Baldwin "DRS-4-4-1500" Locomotives: Specs, Roster, Data Sheet

Last revised: December 30, 2024

The DRS-4-4-1500 was Baldwin's first in a road switcher series that bore long and confusing titles which the manufacturer produced over a nine-year period.

Built in the late 1940s, the model found few buyers. The locomotive carried similar lines to Alco's early road-switchers with the cab offset over a long hood with a short, trailing hood.

To its credit, Baldwin's road-switchers carried fine lines and a clean appearance. Featuring a short hood, off-center cab, and trailing long hood the DRS-4-4-1500 had the appearance of the now classic road switcher.

Interestingly, while Baldwin struggled to sell its early road switchers, later variants under its Standard Line, built during the early 1950s, enjoyed somewhat more success.

Photos

Western Maryland DRS-4-4-1500 #170 at work in Hagerstown, Maryland on August 9, 1963. She was later scrapped in 1969. American-Rails.com collection.

Overview

Had the builder continued to refine its product, as management had wished, Baldwin may have continued building diesels until at least the second-generation era.

Unfortunately, its parent (Westinghouse) elected to exit the locomotive just as it appeared Baldwin might be gaining traction.

The DRS-4-4-1500 began production in April of 1946 and competed against Alco's early road-switchers. At the time, Electro-Motive had yet to enter the road-switcher market (its BL2 was not introduced until 1948).

Aesthetically, the locomotive had a pleasing carbody and offered crews good visibility. However, mechanically railroads found its supercharged model 608SC prime mover (capable of producing 1,500 horsepower) troublesome and difficult to maintain.

As was the case with all of Baldwin's models, Westinghouse provided all of its internal components like traction motors, generators, and air brakes/compressors.

The two companies had collaborated since the late 19th century and Westinghouse manufactured excellent equipment, particularly traction motors that were extremely rugged and durable.

Baldwin became known for its ability to produce that could out-muscle the competition in a big way. For unknown reasons it never offered dynamic brakes or Multiple Unit capability (MU'ing) as standard options (both were optionally available).

The former was an important safety feature, an additional type of braking via the traction motors (very handy on steep, mountainous grades) while the latter allowed numerous coupled locomotives to be directly controlled by the lead locomotive.

Reception

Both became key selling points and from an early date both Electro-Motive and American Locomotive included these features as standard on their models.

By the time production had ended in April of 1950 (directly prior to the Standard line's release) just thirty-five DRS-4-4-1500s had been built purchased by the:

Erie Railroad

Lehigh Valley

Soo Line

New York Central

Northern Pacific

Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines

Western Maryland

St. Louis Brownsville & Mexico (Missouri Pacific)

Additionally, the foreign Iron Mines Company of Venezuela bought three units.

Data Sheet and Specifications

Entered Production	6/25/1947 (Western Maryland #170*)
Years Produced	6/25/1947 - 4/29/1950
Baldwin Class	DRS-4-4-1500/1 SC
Engine	608SC, 6-Cylinder In-Line, Supercharged
Engine Builder	De La Vergne
Horsepower	1500
Carbody Styling	Baldwin
Length (Between Coupler Pulling Faces)	58'
Weight	240,000 Lbs
Height (Top Of Rail To Top Of Cab)	14'
Width	10' 2"
Trucks	B-B
Truck Type	GSC Swing Bolster
Truck Wheelbase	9' 10"
Wheel Size	42"
Traction Motors	370F (4)**, Westinghouse
Traction Generator	471A, Westinghouse
Auxiliary Generator	YG42A, Westinghouse
Gear Ratio	15:63 or 19:60
Tractive Effort Rating	42,800 Lbs at 10.5 MPH (15:63) or 32,200 Lbs at 14.0 MPH (19:60)
Top Speed	65 MPH (15:63) or 82 MPH (19:60)

* Entered service on July 5, 1947.

** Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines units were equipped with model 370G traction motors.

Production Roster

Total Built = 35

Owner	Road Number	Baldwin Serial Number	Construction Number	Completion Date
Iron Mines Of Venezuela - Bethlehem Steel	1	1	73138	10/10/1947
Iron Mines Of Venezuela - Bethlehem Steel	2	2	73139	7/6/1949
Iron Mines Of Venezuela - Bethlehem Steel	3	3	73140	3/9/1948
Western Maryland	170	4	73399	7/5/1947
Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault Ste Marie (Soo Line)	360	5	73497	12/1/1947
Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault Ste Marie (Soo Line)	361	6	73498	12/18/1947
Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault Ste Marie (Soo Line)	362	7	73499	12/16/1947
Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault Ste Marie (Soo Line)	363	8	73500	1/8/1948
Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault Ste Marie (Soo Line)	364	9	73501	1/8/1948
Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault Ste Marie (Soo Line)	365	10	73502	1/5/1948
Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault Ste Marie (Soo Line)	366	11	73503	2/3/1948
Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault Ste Marie (Soo Line)	367	12	73504	2/4/1948
New York Central	8300	13	73479	7/5/1948
New York Central	8301	14	73480	7/5/1948
Western Maryland	171	15	73643	7/8/1948
Western Maryland	172	16	73644	7/7/1948
Northern Pacific	175	17	73645	9/22/1948
Northern Pacific	176	18	73646	9/23/1948
St. Louis, Brownsville & Mexico (Missouri Pacific)	4112	19	73647	2/25/1948
St. Louis, Brownsville & Mexico (Missouri Pacific)	4113	20	73648	2/25/1948
St. Louis, Brownsville & Mexico (Missouri Pacific)	4114	21	73649	3/10/1948
St. Louis, Brownsville & Mexico (Missouri Pacific)	4115	22	73650	3/7/1948
Lehigh Valley	200	23	73651	12/6/1948
Erie Railroad	1100	24	73652	11/29/1949
Erie Railroad	1101	25	74289	11/29/1949
Erie Railroad	1102	26	74290	11/30/1949
Erie Railroad	1103	27	74291	12/8/1949
Erie Railroad	1104	28	74292	12/8/1949
Erie Railroad	1105	29	74293	12/8/1949
Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines	6000	30	74752	4/14/1950
Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines	6001	31	74753	4/21/1950
Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines	6002	32	74754	4/25/1950
Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines	6003	33	74755	4/28/1950
Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines	6004	34	74756	4/28/1950
Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines	6005	35	74757	4/29/1950

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.

Classification

The reasoning behind Baldwin's complicated classification is fairly straightforward. Because the company was so focused and dedicated to building steam locomotives it carried over a version of the classic Whyte notation (developed by Frederick Whyte to classify steam designs) and applied this to early diesel variants.

Using the DRS-4-4-1500 model as an example the DRS referred to Diesel Road Switcher unit; the first number, 4, was the designation of four overall axles; the second number, 4, was the designation of four powered traction motors; and 1500 stood for the horsepower rating.

By 1950, Baldwin would drop this difficult system with its new Standard Line, which simply referred to the motive power type and horsepower rating.

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