There were several variations of the Baldwin DR-6-4-2000 during its construction run from the mid-1940s through the late 1940s. In total there were not many actual locomotive built but the design had a wide range of carbodies from the "Baby Face" to the "Sharknose" and "Dual Cab." The DR-6-4-2000 would be the very last passenger cab unit Baldwin would offer. The company was never very successful in that particular market anyway (it was more than 10 years behind the Electro-Motive Division in offering a passenger model) and instead decided to focus its efforts on freight locomotives. The DR-6-4-2000 primarily resembled models being offered by EMD with comparable horsepower, length, and the A1A-A1A truck design.
Unfortunately, Baldwin's last passenger locomotive sold less than a tenth of those EMD outshopped for its late E series models. The company continued to lack standardization until a new diesel line appeared in the early 1950's. Today, there are no DR-6-4-2000s known to be preserved (nor any of Baldwin's rare passenger models).
The original version of the Baldwin DR-6-4-2000 was introduced in 1945. Using two VO 6c SC model prime movers, which could produce 2,000 horsepower, three such models were built through the summer of 1946. They utilized an A1A-A1A truck setup (meaning the two outside axles on each truck were powered while the center axle was not) and featured Baldwin's ubiquitous "Baby Face" carbody design. Additionally, the locomotive could produce 76,200 pounds of starting tractive effort and 28,500 pounds continuous. The oddest carbody design, at least for American railroads, among the DR-6-4-2000 types was the dual cab. Six were built for the Central Railroad of New Jersey from 1946 through 1948. Listed as a DRX-6-4-2000 "Double Cab," aside from the design having a cab on each end to eliminate the need to turn the locomotive between runs and its only difference from other versions of the model was that it featured Baldwin's 606NA model prime mover.
Baldwin's First Cab Model, The DR-4-4-1500
An Utter Disaster, The A1A-A1A, DR-6-4-1500
The Company's Most Successful Cab Model, The RF16 "Shark"
A Fascinating But Failed Design, The DR-12-8-3000 "Centipede"
A History Of Baldwin's "Sharknose" Carbody Design
A Look At The Company's First Cab Carbody, The Unpopular "Baby Face"
The final "Baby Face" version of the DR-6-4-2000 also featured the 606NA prime mover and only a few were built in the second half of 1948, two for the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio and three for Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México (two of which were original demonstrators). The absolute final version of the Baldwin DR-6-4-2000 was shrouded in the famous "Sharknose" carbody. Its only difference from the previous version was that it featured Baldwin's latest 606SC prime mover. Unfortunately, this final version sold poorly (although it did sell the most of any single variant) as well as only the Pennsylvania Railroad purchased it, 18 A units and 9 B units. Internal components for all of the DR-6-4-2000 variants were outsourced to Westinghouse Electric, a company Baldwin had collaborated with for decades.
The classification system Baldwin used for its early diesel designs was a mess to try and decode but once it is explained is fairly simple to understand. The system is based from the Whyte Notation that classified steam locomotives. As an example using the DR-6-4-2000 the "DR" referred to Diesel Road unit; the first 6 regarded six total axles; the second number, 4, was the designation of four powered traction motors; and 2,000 was simply the horsepower rating. Many times the classification would be shortened for simplicity such as DR-6-4-20. Given the fact that by the late 1940s EMD simply had the market cornered on passenger models, and diesel locomotives in general, most of the railroads that ultimately purchased the DR-6-4-2000 variants did not use them long in revenue service. The locomotives just were not as reliable and easy to maintain as EMDs and most were traded in or sold by the 1960s. Lastly, for more information about the DR-6-4-2000s and all Baldwin cab unit models please refer to the chart below.
Owner | Road Number(s) | Quantity | Date Built |
---|---|---|---|
Gulf, Mobile & Ohio | 280-281 | 2 | 1947 |
Pennsylvania | 5770A-5787A (As) | 18 | 1948 |
Pennsylvania | 5770B-5786B (Evens, Bs) | 9 | 1948 |
Wharton & Northern Railroad (CNJ) | 2000-2005 (DRX-6-4-2000) | 6 | 1946-1948 |
For more information on Baldwin locomotives the book by the same name, a Brian Solomon title, provides an in-depth history of the company from its earliest days beginning in the 1930s to its final years constructing diesels during the mid-20th century. It 160 pages in length and, as with every Solomon book, offers a rich collection of large, sharp photos to enjoy. Another title of interest is Vintage Diesel Locomotives by noted author and historian Mike Schafer. This one has been out for several years now and is a paperback title but highlights several classic models from the major builders of the era such as Electro-Motive, Baldwin, and the American Locomotive Company.
Header Photo: Drew Jacksich
A popular pastime for many is studying and/or exploring abandoned rights-of-way. Today, there are tens of thousands of miles scattered throughout the country. Many were pulled up in the 1970's and 1980's although others were removed long before that. If you are researching active or abandoned corridors you might want to check out the United States Geological Survey's (USGS) Historical Topographic Map Explorer. It is an excellent resource with thousands of historic maps on file throughout the country. Just type in a town or city and click on the timeline of maps at the bottom of the page!
You will be hard pressed at finding a better online resource regarding diesel locomotives than Craig Rutherford's TheDieselShop.us. The website contains everything from historic (fallen flags) to contemporary (Class I's, regionals, short lines, and even some museums/tourist lines) rosters, locomotive production information, technical data, all notable models cataloged by the five major builders (American Locomotive, Electro-Motive, General Electric, Fairbanks-Morse, and Baldwin), and much more. A highly recommended database!
In 1998 a gentleman by the name of Andre Kristopans put together a web page highlighting virtually every unit every out-shopped by General Motors' Electro-Motive Division. Alas, in 2013 the site closed by thankfully Don Strack rescued the data and transferred it over to his UtahRails.net site (another fine resource). If you are researching anything EMD related please visit this page first. The information includes original numbers, serials, and order numbers.