The "Beep" (also referred to as the SWBLW) is an individual switcher locomotive built in 1970 by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway at its Cleburne, Texas, workshops. Technically a rebuild, the Beep (a portmanteau of a B-B wheel arrangement and "Baldwin Geep", whose official designation was derived from "SWitcher, Baldwin Locomotive Works") originally entered service on the Santa Fe as a Baldwin Model VO-1000. Following its successful CF7 capital rebuilding program, the company hoped to determine if remanufacturing its aging, non-EMD end cab switchers by fitting them with new EMD prime movers was an economically viable proposition. The conversion procedure proved too costly and only the one unit was modified. In 2008-2009, this locomotive was retired and stored operational at Topeka, Kansas. In May 2009 the unit was donated to the Western America Railroad Museum in Barstow, California.
Quick Facts The, Type and origin ...
The Beep |
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Type and origin |
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Power type | Diesel-electric |
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Builder | Baldwin Locomotive Works; rebuilt by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway |
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Build date | 1970 |
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Performance figures |
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Maximum speed | 65 mph (105 km/h) |
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Power output | 1,500 hp (1,119 kW) |
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Tractive effort | 63,500 lbf (282 kN) |
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Career |
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Operators | |
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Numbers | currently 1460 |
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Official name | SWBLW (SWitcher, Baldwin Locomotive Works) |
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Locale | North America |
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