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 BN 251, an EMD SW1200, works the yard in Eola, Illinois (just east of Aurora) | |||||||||||||||||
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AnEMD SW1200 is a four-axle dieselswitcher locomotive built byGeneral Motors Electro-Motive Division between January 1954 and May 1966.[1] Power is provided by anEMD 567C 12-cylinder engine, which generates 1,200horsepower (890 kW). Additional SW1200 production was completed by General Motors Diesel in Ontario, Canada, between September 1955 and June 1964.
737 examples of this locomotive model were built for U.S. railroads, 287 were built for Canadian railroads,[1] four were built forBrazilian railroads, 25 were built for aChilean industrial firm, and three were built for thePanama Canal Railway.
The SW1200 was the third model of 1,200 hp SW series switchers built by EMD. It was a successor to theSW7 andSW9. Compared to its direct predecessor, the SW9, the SW1200 differed in that it used the improved and more reliable 567C engine, compared to the SW9's 567B engine. Late SW1200s built in 1966 were instead built with the 567E 12-cylinder engine. Most of the locomotive's external features were unchanged from the SW9, making distinguishing between the two models difficult.[1] The new "1200" model number was a reflection of EMD's change to a more horsepower-based model naming system at the time.
SW1200 production began in January 1954, immediately after SW9 production came to an end the previous month. Production continued for 12 years until the last SW1200 left EMD's manufacturing facility in May 1966.[1]
Like many EMD products, customers could customize their SW1200 orders. Several options were available, including Flexicoil trucks.[1] A few units were built with dynamic brakes, featuring a large square box with a fan on top of the hood, right in front of the cab.
Acow–calf variation, the TR12, was cataloged,[2] but none were built.
AnSW1200RS (RS forroad switcher) is a variation of the standard SW1200 that features large front and rear (on some units) number board housings, EMD Flexicoil B-B trucks, and larger fuel tanks for road switcher service. The majority of theCanadian National andCanadian Pacific SW1200 fleets were purchased as SW1200RS units. SW1200RS units were produced near the end of SW1200 production in the mid-1960s.[1]
| Railroad | Quantity | Road numbers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canadian Forest Products | 3 | 301–303 | Flexicoil trucks, built with dynamic brakes |
| Canadian National Railway | 208 | 1227–1268, 1271–1397, 1575–1597, 7020–7035 | 12/13/1500s have Flexicoil trucks and numberboards at both ends. Some units rebuilt to SW1200RMs |
| Canadian Pacific Railway | 72 | 8100–8171 | Flexicoil trucks, numberboards at front only |
| Dominion Foundries and Steel ("Dofasco") | 1 | 14 | |
| Essex Terminal Railway | 1 | 105 | |
| Quebec Iron and Titanium | 1 | 5 | Romaine River Ry |
| Roberval and Saguenay Railway | 1 | 23 | |
| Total | 287 |
