EMD SW1500
Model of 1500 hp American diesel switching locomotive
title: "EMD SW1500" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["b-b-locomotives", "diesel–electric-locomotives-of-the-united-states", "electro-motive-division-locomotives", "railway-locomotives-introduced-in-1966", "standard-gauge-locomotives-of-the-united-states", "shunting-locomotives", "great-northern-railway-(united-states)-locomotives", "philadelphia-and-reading-railroad-locomotives", "southern-pacific-railroad-locomotives", "diesel-locomotives-of-southern-railway-(u.s.)", "st.-louis–san-francisco-railway-locomotives", "union-pacific-railroad-locomotives", "western-pacific-railroad-locomotives"] description: "Model of 1500 hp American diesel switching locomotive" topic_path: "geography/united-states" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EMD_SW1500" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Model of 1500 hp American diesel switching locomotive ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox locomotive"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | EMD SW1500 |
| powertype | Diesel |
| gauge | |
| image | metra4sw1500.jpg |
| caption | NIRC 4 performs switching duties near Chicago Union Station |
| builder | General Motors Electro-Motive Division (EMD) |
| aarwheels | B-B |
| primemover | EMD 645 |
| builddate | June 1966 – January 1974 |
| totalproduction | 808 |
| locale | North America South America |
| poweroutput | 1500 hp |
| locoweight | 248000 lb |
| t/e continuous | 42250 lbf |
| length | 44 ft |
| enginetype | V12 2-stroke diesel |
| aspiration | Roots blower |
| displacement | 9072 in3 |
| tractionmotors | D77/78DC |
| generator | Main: D32 |
| transmission | Diesel-electric |
| locobrakes | Straight air |
| trainbrakes | Air |
| buildmodel | SW1500 |
| :: |
| name = EMD SW1500 | powertype = Diesel | gauge = | image = metra4sw1500.jpg | caption = NIRC 4 performs switching duties near Chicago Union Station | builder = General Motors Electro-Motive Division (EMD) | aarwheels = B-B | primemover = EMD 645 | builddate = June 1966 – January 1974 | totalproduction = 808 | locale = North America South America | poweroutput = 1500 hp | maxspeed = | locoweight = 248000 lb | t/e continuous = 42250 lbf | length = 44 ft | enginetype = V12 2-stroke diesel | aspiration = Roots blower | displacement = 9072 in3 | tractionmotors = D77/78DC | generator = Main: D32 | transmission = Diesel-electric | locobrakes = Straight air | trainbrakes = Air | buildmodel = SW1500 The EMD SW1500 is a 1500 hp diesel-electric switcher locomotive built by General Motors' Electro-Motive Division from 1966 to 1974. The SW1500 replaced the SW1200 in the EMD product line. Many railroads regularly used SW1500s for road freight service.
It is similar in appearance to the EMD SW1000 model which had a different engine and had one exhaust stack while the SW1500 had two.
Original owners
::data[format=table]
Preservation
Many SW1500s remain in active service, used mostly by shortlines, switching and terminal railroads, and railroad equipment leasing companies such as GATX. However, several examples of this popular model have been preserved:
- CSX #1100 (built 1970 as L&N #5000) is preserved and operational at the Kentucky Steam Heritage Corporation in Irvine, Kentucky.
- CSX #1103 (built 1970 as L&N #5003) is preserved and operational at the Kentucky Railway Museum in New Haven, Kentucky
- Western Pacific #1503 (built 1973) is preserved and operational at the Western Pacific Railroad Museum in Portola, California. It was donated to the museum by Union Pacific in 2011, and restored to its original paint scheme in 2019.
- Wisconsin Central #1563 (built 1971) is preserved and operational at the National Railroad Museum in Green Bay, Wisconsin. It was donated to the museum by Canadian National in 2019.
References
References
- GATX Rail Locomotive Group. "SW1500".
- Solomon, Brian. (2016-06-15). "Field Guide to Trains: Locomotives and Rolling Stock". Voyageur Press.
- (1996). "A field guide to trains of North America". Houghton Mifflin.
- "Kentucky Steam Heritage Equipment".
- "Western Pacific 1503".
- (2019-11-17). "CN donates locomotive to Green Bay museum {{!}} Trains Magazine".
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