The EMD SW1 is a diesel-electric switcher locomotive built by General Motors' Electro-Motive Corporation (later Division) between December 1938 and November 1953. Final assembly was at EMD's plant at LaGrange (McCook) Illinois. The SW1 was the second generation of switcher from EMD, succeeding the SC (cast frame) and SW (welded frame). The most significant change from those earlier models was the use of an engine of EMD's own design, the then-new 567 engine, here in V6 form. 661 locomotives of this design were built, with a gap in production between March 1943 and September 1945 due to World War II.
The SW1 was the start of a long line of SW series switchers produced by EMD. It was complemented by the SW7 in 1949 and the SW8 in 1950.
Production changes
Several changes were made to the SW1 over its production life. Internally, the post-war locomotives used the 567A engine.
Externally, the two center cab windows over the hood, which were curved to follow the roofline originally, became flat-topped after mid-1950. Another external difference is the taper of the hood to the cab, which was a two-stage taper in earlier units but became a single taper in later production. Very early locomotives were delivered with a stubby exhaust stack, but this did not lift the diesel exhaust sufficiently clear of crew visibility. All later units were delivered with EMD's standard conical switcher stack, while early units were generally modified with taller stacks too. Early locomotives had a single large headlight, while later had twin sealed-beam headlights.
Original owners
{| class="wikitable"
! Railroad !! Quantity !! Road numbers !! Notes
|-
| Allegheny and South Side Railway ||style="text-align:center;" |1 ||style="text-align:center;" |101 ||
|-
| Allis-Chalmers ||style="text-align:center;" |1 ||style="text-align:center;" |8 ||
|-
| Angelina and Neches River Railroad ||style="text-align:center;" |1 ||style="text-align:center;" |10 ||
|-
| Atlantic and East Carolina Railway ||style="text-align:center;" |1 ||style="text-align:center;" |9 ||
|-
| Atlantic Coast Line Railroad ||style="text-align:center;" |1 ||style="text-align:center;" |1901 || Rejected, to Richmond Terminal Railroad #1
|-
| Baltimore and Ohio Railroad ||style="text-align:center;" |16 ||style="text-align:center;" |200–215 ||#208, B&O renumbered to #8408, is currently owned by Wilmington & Western Railroad. 2nd youngest SW1 in routine scheduled service.
|-
| Baltimore and Ohio Chicago Terminal Railroad ||style="text-align:center;" |6 ||style="text-align:center;" | 216-221 ||
|-
| Boston and Maine Railroad ||style="text-align:center;" |24 ||style="text-align:center;" |1109–1132 || 1109 owned by RMNE. Thomaston, CT 1113 owned and operated by BSRM, Adams/Lenox, MA. 1127 preserved by the Danbury Railway Museum in Danbury, CT.
|-
| Broward County Port Authority ||style="text-align:center;" |1 ||style="text-align:center;" |400 ||
|-
| Buffalo Creek Railroad ||style="text-align:center;" |1 ||style="text-align:center;" |42 ||
|-
| Canton Railroad ||style="text-align:center;" |5 ||style="text-align:center;" |21–25 ||
|-
| Central Indiana Railroad ||style="text-align:center;" |1 ||style="text-align:center;" |1 ||
|-
| Central of Georgia Railroad ||style="text-align:center;" |3 ||style="text-align:center;" |2, 3, 7 ||
|-
| Central Railroad of New Jersey ||style="text-align:center;" |4 ||style="text-align:center;" |1009–1012 ||
|-
| Chattanooga Traction Company ||style="text-align:center;" |1 ||style="text-align:center;" |4 ||
|-
| Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad ||style="text-align:center;" |5 ||style="text-align:center;" |95–99 || 99 to MP 6001, now Dardanelle & Russellville 16
|-
| Chicago and North Western Railway ||style="text-align:center;" |20 ||style="text-align:center;" |1207–1212, 1214, 1215,<br />1268–1279 ||
|-
| Chicago District Electric Generating ||style="text-align:center;" |2 ||style="text-align:center;" |3, 4 ||
|-
| Chicago Short Line Railway ||style="text-align:center;" |2 ||style="text-align:center;" | 200–201 ||
|-
| Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad ||style="text-align:center;" |18 ||style="text-align:center;" |9136–9153 ||
|-
| Chicago, Indianapolis and Louisville Railroad ||style="text-align:center;" |3 ||style="text-align:center;" | DS-50, 5, 6 || DS-50 renumbered to 1
|-
| Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad ||style="text-align:center;" |25 ||style="text-align:center;" |1610–1634 || renumbered
|-
| Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha Railway ||style="text-align:center;" |1 ||style="text-align:center;" |55 ||
|-
| Chihuahua Forests ||style="text-align:center;" |1 ||style="text-align:center;" | 500 || only SW1 exported
|-
| Cleveland Quarries ||style="text-align:center;" |1 ||style="text-align:center;" |2 || built with a 567AC engine. Last SW1 built.
|-
| Commonwealth Edison ||style="text-align:center;" |6 ||style="text-align:center;" |10–15 ||
|-
| Conemaugh and Black Lick Railroad ||style="text-align:center;" |6 ||style="text-align:center;" |60–65 ||
|-
| Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad ||style="text-align:center;" |11 ||style="text-align:center;" |427–437 ||
|-
| Detroit Edison ||style="text-align:center;" |3 ||style="text-align:center;" |210–212 ||
|-
| Detroit, Toledo and Ironton Railroad ||style="text-align:center;" |2 ||style="text-align:center;" |900–901 || re-engined with 8-567B 800 hp engines, new hoods 1952. Reclassified SW8.
|-
| Donner-Hanna Coke ||style="text-align:center;" |1 ||style="text-align:center;" |1 ||
|-
| Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railroad ||style="text-align:center;" |27 ||style="text-align:center;" |220–246 ||
|-
| EMD (demonstrator units)* ||style="text-align:center;" |7 ||style="text-align:center;" |755, 804, 905, 906,<br />911, 700, 152 || EMC 755 was the first SW1
|-
| Erie Railroad ||style="text-align:center;" |1 ||style="text-align:center;" |360 ||
|-
| Fort Worth and Denver Railway ||style="text-align:center;" |2 ||style="text-align:center;" |602, 604 ||
|-
| Fort Worth Belt ||style="text-align:center;" |1 ||style="text-align:center;" |1 ||
|-
| Galveston Wharves ||style="text-align:center;" |5 ||style="text-align:center;" |201–205 || 201 to Dardanelle & Russellville 15
|-
| Garden City Western Railway ||style="text-align:center;" |1 ||style="text-align:center;" |201 ||
|-
| Georgia and Florida Railroad ||style="text-align:center;" |3 ||style="text-align:center;" |70–72 ||
|-
| Georgia Marble Company ||style="text-align:center;" |1 ||style="text-align:center;" |1 ||
|-
| Granite City Steel ||style="text-align:center;" |2 ||style="text-align:center;" |600–601 ||
|-
| Great Lakes Steel ||style="text-align:center;" |14 ||style="text-align:center;" |12, 14–18, 22,<br />30, 31, 33–36, 38 ||
|-
| Great Northern Railway ||style="text-align:center;" | 9 ||style="text-align:center;" |5101–5105, 80–83 || 5101–5105 renumbered to 75-79. Then to Burlington Northern 75-83. 77 was sold to Walla Walla Valley in 1975.
|-
| Great Western Railway of Colorado ||style="text-align:center;" |1 ||style="text-align:center;" |61 ||
|-
| Hanna Furnace Company ||style="text-align:center;" |3 ||style="text-align:center;" |14–16 ||
|-
| Houston Belt and Terminal Railway ||style="text-align:center;" |1 ||style="text-align:center;" |10 ||
|-
| Illinois Central Railroad ||style="text-align:center;" |19 ||style="text-align:center;" |9014–9032 ||
|-
| Inland Steel Company ||style="text-align:center;" |12 ||style="text-align:center;" |54, 57, 70–73, 76–81 ||
|-
| Lehigh Portland Cement Company ||style="text-align:center;" |1 ||style="text-align:center;" |5 ||
|-
| Lehigh Valley Railroad ||style="text-align:center;" |6 ||style="text-align:center;" |112–115, 118-119 || #114 is currently owned by Wilmington & Western Railroad. Oldest SW1 in routine scheduled service.
|-
| Louisiana Midland Railway ||style="text-align:center;" |1 ||style="text-align:center;" |11 ||
|-
| Louisville and Nashville Railroad ||style="text-align:center;" |5 ||style="text-align:center;" |11–15 ||
|-
| Manufacturers' Junction Railway ||style="text-align:center;" |1 ||style="text-align:center;" |6 ||
|-
| Maryland and Pennsylvania Railroad ||style="text-align:center;" |1 ||style="text-align:center;" |70 ||style="text-align:center;" |To Republic Steel 326, 1959; to Nimishillen & Tuscarawas 326, 1995. ||
|-
| Mathieson Chemical ||style="text-align:center;" | 2 ||style="text-align:center;" |1–2 ||
|-
| McLouth Steel ||style="text-align:center;" |3 ||style="text-align:center;" |3–5 ||
|-
| Memphis Union Station ||style="text-align:center;" |1 ||style="text-align:center;" |10 ||
|-
| Metropolitan Sanitary District of Greater Chicago ||style="text-align:center;" |3 ||style="text-align:center;" |1–3 ||
|-
| Missouri Pacific Railroad ||style="text-align:center;" |10 ||style="text-align:center;" |9004–9006, 9011, 9200–9205 ||
|-
| Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railway ||style="text-align:center;" | 1 ||style="text-align:center;" |15 ||
|-
| New York Central Railroad ||style="text-align:center;" |103 ||style="text-align:center;" |600–621 (first), 622–654,<br />574–599, 600–621 (second) ||609 (2nd) is now WRIX 1001, located on RVT - White City, OR0
|-
| Nickel Plate Road ||style="text-align:center;" |2 ||style="text-align:center;" |105–106 || #106 is now Independent Locomotive Services #920
|-
| Pennsylvania Railroad ||style="text-align:center;" |85 ||style="text-align:center;" |5910, 5944–5953, 5987–5999,<br />9104, 9137–9154, 9200–9203,<br />9205-9209, 9396–9428 ||
|-
| Pere Marquette Railroad ||style="text-align:center;" |2 ||style="text-align:center;" |10–11 ||
|-
| Phelps Dodge Corporation ||style="text-align:center;" |1 ||style="text-align:center;" |A ||
|-
| Philadelphia, Bethlehem and New England Railroad ||style="text-align:center;" |9 ||style="text-align:center;" |212–218, 220, 221 ||
|-
| Public Service Company of Northern Illinois ||style="text-align:center;" |3 ||style="text-align:center;" |9–11 ||
|-
| Portland Traction Company (Oregon) ||style="text-align:center;" |2 ||style="text-align:center;" |100, 200 ||100 is currently owned, restored to as delivered and operated by Oregon Pacific Railroad on its original home rails.
|-
| Reading Railroad ||style="text-align:center;" |9 ||style="text-align:center;" |16–24 ||
|-
| Republic Steel ||style="text-align:center;" |22 ||style="text-align:center;" |50–54, 300–306, 340–341,<br /> 352, 370–372, 890–891, 893–894 ||
|-
| Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad ||style="text-align:center;" |18 ||style="text-align:center;" |529–546 || 536 operational as AOK 536. Serial number 1685 build 4/42
|-
| Roscoe, Snyder and Pacific Railway ||style="text-align:center;" |1 ||style="text-align:center;" |100 ||
|-
| Sahara Coal Company ||style="text-align:center;" |1 ||style="text-align:center;" |(no numbers) ||
|-
| Seaboard Air Line Railroad ||style="text-align:center;" |1 ||style="text-align:center;" |1200 ||
|-
| Soo Line Railroad ||style="text-align:center;" |1 ||style="text-align:center;" |320 ||
|-
| Southern Railway ||style="text-align:center;" |9 ||style="text-align:center;" |2002–2004, 2007–2011, 8565 ||
|-
| Southern Pacific Railroad ||style="text-align:center;" |15 ||style="text-align:center;" |11, 1000, 1004–1016 || 11 is Texas & New Orleans
|-
| St. Joseph Belt Railroad ||style="text-align:center;" |1 ||style="text-align:center;" |12 ||
|-
| St. Joseph Terminal Railroad ||style="text-align:center;" |2 ||style="text-align:center;" |1–2 ||
|-
| Tennessee Coal and Iron Railroad ||style="text-align:center;" |4 ||style="text-align:center;" |1000–1003 ||
|-
| Terminal Railroad Association of St Louis ||style="text-align:center;" |8 ||style="text-align:center;" |501–508 ||
|-
| Union Railroad ||style="text-align:center;" |22 ||style="text-align:center;" |455–476 ||
|-
| US Department of Defense (US Army) ||style="text-align:center;" |4 ||style="text-align:center;" |7001–7004 || to Alaska 1203, 1201-1202, 1204
|-
| Wabash Railroad ||style="text-align:center;" |11 ||style="text-align:center;" |101–111 || Two units acquired by Tulsa-Sapulpa Union Railway, now in service as Numbers 101 & 102.
|-
| Warner Sand and Gravel Company ||style="text-align:center;" |1 ||style="text-align:center;" |15 ||
|-
| Western Pacific Railroad ||style="text-align:center;" |2 ||style="text-align:center;" |502–503 ||WP 501 was ex-EMC 906
|-
| Wheeling Steel Company ||style="text-align:center;" |4 ||style="text-align:center;" |1001–1004 ||
|-
!Total !! 661 !! !!
|-
|}
- There were 7 units built as EMD demonstrators: #152 (to Scullin Steel #6), 700 (to Manufacturers' Junction Railway #7), 755 (to Inland Steel #51), 804 (to Southern Pacific Railroad #1000, pictured above), 905 (to Central of Georgia #1), 906 (to Western Pacific Railroad #501), 911 (to Great Lakes Steel #11)
- Owego and Harford Railway was still operating one SW1 for switching duties in their yard as of 2010, sitting derelict in a railyard in Owego, NY, as of 2019
- As of 2013, Amtrak still has one SW1 on their roster. #737 is used for switching chores at the Wilmington Delaware shops.
- As of 2021, Metra commuter rail rosters one SW1. It is used for Yard Service and power on work trains on the Metra Electric and Rock Island lines. It was originally built in 1945 for the Rock Island. Metra used to operate a second SW1, built in 1939, but sold it in June 2021 via online auction for $45,000 due to an internal engine failure. The unit built in 1939 was rumored to be one of the oldest operating diesels in Illinois and the oldest operating locomotive in the U.S. that was not preserved.
Preservation
thumb|right|180px|An SW1 at the [[Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum in Calera, Alabama.]]
- Andersen Windowalls 3110 is preserved in operational condition at the Minnesota Transportation Museum. It was previously Norfolk and Western Railway 3110 and originally Wabash Railroad 110, built in June 1949.
- Arkansas–Oklahoma Railroad 536 is in operational condition and in regular freight service. It was previously Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific 536 and is painted in a Rock Island inspired paint scheme.
- Ballard Terminal Railroad 98 is one of the few SW1's operating in revenue freight service. It was originally Milwaukee Road 1619, and was for a time on the Seattle and North Coast Railroad as number 52.
- Baltimore and Ohio 8408 & Lehigh Valley 114 are preserved at the Wilmington and Western Railroad in operational condition.
- Billings Grain Terminal 84, built as Chicago, Burlington and Quincy 9139 in 1939, was purchased by railroad operator and leasing firm St Johns River Companies in 2022 with the goal of restoring the locomotive into operating condition. After the formation of the Burlington Northern in 1970, 9139 was renumbered to 84, where it served for 5 years before being sold to the Davenport, Rock Island and Northwestern. In 1984, the locomotive was sold to a grain elevator in Billings, MT where it remains today.
- Black River and Western Railroad Lehigh Valley 112, is preserved on the BR&W in operational condition. And PRR 9206 preserved and in service.
- Boston and Maine 1109 is preserved at the Railroad Museum of New England.
- Boston and Maine 1127 has been acquired by the Danbury Railway Museum.
- BRMX 1849, built as Boston and Maine 1113, is preserved at the Berkshire Scenic Railway, in Lenox, MA.
thumb|right|Southern Pacific 1006 operates at the [[Southern California Railway Museum.]]
- Cargill 6751, built in 1940 with construction number 1111, was one of the first SW1s that Electro-Motive built. After buying the unit, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) initially numbered the locomotive as No. 213, but subsequently changed the number to 8413. After several transfers of ownership, the locomotive was acquired by Cargill, becoming Cargill No. 6751.
- Monon Railroad 50, the first diesel locomotive owned by the Monon, is leased to the Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum. It was damaged in the move to the new home of the Indiana Transportation Museum in Logansport, Indiana. ITM also had Milwaukee Road 1613, but it was scrapped in July 2018. The locomotive was moved from Logansport, Indiana to the Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum in North Judson, Indiana in April 2021, where it will be repaired and will join the HVRM's fleet of vintage diesel locomotives.
- New York Central 705, built as Louisville and Nashville 14, is preserved in operational condition at the Adirondack Scenic Railroad.
- Northern States Power 4 is preserved in operational condition at the Gopher State Railway Museum. It was originally built as CB&Q 9146 in May 1940.
- Peabody Coal Company 470 (Former Delaware, Lackawanna and Western #436) is on static display at the Museum of the Coal Industry in Lynnville, Indiana.
- Pennsylvania Railroad 9206 is preserved in operational condition on the Black River and Western Railroad.
- Pennsylvania Railroad 9408 is preserved in operational condition at the Railway Museum of Greater Cincinnati.
- Pere Marquette Railway 11 is preserved at the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum, in Baltimore, MD, in operating condition at last report.
- Portland Traction Company 100 is preserved in operational condition at the Oregon Rail Heritage Center, and is the only preserved former interurban diesel locomotive to retain the trolley poles.thumb|Sacramento Northern 402 at the California State Railroad Museum
- Sacramento Northern 402, originally built as Western Pacific 502, is preserved at the California State Railroad Museum.
- SMS Rail Service 9423, former Pennsylvania Railroad 9423, is in storage in Bridgeport, NJ.
- Southern Pacific Lines 1006 is preserved in operational condition, restored to its as-built appearance. It resides at the Southern California Railway Museum, (formerly known as the Orange Empire Railway Museum) and frequently pulls passenger trains for museum visitors.
- Western Pacific Railroad 501, originally built as EMC demonstrator 906, is preserved at the Western Pacific Railroad Museum at Portola, CA. This locomotive was the Western Pacific's first diesel-electric engine.
- Used locomotive dealer/lessor Western Rail, Inc. owns WRIX 1001 (built 06/1949 as NYC # 609 (2nd), later renumbered NYC 8435, PC 8435, CR 8435, GE Sayre Repair Shop # 2, IRLX 1006, IRLX 1001, WCTR 1001).
- The Zanesville & Western Scenic Railroad 8599, former PRR 5999, operations excursions on its scenic line in Fultonham, Ohio.
- Dura-Bond (former owner of Turtle Creek Industrial Railroad) operates 462 at its pipe mill in McKeesport, PA. It is well maintained and operates as a switcher on about 7 miles of private track.
See also
- List of GM-EMD locomotives
Notes
References
- (July 2005), "Preservation Briefs", Trains Magazine, p. 71.
- TrainWeb.com. The Unofficial EMD homepage. Retrieved on January 7, 2005. Contains fairly complete builders' records for early EMD production.
- Andersen Windows 3110. Retrieved on December 7, 2012
- EMD Product Reference Data Card dated January 1, 1959 has the 567AC engine data used in the as-built roster.
- Billings Grain Terminal 84, https://www.stjohnsrail.com/restore84