EMD "SW8" Locomotives: Data, Specs, Roster

Last revised: December 19, 2024

During the era of Electro-Motive's 567 prime mover the builder manufactured numerous switchers in a variety of horsepower ratings.

Over time, the more powerful models in the 1,000-1,500 horsepower range witnessed the highest sales although EMD's product was so popular at the time even its lighter switchers enjoyed success.

The SW8 was once such example that saw more than 300 manufactured in the United States and Canada between 1950-1954.

Once again, interest for the model varied from major Class I's to private industries and short lines. Even the U.S. Army acquired 41 examples.

The resiliency of the SW series is something to behold as SW8's can still be found in operation throughout North America. It can be found in service ranging from short lines and industrial settings to pulling excursion trains.

Photos

Rock Island SW8 #830 lays over at Hodges, Texas on January 29, 1984. At the time of this photo the locomotive was en route from El Reno, Oklahoma to the former Biddle Yard at Little Rock, Arkansas where it handled remaining clean up operations on the old Southern Division. Mike Bledsoe photo. American-Rails.com collection.

History and Background

The SW8 began production in September, 1950 when Wabash #120-121 rolled out of the La Grange facility.

In addition, with Electro-Motive's Canadian subsidiary (General Motors Diesel) opening its doors in London, Ontario during 1949 the new builder also began manufacturing the switcher.

Its first included four units for Canadian Pacific (6700-6704) that were completed in November, 1950.

Outwardly, the SW8 was not drastically different from the SW7, or even the NW2, sporting EMD's classic tapered hood near the cab. However, one external difference was a single, centered exhaust stack instead of two, the result of the switcher's 8-cylinder power plant.

As Bob Hayden notes in his book, "Diesel Locomotives Cyclopedia: Volume 2," the lighter powered SW8, SW900, SW900M, and SW600 were virtually identical.

Jerry Pinkepank goes on to state in his book, "Diesel Spotter's Guide," as all of these models used the same carbody the only way to tell the SW8 apart from the others was the louvers; it featured six in the battery box behind the cab while the others had only five.

Internally, the SW8 sported the 8-cylinder, 567B prime mover that could produce 800 horsepower. While this rating was similar to other switchers in its class, which ranged from 600-900 horsepower, interestingly it was far less than the 1,200 horsepower SW7.

Electro-Motive's model classification system for switchers is difficult to follow as the meaning given to the letters and numbers were changed more than once.

Erie Lackawanna SW8 #365, still in its Delaware, Lackawanna & Western markings (built as #505), lays over at the former DL&W roundhouse and shops in Scranton, Pennsylvania during the early 1960s. American-Rails.com collection.

While several well known lines purchased the SW8, such as New York Central, Wabash, Lehigh Valley, and Boston & Maine several private industries also acquired the locomotive.

Names here included Wheeling Steel (who bought numerous examples of EMD's various switchers), Pittsburgh Coke & Chemical Company, and Columbia Iron & Steel.

Again, these wide range of buyers can be explained by the intended use EMD designed the locomotive which included yard duty, light branch line work, and shuffling cars through industrial settings.

Data Sheet

Entered Production	9/1950 (Wabash #120-121)
Years Produced	9/1950 - 1/1954
EMD Class	SW8
Engine	567B (8 Cylinder)
Engine Builder	EMD/GM
Horsepower	800
RPM	800
Length	44' 5"
Height (Top Of Rail To Top Of Cab)	14' 6"
Width	9' 11 1/2"
Weight	230,000 Lbs
Fuel Capacity	600 Gallons
Air Compressor	WXO (Gardner-Denver)
Air Brake Schedule	6BL (Westinghouse)
Trucks	B-B
Truck Type	GRS Rigid Bolster, Drop-Side Equalizer (AAR Type-A)
Truck Wheelbase	8' 0"
Wheel Size	40"
Traction Motors	D27 (4), EMD/GM
Traction Generator	D15C, EMD/GM
Auxiliary Generator	EMD/GM
MU (Multiple-Unit)	Optional
Dynamic Brakes	No
Gear Ratio	62:15
Tractive Effort/Starting	57,000 Lbs
Tractive Effort/Continuous	36,000 Lbs at 11.0 mph
Top Speed	65 mph

Production Rosters

EMD

(Total Built = 302)

Owner	Road Number	Serial Number	Order Number	Completion Date	Quantity
Wabash	120-121	9045-9046	4065	9/1950	2
Poplar Ridge Coal	801	11371	4048	12/1951	1
Rock Island	811-813	11694-11696	6111	9/1950	3
Chicago River & Indiana (New York Central)	9600-9601	11780-11781	4059	9/1950	2
Electro-Motive (Demonstrator)	800*	12463	6154	10/1950	1
Wheeling Steel	1152-1153	12464-12465	6155	11/1950	2
Donora Southern Railroad	802-810	12989-12997	4082	3/1951	9
Lehigh Valley	250-255	13151-13156	6185	12/1950	6
Tennessee Coal, Iron & Railroad	750-754	13259-13263	6188	11/1950	5
Great Northern	98-99	13304-13305	4089	6/1951-8/1951	2
Louisiana & North West	40-41	13512-13513	6189	12/1950	2
Electro-Motive (Demonstrator)	801**	13514	6154	10/1950	1
Monessen Southwestern Railway	22	13574	6220	12/1950	1
Lake Terminal Railroad	821-824	13856-13859	6224	2/1951-3/1951	4
Donora Southern Railroad	811	13860	4082	8/1951	1
DeQueen & Eastern Railroad	D-3	13952	6226	3/1951	1
Lehigh Valley	256-261	14027-14032	4092	8/1951-9/1951	6
Lehigh Valley	262-263	14056-14057	4104	6/1951, 9/1951	2
Delaware, Lackawanna & Western	501-505	14063-14067	4096	8/1951	5
U.S. Steel	109	14187	6256	6/1951	1
Chicago, West Pullman & Southern	42	14282	6247	6/1951	1
Wabash Railroad	125-126	14418-14419	6280	9/1951	2
Lehigh Valley	264-273	14489-14498	4104	9/1951	10
Cincinnati Union Terminal	30-34	14564-14568	6264	6/1951-8/1951	5
Chicago & North Western (Chicago, St. Paul Minneapolis & Omaha)	126-129	14663-14666	6095	9/1951	4
Woodward Iron Company	60	14986	6255	12/1951	1
U.S. Army	2000-2040	14995-15035	7008	4/1951-6/1951	41
New York Central	9602-9607	15498-15503	4109	2/1952	6
Tennessee Coal, Iron & Railroad	770	15603	6344	12/1951	1
Delaware, Lackawanna & Western	506-509	15727-15730	6340	6/1952	4
Lakeside & Marblehead	13-14	15735-15736	4160	1/1952	2
Colorado & Wyoming Railway	201-209	15737-15745	6269	12/1951	9
Ludington & Northern Railway	16	15755	6351	1/1952	1
Monessen Southwestern Railway	26	15823	6227	1/1952	1
Texas & Pacific (Missouri Pacific)	811-818	15830-15837	6360	1/1952	8
Pittsburgh Coke & Chemical	4	15872	4140	1/1952	1
Colorado & Wyoming Railway	210-212	15940-15942	6269	3/1952	3
Atlantic Coast Line	50-59	15949-15958	6373	3/1952	10
New York Central	9608-9621	16183-16196	4144	2/1953	14
New York Central	9622-9627	16324-16329	4144	2/1953	6
New York, Chicago & St. Louis (Nickel Plate Road)	107-114	16352-16359	4139	3/1952-4/1952	8
Rock Island	814-822	16609-16617	4157	4/1952-6/1952	9
Rock Island	823-824	16618-16619	4185	6/1952	2
Rock Island	825-835	16623-16633	4185	11/1952	11
Woodward Iron Company	61	16691	6356	3/1952	1
Tremont & Gulf Railroad	75, 77	16807-16808	6395	11/1952	2
Chicago, West Pullman & Southern	43-44	16825-16826	6381	11/1952	2
Chicago, West Pullman & Southern	45-46	16827-16828	6462	11/1952	2
Chicago & North Western	801	16889	4124	11/1952	1
Canton Railroad	40	16900	4171	11/1952	1
Reserve Mining Company	1200	16925	6412	6/1952	1
Reserve Mining Company	1201	16971	6412	6/1952	1
Lehigh Valley	275-276	16972-16973	6409	12/1952	2
Lehigh Valley	274	16974	6430	12/1952	1
Cincinnati Union Terminal	35-37	17065-17067	6410	10/1952	3
Southern Pacific (Texas & New Orleans)	12-16	17159-17163	4165	4/1953	5
Bamberger Railroad	601-602	17229-17230	6443	7/1952	2
Southern Pacific	4604-4611	17331-17338	4180	1/1953-3/1953	8
Wabash Railroad	128-132	17589-17593	6415	2/1953	5
South Shore Railway	12	17659	6480	1/1953	1
Delaware, Lackawanna & Western	510-511	17885-17886	6487	5/1953	2
Electro-Motive (Demonstrator)	500***	17924	6500	1/1953	1
Unity Railways	53	18100	6477	4/1953	1
Merchants Despatch Transportation Company	15	18173	6505	3/1953	1
Boston & Maine	800-807	18200-18207	4224	5/1953-6/1953	8
New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal	1-3	18294-18296	4167	12/1953	3
Southern Pacific	4612-4621	18347-18356	4179	6/1953-7/1953	10
Roscoe, Snyder & Pacific Railway	200	18618	6520	8/1953	1
Canton Railroad	41	18674	4201	8/1953	1
Wichita Falls & Southern Railroad	801-802	18708-18709	4235	8/1953	2
Columbia Iron & Metal	1	18739	4240	9/1953	1
Cedar Rapids & Iowa City Railway	91-93	18784-18786	4232	10/1953	3
Rock Island	836-838	18865-18867	4245	11/1953	3
Aliquippa & Southern Railroad	800-802	19071-19073	4250	12/1953	3
North Louisiana & Gulf Railroad	37-38	19390-19391	4262	12/1953	2
Canton Railroad	42-43	19493-19494	4259	1/1954	2
Southern Pacific	4622-4623	19495-19496	4256	1/1954	2

* Became Illinois Terminal #725. Sold as order number 6285.

** Became Georgia Northern Railway #801.

*** Became Cuyahoga Valley Railway #855. Sold as order number 4314.

Rebuilds

(Total Built = 7)

SW8's completed from trade-in units, reusing the same serials as their predecessors.

Owner	Road Number	Serial Number	Order Number	Completion Date	Heritage	Quantity
Detroit, Toledo & Ironton	900-901	1324-1325	WO45251-45252	5/1952	Ex-DT&I SW1's #900-901.	2
Great Northern	101	777	7506	6/1953	Ex-Great Northern NW1 #5102.	1
Lehigh Valley	128-129	787, 830	7509	10/1953-11/1953	Ex-Lehigh Valley NW1's #128-129.	2
Kansas City Terminal	61	731	7511	12/1952	Ex-Kansas City Terminal NW #61.	1
Steelton & Highspire	26	699	7514	12/1953	Ex-Patapsco & Back Rivers Railroad SW #62.	1

GMD

(Total Built = 65)

Owner	Road Number	Serial Number	Order Number	Completion Date	Quantity
Canadian Pacific	6700-6703	A110-A113	C101	11/1950	4
Wabash Railroad	122-124	A145-A147	C106	1/1951	3
Canadian National	8500-8521	A180-A201	C112	2/1951-6/1951	22
Canadian Pacific	6704-6709	A232-A237	C115	6/1951-7/1951	6
Essex Terminal	102	A238	C120	8/1951	1
Dominion Foundries & Steel	11	A276	C148	6/1952	1
Algoma Steel	50	A277	C150	6/1952	1
Wabash Railroad	127	A278	C122	8/1951	1
Dominion Iron & Steel	11-12	A279-A280	C143	4/1952	2
Algoma Central & Hudson Bay	141	A281	C144	4/1952	1
Canadian National	8522-8533	A284-A295	C125	8/1951-11/1951	12
Canada & Gulf Terminal	356	A296	C126	11/1951	1
Algoma Central & Hudson Bay	140	A297	C127	12/1951	1
Steel Company Of Canada (Stelco)	71-73	A300-A302	C129	12/1951	3
Steel Company Of Canada (Stelco)	74-77	A516-A519	C164	4/1953-5/1953	4
Dominion Foundries & Steel	12	A533	C167	11/1953	1
Essex Terminal	104	A612	C179	2/1954	1

Sources

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

Hayden, Bob. Diesel Locomotives: Cyclopedia, Volume 2 (Model Railroader). Milwaukee: Kalmbach Publishing Company, 1980.

Marre, Louis A. Diesel Locomotives: The First 50 Years, A Guide To Diesels Built Before 1972. Milwaukee: Kalmbach Publishing Company, 1995.

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

Solomon, Brian. EMD Locomotives. Minneapolis: MBI Publishing Company, 2006.

In Canada, these companies included Dominion Foundries & Steel, Algoma Steel, Dominion Iron & Steel, and the Steel Company Of Canada (Stelco).

As for the cow/calf TR6 just twelve sets were built; one demonstrator (that went to Southern Pacific), eight for the Oliver Iron Mining Company, and three more to SP.

Once again, the reliability and versatility of the SW series has been well represented in the SW8 as numerous models continue to perform admirably in all types of settings.

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