Fairbanks-Morse H-24

Fairbanks-Morse H-24 The Fairbanks-Morse H-24 was a class of road-switcher diesel-electric locomotives produced by Fairbanks-Morse during the mid-20th century. Introduced amid the dieselization era that followed World War II, the H-24 competed with designs from General Motors Electro-Motive Division, Baldwin Locomotive Works, Alco, and General Electric for freight and switching assignments across North America and export markets. Its development intersected with postwar industrial trends represented by firms such as Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Union Pacific Railroad, Pennsylvania Railroad, and New York Central Railroad.

Design and development

Fairbanks-Morse developed the H-24 in response to requests from railroads including Chicago and North Western Railway, Canadian National Railway, Southern Pacific Company, and Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway for higher-horsepower road-switchers. Drawing on technologies from naval work for United States Navy submarines and destroyers, the company adapted opposed-piston diesel engine concepts that had been used in cooperation with G.E. and Cleveland Diesel Engine Division projects. Design teams coordinated with suppliers such as Westinghouse for electrical components and with industrial partners like Caterpillar Inc. for auxiliary systems. Competing against models like the EMD F-series, Alco RS series, and Baldwin DT-6-6-2000, the H-24 emphasized a compact powerplant and robust trucks influenced by earlier Fairbanks-Morse road engines delivered to Long Island Rail Road and Missouri Pacific Railroad.

Technical specifications

The H-24 employed Fairbanks-Morse opposed-piston diesel engines derived from marine practice, pairing with generator sets supplied by firms related to Westinghouse Electric. Its electrical equipment and traction motors paralleled approaches used by General Electric locomotives delivered to carriers such as Southern Railway (U.S.) and Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad. The locomotive featured an AAR wheel arrangement comparable to those on EMD GP7 and Alco RS-3 units, with multiple-unit control compatible with locomotives from builders like Baldwin Locomotive Works and EMD. Fuel and lubrication systems mirrored standards applied by maintenance facilities at hubs like Chicago Union Station and St. Louis servicing fleets including Penn Central and Norfolk and Western Railway.

Production and variants

Production runs occurred during the late 1940s into the 1950s at Fairbanks-Morse facilities that also produced marine engines for customers including United States Maritime Commission vessels. Orders were placed by regional and major carriers such as Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, Illinois Central Railroad, Canadian Pacific Railway, and industrial operators like U.S. Steel. Variants included adaptations for different gearing and traction motor arrangements to suit roles from heavy road freight on lines like Great Northern Railway to yard switching for companies such as Southern Pacific Railroad. Some units were rebuilt or modified in shop programs at railroad facilities such as Paducah (Illinois) Shops and Altoona Works to extend service life, mirroring practices undertaken by Norfolk Southern and CSX Transportation in later decades.

Operational history

H-24 locomotives served on mainlines and branch lines for roads including Union Pacific Railroad, Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad, Seaboard Air Line Railroad, and Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad. They operated in mixed freight, manifest, and helper service across regions from the Rocky Mountains to the Great Lakes and in export markets across Latin America and Asia. Crews and maintenance personnel trained at union-affiliated programs such as those run by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and worked in terminals like Jersey City Terminal and St. Louis Terminal Railroad Association yards. Performance and reliability varied with operational conditions, and the class faced competition from diesel designs fielded by EMD and Alco, influencing retirements during the roster rationalizations undertaken by carriers including Conrail and Canadian National in the 1970s and 1980s.

Preservation and surviving units

Several H-24 examples entered rail preservation collections and museums, finding homes at institutions such as the Illinois Railway Museum, California State Railroad Museum, Canadian Railway Museum, and heritage railways like Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad and Fremont and Elkhorn Valley Railroad. Preservation efforts have involved volunteers organized through groups like the National Railway Historical Society and local historical societies in cities including Chicago, New York City, Montreal, and Vancouver. Surviving units appear at static displays, excursion service, and restoration shops sometimes supported by grants from state historical agencies and philanthropic organizations connected to industrial heritage initiatives.

Category:Fairbanks-Morse locomotives Category:Diesel-electric locomotives