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

Last revised: December 29, 2024

The DRS-6-6-1500 was the final road switcher to carry Baldwin's early and complicated designation system. In 1950 it released its new Standard line, a fitting name since it did away with the confusing numbers, dashes, and letters.

This last model was a six-axle locomotive, C-C version of the DRS-6-4-1500 built during the late 1940s and well suited for branch line operations (although few ultimately sold).

Overview

The DRS-6-6-1500 found buyers among a scattering of railroads and private companies but in the end could not reach the century mark in sales.

Today, there are at least two examples known preserved; McCloud River Railroad #29 (preserved as Magma Arizona #10) at the Arizona Railway Museum and Southern Pacific #5208 preserved in its original colors and number at the California Stat Railroad Museum in Sacramento.

Photos

Erie Lackawanna DRS-6-6-1500 #1153 is seen here in Hornell, New York in June, 1971. This unit began its career as Erie #1153 in 1950. Jim Shaughnessy photo.

The DRS-6-6-1500 began production in 1948 offering a high, continuous tractive effort of 64,200 pounds thanks to its six powered axles.

This was a considerable selling point as the locomotive not only provided the highest such rating for any road switcher Baldwin offered up to that time but also any model then in production.

Nothing then offered by Alco or EMD came close to matching such tractive ability. During the late 1940s the only manufacturer to have even manufactured a C-C road switcher was Alco's RSD1.

However, the RSD1 was primarily a specialized model built only for the U.S. Army during World War II and had ended production in 1946.

The DRS-6-6-1500 could produce 1,500 horsepower using Baldwin's supercharged 608SC prime mover, the same as the earlier DRS-6-4-1500 and DRS-4-4-1500.

Elgin, Joliet & Eastern DRS-6-6-1500 #500 was photographed here by Marty Bernard at the Joliet Yard on August 23, 1964. This was one of two (#501) acquired from the Bessemer & Lake Erie.

Reception

While the DRS-6-6-1500 did not sell particularly well several Class I railroads around the country purchased at least a few units such as:

Bessemer & Lake Erie

Duluth South Shore & Atlantic

Union Pacific

Southern Pacific

Erie

Chicago & North Western

McCloud River Railroad

Northern Pacific

Union Railroad

Minneapolis Northfield & Southern

Tennessee Coal & Iron

Chesapeake & Ohio

Additionally, private companies like Kaiser Steel and Tennessee Coal & Iron Railroad also acquired a few examples.

By the time production had ended in 1950 just 83 units had been sold, which included one B-unit that the Southern Pacific had requested, #5227.

Buyers of the model found the locomotive useful despite its troublesome prime mover. The curious lack of dynamic braking also likely hurt sales, a feature then standard on Electro-Motive and Alco products.

The Union Railroad of Pennsylvania acquired a small fleet of DRS-6-6-1500's and later re-engined them with EMD 567 prime movers (giving them the nickname as "Buffalos"). Two are seen here behind an NW2 near Hall on July 11, 1974. Doug Kroll photo.

The DRS-6-6-1500 saw only a two year run as Baldwin wrapped up production on the unit in September of 1950.

It was soon after replaced by the AS616, which featured an upgraded prime mover and used the company's more straightforward classification system.

Data Sheet and Specifications

Entered Production	2/17/1948 (Chicago & North Western #1501)
Years Produced	2/17/1948 - 9/28/1950
Baldwin Class	DRS-6-6-1500/1 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	325,000 Lbs
Height (Top Of Rail To Top Of Cab)	14'
Width	10' 2"
Trucks	C-C
Truck Type	GSC Rigid Bolster-Inside Sideframe Equalizers
Truck Wheelbase	13'
Wheel Size	42"
Traction Motors	370F/G (6), Westinghouse
Traction Generator	471A, Westinghouse
Auxiliary Generator	YG42A, Westinghouse
Gear Ratio	15:63
Tractive Effort Rating	64,200 Lbs at 6.6 MPH
Top Speed	65 MPH

Production Roster

Total Built = 83

Owner	Road Number	Baldwin Serial Number	Construction Number	Completion Date
Chicago & North Western	1500	1	73475	2/18/1948
Chicago & North Western	1501	2	73476	2/17/1948
Chicago & North Western	1502	3	73477	2/21/1948
Tennessee, Coal, Iron & Railroad	1500	4	73746	5/22/1948
Tennessee, Coal, Iron & Railroad	1501	5	73747	6/4/1948
Kaiser Steel	1010A	6	73749	8/16/1949
Northern Pacific	177	7	73838	8/12/1948
McCloud River Railroad	28	8	73653	2/16/1949
Bessemer & Lake Erie	401	9	73988	2/16/1949
Bessemer & Lake Erie	402	10	73989	1/27/1949
Union Railroad	608	11	74215	2/2/1949
Union Railroad	609	12	74216	2/4/1949
Union Railroad	610	13	74217	2/3/1949
Union Railroad	611	14	74218	2/7/1949
Union Railroad	612	15	74219	2/6/1949
Union Railroad	613	16	74220	2/12/1949
Union Railroad	614	17	74221	2/14/1949
Southern Pacific	5203	18	74257	3/20/1949
Southern Pacific	5204	19	74258	4/15/1949
Southern Pacific	5205	20	74259	4/15/1949
Southern Pacific	5206	21	74260	5/10/1949
Southern Pacific	5207	22	74261	5/14/1949
Southern Pacific	5208	23	74262	5/14/1949
Southern Pacific	5209	24	74263	6/4/1949
Southern Pacific	5210	25	74264	6/10/1949
Southern Pacific	5211	26	74265	6/16/1949
Southern Pacific	5212	27	74266	6/20/1949
Texas & New Orleans (SP)	187	28	74267	3/28/1949
Texas & New Orleans (SP)	188	29	74268	4/9/1949
Kaiser Steel Corporation	1010-B	30	74451	8/17/1949
Chicago & North Western	1505	31	74452	8/6/1949
Chicago & North Western	1506	32	74453	8/6/1949
Chicago & North Western	1507	33	74279	8/9/1949
Chicago & North Western	1508	34	74280	8/9/1949
Chicago & North Western	1509	35	74281	8/12/1949
Texas & New Orleans (SP)	189	36	74667	12/2/1949
Texas & New Orleans (SP)	190	37	74677	12/7/1949
Southern Pacific	5213	38	74678	12/21/1949
Southern Pacific	5214	39	74679	12/23/1949
Southern Pacific	5215	40	74680	12/30/1949
Southern Pacific	5216	41	74681	12/30/1949
Southern Pacific	5217	42	74682	1/6/1950
Southern Pacific	5218	43	74683	1/20/1950
Southern Pacific	5219	44	74684	1/20/1950
Southern Pacific	5220	45	74685	1/23/1950
Southern Pacific	5221	46	74686	1/24/1950
Southern Pacific	5222	47	74687	1/25/1950
Southern Pacific	5223	48	74688	1/27/1950
Southern Pacific	5224	49	74689	1/27/1950
Southern Pacific	5225	50	74690	1/27/1950
Southern Pacific	5226	51	74691	1/31/1950
Southern Pacific	5227	52	74692	1/31/1950
Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic (Soo Line)	200	53	74693	11/7/1949
Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic (Soo Line)	201	54	74694	11/11/1949
Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic (Soo Line)	202	55	74695	11/15/1949
Union Railroad	620	56	74696	10/4/1949
Union Railroad	621	57	74697	10/12/1949
Union Railroad	622	58	74698	10/12/1949
Union Railroad	623	59	74699	10/2/1949
Union Railroad	624	60	74700	10/13/1949
Chesapeake & Ohio	5530	61	74701	11/7/1949
Chesapeake & Ohio	5531	62	74702	11/11/1949
Chesapeake & Ohio	5532	63	74703	11/12/1949
Erie Railroad	1150	64	74714	4/28/1950
Bessemer & Lake Erie	403	65	74715	5/29/1950
Baldwin Locomotive Works	1500*	66	74716	4/1950
Erie Railroad	1151	67	74717	6/28/1950
Erie Railroad	1152	68	74718	6/28/1950
Erie Railroad	1153	69	74719	9/19/1950
Minneapolis, Northfield & Southern	15	70	74758	3/3/1950
Erie Railroad	1154	71	74779	9/19/1950
Erie Railroad	1155	72	74780	9/21/1950
Erie Railroad	1156	73	74781	9/21/1950
Erie Railroad	1157	74	74782	9/21/1950
Erie Railroad	1158	75	74783	9/25/1950
Erie Railroad	1159	76	74930	9/25/1950
Erie Railroad	1160	77	74931	9/28/1950
Erie Railroad	1161	78	74932	9/28/1950
Bessemer & Lake Erie	404	79	74933	7/6/1950
Bessemer & Lake Erie	405	80	74934	7/10/1950
Bessemer & Lake Erie	406	81	74935	7/11/1950
Bessemer & Lake Erie	407	82	74936	7/12/1950
McCloud River Railroad	29	83	74812	7/28/1950

Southern Pacific units featured upgraded components including 471B main generator, YG42B auxiliary exciter generator, and 370DL or 370GL traction motors.

* This unit became Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic (Soo Line) #203 on August 23, 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.

A Baldwin Locomotive Works builder's photo of new Chicago & North Western DRS-6-6-1500 #1500 circa 1948.

The new series sold much better for the builder seeing several hundred examples outshopped amongst the three primary models (AS16, AS416, and the AS616).

To decipher the meaning of the DRS-6-6-1500's letters and numbers the DRS referred to Diesel Road Switcher unit; the first number, 6, designated its six powered axles; the second 6 meant that it featured six traction motors; and 1500 stood for the horsepower rating.

Once the system is presented it is fairly easy to understand but anyone looking at it for the first time would likely be quite confused at what everything stood for.

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