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Baldwin's "VO-1000": Its Popular, 1000 HP Switcher

Last revised: August 26, 2024

By: Adam Burns

The VO-1000 was Baldwin's most popular diesel locomotive. Including the later DS-4-4-1000, Baldwin, old more than 1,000 examples.

Most sales of the VO-1000 went to large Class I railroads. However, the diesel also found a market with the industries and smaller railroads looking to fill their power needs. 

Today, the VO-1000 is the best preserved Baldwin diesel, as more than a half-dozen can be found at museums around the country. Additionally, B&O #412 owned by the United Railroad Historical Society is leased out to short line SMS Lines for revenue freight service.

Photos

Rock Island VO-1000 #760, circa 1955. Location not recorded. American-Rails.com collection.

Overview

Baldwin released its VO-1000 while the less powerful VO-660 was in production. The designations behind Baldwin's switchers included engine type (the VO was a diesel engine built by De La Vergne who supplied many prime movers for Baldwin over the years) and horsepower.

Baldwin would later change this early classification system into a complex set of numbers, letters, and dashes before finally settling on the Standard Line designations beginning in 1950.

In any event, if Baldwin had ever shown as much interest in main line diesel locomotives (where the real money was to be made) as it did its early switcher designs the company would surely have survived much longer or perhaps still even be in business today.

Union Pacific VO-1000 'DS1200.' Location and date not recorded (likely 1950s). American-Rails.com collection.

The VO-1000 entered production three years after Baldwin's first VO-660 was completed (1936).

The more powerful variant was a bit longer than models being released by Alco and EMC at 48 feet. However, it carried the classic look that would come to define switcher models, an end cab that was wider and taller than the leading long hood to give crews maximum visibility.

St. Louis-San Francisco VO-1000 #232 was photographed here at the engine terminal in Memphis, Tennessee, circa 1967. The Frisco acquired a fairly large fleet of these switchers, 38 in all. Mac Owen photo. American-Rails.com collection.

The VO-1000 used a four-axle, B-B truck setup and featured internal components almost exclusively from Westinghouse (the two companies had worked well together for many years dating back to the late 19th century in collaborating to build electric locomotives).

While the model did not feature dynamic braking or turbocharging it did offer excellent tractive effort; 60,000 pounds starting and 34,000 pounds continuous (a trait not lost on railroads).  

The switchers proved quite versatile in light duty service such as branch line and yard work. It also made them marketable for industrial applications where many were also purchased. When production ended on the VO-1000 just after World War II, nearly 550 had rolled out of Eddystone.

Designation

For historical reference, Baldwin technically never classified the model as the "VO-1000."  As Brian Solomon notes in his book, "Baldwin Locomotives," this was another railfan designation coined later to identify these early switchers.  In truth, Baldwin never gave its first production switcher line any name at all, only listing them by their horsepower rating.

Data Sheet and Specifications

Early Variants

Later Variants

Production Rosters

Total Built = 548

Early Variants

The above information pertains to the initial VO-1000's built, which included Baldwin serial numbers 1-10. 

Beginning with serial #8 (demonstrator #332), Baldwin changed the classification system from 8-DE-1000/1 E to 0-4-4-0 1000/1 DE.  This change occurred in August, 1939.

Baldwin's original classification system: 8-DE-1000/1 E

• 8 = Total number of wheels
• DE = Diesel-Electric
• 1000/1 = One 1000 HP engine
• E = 4 pairs of driving wheels

Baldwin's updated classification system: 0-4-4-0 1000/1 E

*  Upon sale to the SP&S, this locomotive's Batz trucks were replaced with General Steel Castings Corporations' rigid bolster, drop-size equalizer trucks.

** Sold to the Minneapolis & St. Louis on July 24, 1940 and became M&StL #D340.  It was traded to Baldwin for a new VO-1000 (serial #385) on November 17, 1944.  Demonstrator #334 subsequently became Eddystone plant switcher #300.

 Later Variants

During the course of the VO-1000's production, Baldwin introduced several changes and improvements.  These were differentiated by "Lots" according to the manufacturer.  The VO-1000 was built in Lots "A" through "W". 

Most updates were minor although two notables include the lowering of the cab roof from 14' 6" to 14' beginning with Northern Pacific #109 (Baldwin serial #24), which introduced the "B" Lot and several improvements that brought about the "G" Lot.

The former ("B" Lot") improved clearance restrictions under bridges and within tunnels while the latter ("G" Lot), that began with U.S. War Department #7129 saw the VO-1000 reequipped with Westinghouse's latest traction motors (model 362D), main generator (model 480A), auxiliary-exciter generator (model YG40), and updated gearing (14:68).

Santa Fe VO-1000 #2253 is seen here at work in Slaton, Texas, circa 1970. American-Rails.com collection.

Rebuilds

Over the years, many railroads rebuilt theirs with Electro-Motive prime movers; the move not only extended their service lives but also streamlined maintenance after Baldwin ended production in 1956.

The Great Northern, for example, completely salvaged their VO-1000's, turning them into transfer cabooses. The most interesting, however, was Santa Fe's retrofitting one its VO-1000s into what became known as the "Beep" (also known as the SWBLW or "SWitcher, Baldwin Locomotive Works). 

The company repowered the locomotive with an EMD model 567C prime mover and had to construct a GP7-like hood (only shorter) to house the engine. The locomotive, though, kept its original Baldwin frame although it was given updated Blomberg B trucks.

It entered service in December, 1970 and even though Santa Fe determined the idea unsuccessful the "Beep" (or "Baldwin Geep") remained in service until it was donated to the Western America Railroad Museum of Barstow, California.  

Sources

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


• Kirkland, John F. Diesel Builders, The:  Volume Three, Baldwin Locomotive Works. Pasadena: Interurban Press, 1994.


• Pinkepank, Jerry A. Diesel Spotter's Guide.  Milwaukee: Kalmbach Publishing Company, 1967.


• Solomon, Brian.  Baldwin Locomotives.  Minneapolis:  Voyageur Press, 2009.