 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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