The Baldwin AS-616 was a diesel-electric locomotive of the road switcher type rated at, that rode on three-axle trucks, having a C-Cwheel arrangement. Nineteen railroads bought 214 locomotives, and two railroads bought seven cabless B units. The AS-616 was valued for its extremely high tractive effort, far more than any ALCo or EMD product. It was used in much the same manner as its four-axle counterpart, the Baldwin AS-16, and its six-axle sister, the Baldwin AS-416, though the six- traction motor design allowed better tractive effort at lower speeds.
Original owners
Design
The AS-616 was very similar to the previous model, the Baldwin DRS-6-6-1500, riding on the same basic frame and sharing the same body. The design was very simple, lacking the 1950s styling of the competing EMD F3 and ALCO FA. The utilitarian design was valued for switching jobs, a position the AS-616 filled easily. The AS-616 would be Baldwin's best sellingroad switcherof all time, and the builder's third greatest selling diesel electric model of all time.
Redesign
In 1954, Baldwin redesigned their entire roster of locomotives, with all gaining new abilities. The most notable effect of the redesign was the raising of the roof on all Baldwin road switchers, causing the roof to take the shape of a triangular prism. Only a few units were sold with this design, as Baldwin's failing sales had dropped to their lowest at the time. Baldwin began offering dynamic braking on all road switchers, though the AS-616 was already offered with optional dynamic brakes.
Usage
Despite being marketed as a road switcher, the AS-616 saw most use as a heavy switcher. The impressive tractive effort and GSC rigid bolster trimount trucks appealed to roads with heavy hump yards. Ultimately, while many saw road service, the AS-616 was a switcher that was far ahead of its time. Baldwin offered more options on the AS-616 in comparison to the DRS-6-6-1500, with some units gaining boilers, and others gaining dynamic braking. Baldwin also offered Multiple-unit train control on the AS-616, though many roads bought the unit purely for switching, opting out of MU. Some units that lacked MU were given MU by the parent company depending on the road's preference. By the 1970s almost all Baldwin AS-616s had been scrapped or sold. A select few railroads-Trona Railway being a major operator- kept their Baldwin diesels running far past their builder's lifetime.
