Baldwin "DRS-6-4-1500" Locomotives: Specs, Roster, Data Sheet

Last revised: December 31, 2024

The DRS-6-4-1500 was very similar to its sister model (DRS-6-6-1500), save for its A1A-A1A trucks (center-axle unpowered).

All of Baldwin's early road switchers were manufactured at roughly the same time, featuring only different truck setups (B-B, C-C, or A1A-A1A).

Interestingly, the locomotive sold far better to foreign lines with more than twice as many purchased, mostly to French-controlled operations in North Africa.

During the time period in which Baldwin released the DRS-6-4-1500 railroads were still not particularly interested in six-axle designs.

This was not an issue related exclusively to the Eddystone builder; similar locomotives offered by American Locomotive (Alco) and even Electro-Motive's SD7 and SD9 sold relatively poorly.

Overview

Baldwin is often regarded as the greatest of all the steam builders, producing rugged and reliable locomotives which railroads operated for generations.

Numerous examples of preserved today and some continue to operate. Unfortunately, its management failed to recognize the diesel's potential and merely shrugged it off.

As such, the company was entirely unprepared when Electro-Motive's FT took the industry by storm. It also struggled to gauge the model types of greatest interest. Astonishingly, Baldwin exited the market less than 10 years after building its last steam locomotive.

Photos

A company photo of Baldwin DRS-6-4-1500 demonstrator #1500 taken circa 1946.

The DRS-6-4-1500 utilized the builder's 608 SC model prime mover that could produce 1,500 horsepower.

The primary difference between the DRS-6-4-1500 and DRS-4-4-1500 was that the former utilized an A1A truck arrangement, meaning that there were three axles per truck but only the outside axles featured traction motors.

As was the case with nearly all of Baldwin's diesel designs, Westinghouse supplied the company with all of the DRS-6-4-1500's needed internal components such as traction motors, generators, and air equipment.

The model offered comparable tractive effort to Alco's RSC2 at 58,200 starting and 42,500 continuous (although Alco's model did offer slightly better starting effort).

Reception

Once again, poor engineering led to few sales for the DRS-6-4-1500, although it proved more successful than its sister model. The locomotive sold 97 units to a handful of Class I railroads including the Norfolk Southern (original), Southern Pacific, and Chicago & North Western as well as the Savannah & Atlanta Railway (Southern).

Additionally, Union Pacific and Kennecott Copper purchased Baldwin demonstrators 1500 and 1501 (Kennecott, however, requested that its unit, Demo #1501, be reequipped with B-B trucks).

Baldwin did have a very pleasing carbody design with its DRS series that offered crews good visibility. It also carried the standard look of a road switcher with a short front hood, offset cab, and trailing long hood.

Baldwin's classification system for its initial road-switcher series was loosely based from the old Whyte Notation in describing steam locomotive types.

For instance, using the DRS-4-4-1500 model as an example the DRS referred to:

Diesel Road Switcher unit

The first number, 6, was the designation of six total axles

The second number, 4, referred to four powered traction motors

1500 stood for the horsepower rating

Data Sheet and Specifications

Entered Production	9/30/1946 (French Supply Council-Algeria #040-DA-1)
Years Produced	9/30/1946 - 7/2/1952
Baldwin Class	DRS-6-4-1500/1 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	256,000 Lbs*
Height (Top Of Rail To Top Of Cab)	14'
Width	10' 2"
Trucks	A1A-A1A
Truck Type	GSC Swing Bolster-Inside Frame Equalizers**
Truck Wheelbase	11' 6"
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)

* Weight on drivers was 170,000 pounds.

** The eleven units acquired by the Savannah & Atlanta, #100-110, utilized a unique floating bolster truck with an elastomeric suspension system.

Production Roster

Total Built = 91

Owner	Road Number	Baldwin Serial Number	Construction Number	Completion Date
French Supply Council-Algeria	040-DA-1	1	72630	9/30/1946
French Supply Council-Algeria	040-DA-101	2	72631	12/4/1946
French Supply Council-Algeria	040-DA-2	3	72632	12/6/1946
French Supply Council-Algeria	040-DA-3	4	72633	12/11/1946
French Supply Council-Algeria	040-DA-4	5	72634	12/19/1946
French Supply Council-Algeria	040-DA-5	6	72635	12/23/1946
French Supply Council-Algeria	040-DA-6	7	72636	12/31/1946
French Supply Council-Algeria	040-DA-102	8	72637	1/19/1947
French Supply Council-Algeria	040-DA-103	9	72638	1/18/1947
French Supply Council-Algeria	040-DA-104	10	72639	1/26/1947
French Supply Council-Algeria	040-DA-105	11	72640	12/26/1946
French Supply Council-Algeria	040-DA-7	12	72641	1/15/1947
French Supply Council-Algeria	040-DA-8	13	72642	1/9/1947
French Supply Council-Algeria	040-DA-9	14	72643	1/16/1947
French Supply Council-Algeria	040-DA-10	15	72644	2/10/1947
French Supply Council-Morocco	040-DA-11	16	72645	4/2/1947
French Supply Council-Morocco	040-DA-12	17	72646	4/14/1947
French Supply Council-Morocco	040-DA-13	18	72647	3/22/1947
French Supply Council-Morocco	040-DA-14	19	72648	4/16/1947
French Supply Council-Morocco	040-DA-15	20	72649	4/25/1947
French Supply Council-Morocco	040-DA-201	21	72650	4/26/1947
French Supply Council-Morocco	040-DA-202	22	72651	5/5/1947
French Supply Council-Morocco	040-DA-203	23	72652	5/23/1947
French Supply Council-Morocco	040-DA-204	24	72653	5/29/1947
Columbus & Greenville	601	25	72624	10/8/1946
Columbus & Greenville	602	26	72625	12/17/1946
Columbus & Greenville	603	27	72626	12/23/1946
Columbus & Greenville	604	28	72627	12/21/1947
Columbus & Greenville	605	29	72628	1/22/1947
Baldwin Locomotive Works	1500*	30	72629	1/25/1947
French Supply Council-Tunisia	040-DA-301	31	73216	2/5/1947
French Supply Council-Tunisia	040-DA-302	32	73217	12/28/1946
French Supply Council-Tunisia	040-DA-303	33	73218	1/6/1947
French Supply Council-Tunisia	040-DA-304	34	73219	1/8/1947
French Supply Council-Morocco	040-DA-205	35	73349	10/27/1947
French Supply Council-Morocco	040-DA-206	36	73350	11/4/1947
French Supply Council-Algeria	040-DB-1	37	73327	7/19/1947
French Supply Council-Algeria	040-DB-2	38	73328	7/15/1947
French Supply Council-Algeria	040-DB-3	39	73329	7/19/1947
French Supply Council-Algeria	040-DB-4	40	73330	7/23/1947
French Supply Council-Algeria	040-DB-5	41	73331	8/2/1947
French Supply Council-Algeria	040-DB-6	42	73332	8/1/1947
French Supply Council-Algeria	040-DB-7	43	73333	10/23/1947
French Supply Council-Algeria	040-DB-8	44	73334	10/23/1947
French Supply Council-Algeria	040-DB-9	45	73335	11/6/1947
French Supply Council-Algeria	040-DB-10	46	73336	11/8/1947
French Supply Council-Algeria	040-DB-11	47	73337	1/8/1948
French Supply Council-Algeria	040-DB-12	48	73338	1/9/1948
French Supply Council-Algeria	040-DB-13	49	73339	12/20/1947
French Supply Council-Algeria	040-DB-14	50	73340	1/13/1948
French Supply Council-Algeria	040-DB-15	51	73341	12/23/1947
French Supply Council-Algeria	040-DB-16	52	73342	12/13/1947
French Supply Council-Algeria	040-DB-17	53	73343	12/13/1947
French Supply Council-Algeria	040-DB-18	54	73344	1/25/1948
French Supply Council-Algeria	040-DB-19	55	73345	1/25/1948
French Supply Council-Algeria	040-DB-20	56	73346	3/22/1948
French Supply Council-Algeria	040-DB-21	57	73347	2/6/1948
French Supply Council-Algeria	040-DB-22	58	73348	1/30/1948
French Supply Council-Algeria	040-DB-23	59	73365	2/21/1948
French Supply Council-Algeria	040-DB-24	60	73366	2/21/1948
French Supply Council-Algeria	040-DB-25	61	73367	2/25/1948
Baldwin Locomotive Works	1501**	62	73474	3/14/1948
Chicago & North Western	1504	66	73478	7/15/1948
Norfolk Southern	1501	67	73487	10/7/1947
Norfolk Southern	1502	68	73488	2/7/1948
Norfolk Southern	1503	69	73489	2/20/1948
Norfolk Southern	1504	70	73490	2/20/1948
Norfolk Southern	1505	71	73491	2/28/1948
Norfolk Southern	1506	72	73492	2/28/1948
Norfolk Southern	1507	73	73493	3/13/1948
Norfolk Southern	1508	74	73494	3/13/1948
Norfolk Southern	1509	75	73495	3/31/1948
Norfolk Southern	1510	76	73496	3/31/1948
Southern Pacific	5200	77	73654	8/22/1948
Southern Pacific	5201	78	73655	12/16/1948
Southern Pacific	5202	79	73656	12/21/1948
Savannah & Atlanta (Southern)	100	83	73660	5/11/1948
Savannah & Atlanta (Southern)	101	84	73661	5/13/1948
Savannah & Atlanta (Southern)	102	85	73662	5/24/1948
Savannah & Atlanta (Southern)	103	86	73663	5/25/1948
Savannah & Atlanta (Southern)	104	87	73664	6/1/1948
Savannah & Atlanta (Southern)	105	88	73665	6/4/1948
Savannah & Atlanta (Southern)	106	89	73666	6/8/1948
Savannah & Atlanta (Southern)	107	90	73667	6/9/1948
Savannah & Atlanta (Southern)	105	88	73665	6/4/1948
French Supply Council-Morocco	040-DA-306	91	74287	12/30/1949
French Supply Council-Morocco	040-DA-307	92	74288	12/30/1949
French Supply Council-Morocco	040-DA-308	93	75108	7/2/1951
French Supply Council-Morocco	040-DA-309	94	75109	7/2/1951
French Supply Council-Morocco	040-DC-331	95	75524	7/2/1952
French Supply Council-Morocco	040-DC-332	96	72525	7/2/1952
French Supply Council-Morocco	040-DC-333	97	72526	7/2/1952

Serial numbers 63-65 and 80-82 were left vacant by Baldwin.

* Became Union Pacific #1250 (1/25/1948)

** Became Kennecott Copper #901 (Utah Copper Division) in October, 1948

French Supply Council Of North Africa (Morocco) units #040-DC-331 through #040-DC-333 were equipped with Baldwin's updated 608A prime mover (found in the latest "All Service" line: AS16, AS416, and AS616), only de-rated from 1,600 to 1,500 horsepower.

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.

A late-era scene of Norfolk Southern DRS-6-4-1500 #1504, probably taken soon before the unit was retired. Warren Calloway photo.

The model designed for foreign sale in Africa was listed as the DRS-6-4-1500E. Essentially the same locomotive its one noticeable difference was the end cab setup it employed, making it appear as a rather large switcher.

Three different African lines purchased the DRS-6-4-1500E including the:

Office des Chemins de fer Algériens (43)

Office National des Chemins de Fer du Maroc (15)

Tunisian Railways (4)

Today, one DRS-6-4-1500 survives, Columbus & Greenville #601 on display in Columbus, Mississippi.

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