The BLH AS-416 was a diesel-electric locomotive of the road switcher type rated at 1,625 hp (1,212 kW), that rode on three-axle trucks, having an A1A-A1A wheel arrangement.

AS-416
locomotives in Virginia
Norfolk Southern number 1616, an AS-416, at Chesapeake, VA, in 1968
Type and origin
Power typeDiesel-electric
BuilderBaldwin-Lima-Hamilton Corporation
ModelAS-416
Build dateMay 1951–December 1955
Total produced25
Specifications
Configuration:
 • AARA1A-A1A
Gauge4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Length:
 • Over couplers58’
Prime mover608A
AspirationTurbocharger Elliott Company H704 (125 hp)
GeneratorWestinghouse YG42B
Traction motorsWestinghouse 370DL (4)
Performance figures
Power output1,625 hp (1,212 kW) (marketed as 1,600 hp)

Used in much the same manner as its four-axle counterpart, the AS-16, though the wheel arrangement spread out the axle load for operation on light rail such as are found on branch lines.

It was introduced in 1950 as a replacement of the DRS-6-4-1500 and remained in BLH's catalog until their cessation of locomotive manufacture in 1956.

Only 25 units were sold to four railroads — all of whom had bought the earlier model. The vast majority (17 of the 25 units) were purchased by the original Norfolk Southern Railway (1942–82), becoming a signature locomotive for the company.

Original owners

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Railroad Quantity Road numbers Notes
Savannah and Atlanta Railway
3
108–110
Columbus and Greenville Railway
1
606
Norfolk Southern Railway
17
1601–1617
Office des Chemins de Fer Algériens
4
040 DF 1–4
Total 25

Preservation

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Columbus & Greenville Railway number 606 at Illinois Railway Museum

Surviving examples include:

References

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  • Kirkland, John F. (November 1994). The Diesel Builders volume 3: Baldwin Locomotive Works. Interurban Press. ISBN 0-916374-93-9.