EMD "SW1001" Locomotives: Data, Specs, Roster

Last revised: December 19, 2024

The SW1001 was an updated variant of the SW1000 and cataloged in 1968, two years following its counterpart. The earlier design was EMD's first 8-cylinder model featuring its new 645 prime mover and followed the SW900, the 8-cylinder variant equipped with the previous 567C power plant.

The SW1001 was cataloged only to remedy a design flaw, specifically the cab roof which proved too tall in industrial settings where clearances were low and tight.

Interestingly, the switcher did see higher sales over the SW1000 although not enough for EMD to continue cataloging an 8-cylinder locomotive. It was the final model in the series as the builder focused exclusively on more powerful 12-cylinder variants.

By contrast, the SW1500 saw nearly 1,000 examples roll out of EMD. Today, numerous examples of the SW1001 can still be found in service, particularly in industrial/private operations.

Photos

Elgin, Joliet & Eastern SW1001 #445 was a few years old when this photo was taken in Joliet, Illinois on July 28, 1974. Author's collection.

Overview

Following numerous complaints that its SW1000 suffered from a clearance issue, EMD went back to the drawing board.

The SW1000, along with featuring an updated prime mover (645E), also boasted a slightly redesigned carbody featuring a higher cab with less tapering (for improved visibility), two additional windows on each side of the cab, horizontal tapering along the pilot end of the hood featuring inset headlights, and a radiator hood grill which wrapped slightly over each side of the carbody.

The SW1001 was identical to its predecessor except for the cab roof, which was lowered from 15 feet on the SW1000, to 14 feet, 3 inches.

Newburgh & South Shore Railway SW1001 #1020 in Cleveland, Ohio; July, 1975. S. Wertans photo. American-Rails.com collection.

Internally, the model was an SW1000 through and through. It used the same, new 8-cylinder, model 654E prime mover featured in the earlier design.

This engine could produce 1,000 horsepower, a slight increase over the earlier SW8 and SW900 which offered 800 and 900 horsepower, respectively.

The SW1001 featured General Motors' latest model D77 traction motors, which also provided the same tractive effort as the predecessor (noted in the below table). In addition, weight remained the same at 115 tons.

The differences were solely with the carbody, specifically the roof as previously mentioned. Many industries and private companies which had been loyal EMD customers were decades had tailored their private trackage to fit the builder's standard switcher configuration.

Data Sheet

Entered Production	9/1968 (Detroit Edison #217)
Years Produced	9/1968 - 6/1986
EMD Class	SW1001
Engine	645E (8 Cylinder)
Engine Builder	EMD/GM
Horsepower	1000
RPM	800
Length	44' 8"
Height (Top Of Rail To Top Of Cab)	14' 3"
Width	10' 3"
Weight	230,000 Lbs
Fuel Capacity	600 Gallons
Air Compressor	WXO (Gardner-Denver)
Air Brake Schedule	24L (Westinghouse)
Trucks	B-B
Truck Type	GRS Rigid Bolster, Drop-Side Equalizer (AAR Type-A)
Truck Wheelbase	8' 0"
Wheel Size	40"
Traction Motors	D77 (4), EMD/GM
Traction Generator	D36, EMD/GM
Auxiliary Generator	EMD/GM
MU (Multiple-Unit)	Optional
Dynamic Brakes	No
Gear Ratio	62:15
Tractive Effort/Starting	57,500 Lbs
Tractive Effort/Continuous	36,000 Lbs at 11.0 mph
Top Speed	65 mph

Production Rosters

EMD

(Total Built = 142)

Owner	Road Number	Serial Number	Order Number	Completion Date	Quantity
Detroit Edison	217	33803	4532	9/1968	1
Lake Terminal Railroad	1021	34097	4541	10/1968	1
River Terminal Railway	101-102	34109-34110	4542	9/1968-10/1968	2
Ford Motor Company	10014-10018	34262-34266	4550	10/1968	5
U.S. Steel, Gary Works	88-89	35992-35993	7249	3/1970	2
Monongahela Connecting Railroad	420	36160	4575	2/1970	1
Newburgh & South Shore	1018	36161	4576	2/1970	1
U.S. Steel, Gary Works	90	36878	7249	1/1971	1
Elgin, Joliet & Eastern	444-445	37079-37080	4595	8/1971	2
Alabama By-Products Corporation	1000	37387	4599	8/1971	1
Newburgh & South Shore	1019	37534	4602	8/1971	1
General Motors, Central Foundry Division	1971	37535	4603	8/1971	1
Newburgh & South Shore	1020	38840	4611	4/1972	1
General Motors, Chevrolet Motor Division	96	4623-1	4623	5/1972	1
Birmingham Southern	18-19	72666-1 thru 72666-2	72666	5/1973-6/1973	2
Aliquippa & Southern	1000-1001	72678-1 thru 72678-2	72678	2/1973	2
Cuyahoga Valley	1051	72679-1	72679	2/1973	1
Ford Motor Company	10019-10020	72695-1 thru 72695-2	72695	10/1973	2
Public Service Company of Colorado	15-1	73620-1	73620	11/1973	1
Reading	2601-2615	73623-1 thru 73623-25	73623	11/1973-12/1973	15
Corinth & Counce Railroad	1003	73650-1	73650	10/1974	1
Birmingham Southern	220-224	73680-1 thru 73680-5	73680	1/1974	5
Monongahela Connecting	421-422	73688-1 thru 73688-2	73688	4/1974	2
Chicago Short Line	28-29	74616-1 thru 74616-2	74616	9/1974	2
St Joseph Minerals Company	1004	74624-1	74624	8/1974	1
Interlake Steel	17-18	74627-1 thru 74627-2	74627	10/1974-11/1974	2
Armco Steel	E150	74638-1	74638	10/1974	1
Birmingham Southern	225	74642-1	74642	10/1974	1
River Terminal	103-104	74657-1 thru 74657-2	74657	9/1975	2
Newburgh & South Shore	1021-1022	74669-1 thru 74669-2	74669	4/1975	2
South Carolina Public Railways	1001	74670-1	74670	4/1975	2
Monongahela Connecting	423	74672-1	74672	4/1975	1
Armco Steel	E151-E152	75631-1 thru 75631-2	75631	9/1975	2
Ford Motor Company	10021-10023	75632-1 thru 75632-3	75632	12/1975	3
Aliquippa & Southern	1002	756054-1	756054	3/1975	1
Armco Steel	E153-E155	756059-1 thru 756059-3	756059	10/1975	3
Monongahela Connecting	424-425	756061-1 thru 756061-2	756061	3/1976	2
Inland Steel	126-127	756066-1 thru 756066-2	756061	3/1976	2
Union Railroad	101-103	756071-1 thru 756071-3	756071	3/1976	3
Texas Company	24	756079-1	756079	1/1976	1
Galveston Wharves	301-302	756080-1 thru 756080-2	756080	10/1975	2
New Haven Trap Rock	7357	756135-1	756135	7/1976	1
Armco Steel	E156-E158	756148-1 thru 756148-3	756148	8/1976	3
River Terminal	105-106	766009-1 thru 766009-2	766009	12/1976	2
Long Island Rail Road	100-107	766042-1 thru 766042-8	766042	3/1977	8
Armco Steel	E159-E161	776004-1 thru 776004-3	776004	10/1977	3
East Cooper & Berkeley	2001-2002	776017-1 thru 776017-2	776017	12/1977	2
Galveston Wharves	303	776052-1	776052	12/1977	1
River Terminal	107	776072-1	776072	4/1978	1
Savannah State Docks	1001-1002	776103-1 thru 776103-2	776103	4/1978	2
Armco Steel	E162-E163	786141-1 thru 786141-2	786141	12/1978	2
River Terminal	108	786155-1	786155	12/1978	1
Amoco Oil	SE3	786198-1	786198	12/1978	1
Champion International	06056	786212-1	786212	7/1979	1
Armco Steel	E164-E165	786229-1 thru 786229-2	786229	12/1979	2
Corinth & Counce Railroad	1004	786254-1	786254	1/1980	1
American Steel Foundries	9G9-9G10	786279-1 thru 786279-2	786279	6/1979-7/1979	2
Galveston Wharves	304-305	796304-1 thru 796304-2	796304	7/1980	2
Armco Steel	E166-E167	796330-1 thru 796330-2	796330	12/1980	2
Electro-Motive (Demonstrator)	117*	797355-1	797355	12/1979	1
Dow Chemical	1001-1003	796375-1 thru 796375-3	796375	12/1980	3
Armco Steel	1-18-38	806007-1	806007	11/1980	1
Coors Brewing	C998	806036-1	806036	12/1980	1
Dow Chemical	1008-1009	806039-1 thru 806039-2	806039	12/1980	2
Armco Steel	1215	806056-1	806056	4/1981	1
Armco Steel	E168-E169	806060-1 thru 806060-2	806060	4/1981	2
Northwestern Steel & Wire	2-4	806061-1 thru 806061-3	806061	5/1981	3
Corinth & Counce Railroad	1005	806062-1	806062	5/1981	1
Armco Steel	1-18-39	806067-1	806067	6/1981	1
Indianapolis Power & Light	No Number	816014-1	816014	3/1982	1
Armco Steel	1-18-40	816039-1	816039	6/1982	1
Olin Chemical	1	816058-1	816058	6/1982	1
Intermountain Power	1	847004-1	847004	4/1985	1

* Became General Motors Diesel shop switcher #1 at the London, Ontario plant.

GMDD

(Total Built = 4)

Owner	Road Number	Serial Number	Order Number	Completion Date	Quantity
National Harbours Board	7601-7602	758024-1 thru 758024-2	C399	7/1976	2
Saskatchewan Power	1001-1002	788054-1 thru 788054-2	C414	11/1978	2

Export

(Total Built = 70)

Owner	Road Number	Serial Number	Order Number	Completion Date	Quantity
Korean National Railroad (Korea)	2101-2120	34440-34459	711121-711140	3/1969	20
Korean National Railroad (Korea)	2121-2128	37050-37057	711810-711817	1/1971	8
Boke Project (Guinea)	201-204	37900-37903	712083-712086	3/1972-4/1972	4
Altos Hornos (Mexico)	142	713289	713289	8/1974	1
Boke Project (Guinea)	205	713408	713408	10/1974	1
Lazaro Cardenas Steel (Mexico)	No Number	756104-1 thru 756104-3	756104	1/1976	1
Altos Hornos (Mexico)	151-153	778027-1 thru 778027-3	778027	5/1978	3
Altos Hornos (Mexico)	154-156	788063-1 thru 788063-3	788063	11/1978	3
Mexican Petroleum (Mexico)	24-25	798046-1 thru 798046-2	798046	8/1980	2
Foster Yeoman (Great Britain)	44	798083-1	798083	12/1980	1
Altos Hornos (Mexico)	164-165	808003-1 thru 808003-2	808003	12/1980	2
Saudi Government Railway (Saudi Arabia)	1022-1026	818000-1 thru 818000-5	818000	11/1981	5
Moroccan Railways (Morocco)	DI501-DI513	818038-1 thru 818038-13	818038	10/1982	13
Moroccan Railways (Morocco)	DI514-DI518	838061-1 thru 838061-5	838061	8/1984-9/1984	5
Mexican Petroleum (Mexico)	5	858096-1	858096	6/1986	1

Sources

Foster, Gerald. A Field Guide To Trains. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1996.

Hayden, Bob. Diesel Locomotives: Cyclopedia, Volume 2 (Model Railroader). Milwaukee: Kalmbach Publishing Company, 1980.

Marre, Louis A. Diesel Locomotives: The First 50 Years, A Guide To Diesels Built Before 1972. Milwaukee: Kalmbach Publishing Company, 1995.

Marre, Louis A. and Pinkepank, Jerry A. Contemporary Diesel Spotter's Guide, The: A Comprehensive Reference Manual To Locomotives Since 1972. Milwaukee: Kalmbach Publishing Company, 1989.

Solomon, Brian. EMD Locomotives. Minneapolis: MBI Publishing Company, 2006.

Since the 1930s this had been roughly a length of 44.5 feet, 14.5 feet tall, and about 10 feet wide.

To alleviate the clearance issues, EMD went back to the drawing board by utilizing the cab and underframe of the SW1200. The new switcher retained the SW1000 hood assembly and named the SW1001.

The updated switcher allowed industries to continue using EMD products without the need of changing their track and property layouts. Interestingly, the SW1001 sold better than its counterpart.

The switcher remained in production until 1985 in the United States (foreign sales continued until 1986). The SW1001 ultimately sold some 142 units in the U.S., Canada purchasing another 4, and 70 others sold to foreign operations. In total, 216 were produced.