FM H-12-44

FM H-12-44

SP #2380 backs the Del Monte into San Jose in April 1971, a week before the Amtrak takeover.

Type and origin Power type Diesel-electric Builder Fairbanks-Morse Model H-12-44 Build date May 1950 – March 1961 Total produced 336

Specifications AAR wheel arr. B-B Gauge 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) Trucks AAR type A Wheel diameter 40 in (1,016 mm) Minimum curve 29.50 (194 ft (59.13 m) radius) Wheelbase 33 ft 6 in (10.21 m) Length 48 ft 10 in (14.88 m) Width 10 ft 4 in (3.15 m) Height 14 ft 6 5⁄8 in (4.44 m) Loco weight 240,000 lb (108.9 t) Prime mover FM 38D-6 Engine type Opposed piston Two-stroke diesel Aspiration Roots blower Displacement 6,222 cu in (101.96 l) Generator FM DGZJ Traction motors (4) FM DRZH Cylinders 6 (Opposed piston) Cylinder size 8.125 in × 10 in (206 mm × 254 mm) Loco brake Straight air Train brakes Air

Performance figures Maximum speed 60 mph (97 km/h) Power output 1,200 hp (895 kW) Tractive effort 40,440 lbf (179.9 kN))

Career Locale North America

The FM H-12-44 was a yard switcher produced by Fairbanks-Morse from May, 1950–March, 1961. The units featured a 1,200-horsepower (890 kW), six-cylinder opposed piston engine prime mover, and were configured in a B-B wheel arrangement mounted atop a pair of two-axle AAR Type-A switcher trucks, with all axles powered and geared for a top speed of 60 miles per hour (97 km/h).

A total of 303 units were built for American railroads, 30 were manufactured (between August 1951 to June 1956) by the Canadian Locomotive Company for use in Canada, and 1 unit was exported to Mexico. Initially, H-12-44s were visually indistinguishable from their predecessor model, the FM H-10-44. However, beginning in September, 1952 the Raymond Loewy design elements were removed as a cost-saving measure: cab lines were squared-off, the slanted-nose styling was discontinued, and the roof visor was eliminated. The following year, the over the battery box was removed and louvers added to reduce the possibility of battery explosions. None of the units were produced between May and October 1956, after which time the carbodies were shortened by some three feet and outfitted with a deeper side skirt.

Sixteen intact examples of the H-12-44 are known to survive today, all of which are owned by railroad museums or historical societies.

One H-12-44TS, Santa Fe 543, now resides at the Illinois Railway Museum.

Several examples of the H-12-44 model have been preserved around the US and Canada.