Last revised: August 27, 2024
By: Adam Burns
The SW900 was a variant of the SW8, essentially a de-rated version (8 cylinder) of the company's more powerful SW7, SW9, SW1200, and SW1500.
By the 1950s, Electro-Motive was such a dominant figure in the diesel locomotive market that the builder was cataloging a variety of switchers and road-switchers in various horsepower settings and wheel arrangements.
Generally, the company saw success with nearly every model it released, although there were exceptions. In the switcher arena EMD (and all manufacturers) soon realized railroads (and industries) gravitated more towards variants offering at least 1,000 horsepower.
Such models provided more versatility and could even handle light freight duty assignments when needed. As such, the less powerful SW8, SW900, and SW600 witnessed fewer sales.
The SW900 entered production in the United States in January, 1954 while the first examples rolled out of London, Ontario at General Motors Diesel a month earlier (December, 1953).
The model again carried the builder's traditional carbody styling with a tapered hood near the cab and standard length of just over 44 feet. It came equipped with an 8-cylinder, model 567C prime mover.
Outwardly, the SW900's one visual difference was a single, conical exhaust stack. This design was featured on all of EMD's 8-cylinder switchers and could also be found on the SW900, SW1000/SW1001, and SW600 (6 cylinder).
The model was equipped with General Motors' latest traction motor, the D37B, which could produce 36,000 pounds of continuous tractive effort and 57,500 pounds of starting effort.
Sales for the SW900 were respectable but lagged behind the SW9, largely due to its lower power rating. It seems that EMD's 1,000-1,200 horsepower models were the perfect fit for what customers were after, as previously noted.
Nevertheless, the SW900 still found a variety of buyers with several Class Is, short lines, and industries purchasing it. By the time the switcher hit the market in late 1953, EMD's reputation for building high quality switchers, and diesel locomotives in general, was already well established.
Once again Electro-Motive did not disappoint as the SW900 remained a reliable and versatile locomotive that was easy to maintain while its light weight (115 tons) allowed it to handle a variety of track conditions.
Interestingly, EMD had intended to also build a cow-calf variant of the SW900, as it had done with the TR through TR6 series.
However, lukewarm sales that saw only 85 of these sets built (and two additional calves), ultimately convinced the builder to abandon the concept by the mid-1950s.
Entered Production | 1/1954 (McLouth Steel #6) |
Years Produced (U.S.) | 1/1954 - 10/1965 |
Years Produced (Canada) | 12/1953 - 3/1969 |
EMD Class | SW900 |
Engine | 567C (8 Cylinder) |
Engine Builder | EMD/GM |
Horsepower | 900 |
RPM | 800 |
Length | 44' 5" |
Height (Top Of Rail To Top Of Cab) | 14' 6 1/2" |
Width | 9' 11 1/2" |
Weight | 230,000 Lbs |
Fuel Capacity | 600 Gallons |
Air Compressor | WXO (Gardner-Denver) |
Air Brake Schedule | 26L (Westinghouse) |
Trucks | B-B |
Truck Type | GRS Rigid Bolster, Drop-Side Equalizer (AAR Type-A) or Flexicoil |
Truck Wheelbase | 8' 0" |
Wheel Size | 40" |
Traction Motors | D37B (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 | 57,500 Lbs |
Tractive Effort/Continuous | 36,000 Lbs at 11.0 mph |
Top Speed | 65 mph |
(Total Built = 241)
Owner | Road Number | Serial Number | Order Number | Completion Date | Quantity |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
McLouth Steel | 6-7 | 19296-19297 | 4247 | 1/1954-2/1954 | 2 |
Buick Motor Division (General Motors) | 792 | 19497 | 4265 | 1/1954 | 1 |
Cleveland Union Terminal (New York Central) | 9628-9630 | 19518-19520 | 4268 | 3/1954 | 3 |
Southern Pacific | 4624-4625 | 19526-19527 | 4273 | 4/1954 | 2 |
De Queen & Eastern | D-4 | 19528 | 6529 | 5/1954 | 1 |
Jacksonville Terminal | 37-39 | 19561-19563 | 4274 | 6/1954 | 3 |
Southern Pacific | 4626-4633 | 19641-19648 | 4276 | 6/1954 | 8 |
Colorado River & Western | 201 | 19701 | 4298 | 12/1954 | 1 |
Monessen Southwestern Railway | 28 | 19702 | 4312 | 3/1955 | 1 |
Buick Motor Division (General Motors) | 818 | 19703 | 4303 | 2/1955 | 1 |
Raritan River Railroad | 1-6 | 19922-19927 | 4283 | 10/1954 | 6 |
Baltimore & Ohio | 625-653 | 20384-20412 | 4301 | 5/1955-7/1955 | 29 |
U.S. Sugar Company | 154-155 | 20553-20554 | 4304 | 8/1955-9/1955 | 2 |
Simpson Logging Company | 900 | 20609 | 4305 | 5/1955 | 1 |
Woodward Iron Company | 62 | 20633 | 4308 | 8/1955 | 1 |
Sand Springs Railway | 100-101 | 20891-20892 | 4321 | 2/1956 | 2 |
New York Central | 9631-9646 | 20935-20950 | 4322 | 12/1955 | 16 |
River Terminal | 90-97 | 20954-20961 | 4323 | 1/1956 | 8 |
Pickering Lumber Company | 101 | 21246 | 4337 | 4/1956 | 1 |
River Terminal | 98 | 21472 | 4323 | 1/1956 | 1 |
Pickering Lumber Company | 102 | 21483 | 4337 | 4/1956 | 1 |
Cuyahoga Valley | 960-961 | 21596-21597 | 4342 | 2/1956-4/1956 | 2 |
Electro-Motive (Demonstrator)* | 6534 | 21726 | 6534 | 11/1955 | 1 |
Republic Steel Corporation (Cleveland Works) | 347-349 | 21809-21811 | 4345 | 8/1956 | 3 |
Republic Steel Corporation (Warren Works) | 354 | 21812 | 4346 | 8/1956 | 1 |
Republic Steel Corporation (Warren Works) | 355-359 | 21813-21817 | 4347 | 8/1956-9/1956 | 5 |
Alabama By-Products Corporation | 900 | 21854 | 4352 | 8/1956 | 1 |
Canton Railroad | 44 | 21905 | 4353 | 6/1956 | 1 |
U.S. Sugar Corporation | 156 | 22140 | 4359 | 7/1956 | 1 |
Republic Steel Corporation (Buffalo Works) | 373-374 | 22548-22549 | 4367 | 9/1956 | 2 |
Canton Railroad | 45 | 22650 | 4370 | 9/1956 | 1 |
Detroit Edison Company | 214 | 22705 | 4372 | 10/1956 | 1 |
Grand Trunk Western | 7225-7232 | 22871-22878 | 4377 | 10/1956 | 8 |
Youngstown Sheet & Tube | 900-901 | 22879-22880 | 4378 | 9/1956, 1/1957 | 2 |
Canton Railroad | 46-48 | 23075-23077 | 4383 | 12/1956 | 3 |
Granite City Steel | 900 | 23175 | 4386 | 4/1957 | 1 |
Granite City Steel | 901 | 23176 | 4387 | 4/1957 | 1 |
Santa Fe | 650-651 | 23196-23197 | 7548 | 5/1957 | 2 |
Fernwood, Columbia & Gulf Railroad | 900 | 23298 | 4390 | 4/1957 | 1 |
Champion Papers Corporation | 3 | 23304 | 4392 | 4/1957 | 1 |
Chicago Great Western | 5 | 23357 | 7551 | 7/1957 | 1 |
Santa Fe | 652-653 | 23403-23404 | 7548 | 5/1957-6/1957 | 2 |
Rock Island | 550-563** | 23436-23449 | 7543 | 1/1957-11/1958 | 14 |
Rock Island | 900-914 | 23450-23464 | 7576 | 4/1959-11/1959 | 15 |
Hanna Furnace | 17 | 23474 | 4394 | 6/1957 | 1 |
Waterloo Railroad | 1-3 | 23475-23477 | 4395 | 6/1957 | 3 |
Armco Steel | 1203 | 23526 | 4397 | 3/1957 | 1 |
Colorado & Western | 214 | 23537 | 4398 | 6/1957 | 1 |
Lehigh Valley | 130, 125 | 23538-23539 | 7545 | 5/1957, 8/1957 | 2 |
Lehigh Valley | 110** | 23540 | 7550 | 3/1957 | 1 |
Sand Springs Railway | 102 | 23782 | 4403 | 7/1957 | 1 |
Armco Steel | 1204 | 23790 | 4405 | 6/1957 | 1 |
U.S. Steel | 157 | 23938 | 4407 | 11/1957 | 1 |
Birmingham Southern | 92, 95 | 23986-23987 | 7558 | 1/1958 | 2 |
Electro-Motive (Demonstrator)*** | 6535 | 24007 | 6535 | 6/1957 | 1 |
Lehigh Valley | 107** | 24482 | 7563 | 3/1958 | 1 |
Lehigh Valley | 123 | 24484 | 7564 | 6/1958 | 1 |
River Terminal | 100 | 24486 | 4417 | 1/1958 | 1 |
Missouri Portland Cement | 1 | 24573 | 4418 | 5/1958 | 1 |
American Steel & Wire | 3-4 | 24577-24578 | 4419 | 4/1958 | 2 |
American Steel & Wire | 5-6 | 24731-24732 | 4421 | 6/1958 | 2 |
Grand Trunk Western | 7262-7268 | 24973-24979 | 4424 | 11/1958 | 7 |
Valdosta Southern | 955 | 25072 | 7570 | 12/1958 | 1 |
Pickering Lumber Company | 103-104 | 25342-25343 | 4427 | 4/1959 | 2 |
Cedar Rapids & Iowa City | 94 | 25443 | 4430 | 8/1959 | 1 |
Birmingham Southern | 94 | 25446 | 7579 | 8/1959 | 1 |
Republic Steel Corporation (Cleveland Works) | 345 | 25461 | 4431 | 11/1959 | 1 |
Feather River Railway | 12 | 25504 | 4432 | 9/1959 | 1 |
Armco Steel | 1205 | 25677 | 4433 | 11/1959 | 1 |
Birmingham Southern | 91, 93 | 25894-25895 | 7589 | 5/1960 | 2 |
Lehigh Valley | 121 | 25917 | 7590 | 6/1960 | 1 |
Chicago & North Western | 144-145 | 26019-26020 | 7591 | 4/1960 | 2 |
Corinth & Counce Railroad | 901 | 26157 | 4442 | 9/1960 | 1 |
Hercules Power Company | 61 | 26349 | 4444 | 3/1961 | 1 |
Corinth & Counce Railroad | 902 | 26773 | 4446 | 7/1961 | 1 |
Reading Railroad | 1501-1506 | 26804-26809 | 7605 | 7/1961-8/1961 | 6 |
Reading Railroad | 1507-1510 | 26810-26813 | 7608 | 9/1961-10/1961 | 4 |
Inland Stone & Chemical Company | 10 | 26830 | 4448 | 9/1961 | 1 |
Armco Steel | 1206-1209 | 27921-27924 | 4454 | 1/1963-10/1963 | 4 |
Reading Railroad | 1511-1515 | 28417-28421 | 7665 | 12/1963 | 5 |
Armco Steel | 1210 | 28553 | 4456 | 10/1963 | 1 |
Armco Steel | 1211 | 28952 | 4461 | 3/1964 | 1 |
Armco Steel | 1212 | 29591 | 4466 | 8/1964 | 1 |
Monessen Southwestern Railway | 29 | 29625 | 4467 | 11/1964 | 1 |
Armco Steel | 1213 | 29861 | 4471 | 12/1964 | 1 |
Armco Steel | 1214 | 30256 | 4478 | 3/1965 | 1 |
Armco Steel | B-80 | 30622 | 4483 | 8/1965 | 1 |
Virginia-Carolina Chemical Company | 1 | 30742 | 4486 | 10/1965 | 1 |
Monessen Southwestern Railway | 30 | 30751 | 4487 | 9/1965 | 1 |
Youngstown Sheet & Tube | 902 | 30758 | 4488 | 10/1965 | 1 |
Lancaster & Chester Railway | 90-91 | 30759-30760 | 4489 | 10/1965-11/1965 | 2 |
Youngstown Sheet & Tube | 903-904 | 30992-30993 | 4488 | 10/1965 | 2 |
* Became River Terminal #99.
** These were de-rated to 600 horsepower, essentially SW600's.
*** Became Waterloo Railroad #4.
(Total Built = 19)
SW900's completed from trade-in units, reusing the same serials as their predecessors.
Owner | Road Number | Serial Number | Order Number | Completion Date | Heritage | Quantity |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Lehigh Valley | 124, 120 | 783, 773 | 7523 | 9/1955-10/1955 | Ex-Lehigh Valley NW1's #124 and #120. | 2 |
Steelton & Highspire | 27 | 617 | 7524 | 9/1955 | Ex-South Buffalo Railway SC #51. | 1 |
Philadelphia, Bethlehem & New England | 51-52 | 648-649 | 7525 | 11/1955 | Ex-Philadelphia, Bethlehem & New England NC's #208-209. | 2 |
Reading | 10-15 | 629, 701-705 | 7529 | 1/1956-8/1956 | Ex-Reading SW's #10-15. | 6 |
Great Lakes Steel | 6-7 | 670-671 | 7530 | 8/1956 | Ex-Great Lake Steel SW's #6-7. | 2 |
Lehigh Valley | 127, 126, 122 | 782, 781, 785 | 7531 | 5/1956-9/1956 | Ex-Lehigh Valley NW1's #122 and #126-127. | 3 |
Steelton & Highspire | 21 | 632 | 7535 | 10/1956 | Ex-Philadelphia, Bethlehem & New England SC #204. | 1 |
Lehigh Valley | 106 | 695 | 7536 | 10/1956 | Ex-Lehigh Valley SW #106. | 1 |
Northern Pacific | 100 | 732 | 7539 | 1/1957 | Ex-Northern Pacific NW #100. | 1 |
(Total Built = 97)
Owner | Road Number | Serial Number | Order Number | Completion Date | Quantity |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Canadian National | 8535-8542 | A561-A568 | C173 | 12/1953-1/1954 | 8 |
Canadian National | 8543-8559 | A572-A588 | C173 | 1/1954-5/1954 | 17 |
Canadian Pacific | 6710-6720 | A670-A680 | C185 | 2/1955-4/1955 | 11 |
British Columbia Electric | 900 | A738 | C189 | 6/1955 | 1 |
Midland Railway of Manitoba | 1 | A846 | C200 | 5/1956 | 1 |
Steel Company Of Canada | 78-79 | A888-A889 | C202 | 5/1956-6/1956 | 2 |
Steel Company Of Canada | 80-81 | A890-A891 | C204 | 6/1956 | 2 |
British Columbia Electric | 901-902 | A892-A893 | C205 | 6/1956 | 2 |
Steel Company Of Canada | 82 | A950 | C202 | 6/1956 | 1 |
Aluminum Company Of Canada | 1003 | A1090 | C223 | 3/1957 | 1 |
British Columbia Electric | 903-904 | A1165-A1166 | C227 | 8/1957 | 2 |
Canadian National | 7233-7242 | A1185-A1194 | C229 | 11/1957-12/1957 | 10 |
Canadian National | 7243-7261 | A1374-A1392 | C241 | 1/1958-5/1958 | 19 |
British Columbia Electric | 905-908 | A1476-A1479 | C248 | 3/1958-4/1958 | 4 |
Steel Company Of Canada | 83-88 | A1823-A1828 | C269 | 11/1959-1/1960 | 6 |
Steel Company Of Canada | 89 | A2058 | C296 | 6/1964 | 1 |
British Columbia Hydro & Power Authority | 909 | A2059 | C297 | 6/1964 | 1 |
Algoma Steel | 51 | A2060 | C298 | 6/1964 | 1 |
Steel Company Of Canada | 90 | A2078 | C305 | 1/1965 | 1 |
Steel Company Of Canada | 91 | A2089 | C307 | 3/1965 | 1 |
Steel Company Of Canada | 92 | A2110 | C310 | 1/1966 | 1 |
McKinnon Industries | 47074 | A2175 | C316 | 7/1966 | 1 |
Steel Company Of Canada | 93 | A2210 | C319 | 10/1967 | 1 |
British Columbia Hydro & Power Authority | 910 | A2245 | C321 | 6/1967 | 1 |
British Columbia Hydro & Power Authority | 911 | A2334 | C327 | 3/1969 | 1 |
(Total Built = 14)
Owner | Road Number | Serial Number | Order Number(s) | Completion Date | Quantity |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Orinoco Mining Company (Venezuela) | 1090-1091 | 23248-23249 | 701465-701466 | 3/1957 | 2 |
Orinoco Mining Company (Venezuela) | 1092 | 23398 | 701465-701498 | 3/1957 | 1 |
Orinoco Mining Company (Venezuela) | 1093-1096 | 26037-26040 | 702559-702562 | 9/1960 | 4 |
Southern Peru Copper Company (Peru) | 9-10 | 26616-26617 | 700022-700023 | 5/1961-8/1961 | 2 |
Liberian-American Mining Company (Liberia) | 201-205 | 26774-26778 | 700159-700163 | 9/1962 | 5 |
In addition to the 260 units completed at Electro Motive those manufactured in Canada and for other countries included:
The SW900 had a very long production run and when the final model rolled out of LaGrange, Illinois bound for short line Lancaster & Chester in early 1965, some 390 had been built altogether.
Dec 06, 24 07:15 PM
Dec 04, 24 03:11 PM
Dec 04, 24 11:15 AM