EMD SW900

The EMD SW900 is a diesel switcher locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division and General Motors Diesel (GMD) between December 1953 and March 1969.^[1]

Power typeDiesel–electric

Power typeDiesel–electric

Builder

• General Motors’ Electro-Motive Division (EMD)
• General Motors Diesel (GMD), Canada

ModelSW900

Quick facts Type and origin, Power type ...

EMD SW900
Rock Island 907 at Seneca, Illinois on January 28, 1967
Type and origin Power type Diesel–electric Builder General Motors’ Electro-Motive Division (EMD) General Motors Diesel (GMD), Canada Model SW900 Build date December 1953 – March 1969 Total produced EMD: 274; GMD: 97
Specifications Configuration: ​  • AAR B-B Prime mover EMD 8-567C Engine type V8 Two-stroke diesel Aspiration Roots-type supercharger Cylinders 8
Performance figures Power output 900 hp (670 kW)
Career Locale North America South America Africa

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Built concurrently with the SW1200, the eight-cylinder SW900 model had a single exhaust stack, and replaced the EMD SW8 model in EMD's catalogue. Power was provided by an EMD 567C 8-cylinder engine that generated 900 horsepower (670 kW). The "900" model number reflected EMD's change to a more horsepower-based naming system at the time. The last two SW900s built by GMD for British Columbia Hydro were built with 8 cylinder 645E engines rated at 1,000 horsepower (750 kW).^{[citation needed]}

260 examples of this locomotive model were built for American railroads and 97 were built for Canadian railroads. Canadian production of the SW900 lasted three and a half years past EMD production. Seven units were exported to Orinoco Mining Co (Venezuela); two units were exported to Southern Peru Copper Co; and five units were exported to the Liberian American-Swedish Minerals Company. Total production is 371 units.^{[citation needed]}

Some SW900s were built with the generators from traded in EMC Winton-engined switchers and were classified as SW900M by EMD. Units rebuilt from SW or SC model locomotives developed 600 or 660 horsepower with the older generators instead of the full 900 horsepower of the SW900.^{[citation needed]}

In the early 1960s, the Reading Company sent 14 of their Baldwin VO 1000 model switchers to EMD to have them rebuilt to SW900 specifications. The Reading units retained the Baldwin switcher carbody and were rated at 1000 horsepower by EMD.^{[citation needed]}

A cow–calf variation, the TR9, was cataloged, but none were built.^{[citation needed]}