Diesel Locomotives

No. 904 is an Electro-Motive Division (EMD) SW1 built in January of 1942. No. 904s power came from a 600 hp V6 capable of producing 450 kW. Final assembly was at EMD's plant at LaGrange (McCook) Illinois. Originally, No. 904 was Memphis Union Station (MUS) No. 10, painted blue and white.

As Memphis station’s lone switch engine, known as “the ten-spot” proved up to the task. Any changes in a trains consist was handled by No. 10. On the final day of operations, in addition to normal duties, No. 10 was pulling all of the spare passenger cars out of storage and placing them on ready tracks, on the end of out bound trains or in strings to be picked up by their owners. When MUS ceased operations in 1964, No. 10 was sold to Republic Steel where she was renumbered as No. 904 and operated in Thomas Alabama until the plant shut down in 1984.

In 1989 a Heart of Dixie salvage crew went to work making her operational. Prior to joining the Heart of Dixie Roster, she actually spent a few weeks pinch-hitting for American Cast Iron Pipe Company (ACIPCO) while their engines were down. After that, she was brought to the museum's Powell Avenue site.

In the fall of 1989 the engine was painted and lettered as Louisville & Nashville No. 11 and was used for photo sessions at the Boyles Roundhouse for the L&N Historical Society Convention. The following year she was again repainted and lettered as engine No. 904 of Heart of Dixie's C&SRR. Now numbered as C&SRR No. 904 the engine remained in good operating condition until sometime in the mid-1990s. For reasons unknown, vandals or vagrants started a fire in the cab. This resulted in a catastrophic loss of the operating controls.

Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum

Built by The American Locomotive Company (ALCO), Schenectady, NY, in March 1937 under the construction number 68788. It was delivered to its original owner, the Birmingham Southern Railroad carrying the road number 82. BS bought 5 HH900s and 5 EMC NC locomotives as part of their dieselization initiative in 1937. Later they acquired 86-88.

These locomotives were 900 horsepower supercharged diesel locomotives built for switching service and equipped with multiple-unit controls for transfer service. With a length of 43’ 3” and weight of 115 tons, the HH900 has a starting tractive force of 69,000 pounds. The prime mover is a McIntosh & Seymour Model 6-53T engine. The locomotive was equipped with Westinghouse electrical equipment.

The original paint scheme is believed to have been dark green with white pinstriping and lettering, however no color photo has ever been found to support this. As a Birmingham Southern Railroad locomotive, its last paint scheme would have been green with a broad yellow strip and black lettering. For over two decades No. 82 worked for the Birmingham Southern, but eventually all of the High Hoods were replaced by newer power. No. 82’s inspection cards show Birmingham Southern last operated her in 1962.

The next year Birmingham Southern sold Nos. 81 and 82 to one of its on-line shipping customers, American Cast Iron Pipe Company (ACIPCO). ACIPCO renumbered the engines as their Nos. 101 and 103, respectively and operated them in a plain green paint scheme. Later, the green paint was replaced with an elaborate red, white and blue scheme. For the next two decades No. 103 switched carloads of cast iron pipe before being finally sidelined due to a broken crankshaft. Retirement

In her last years of operation, No. 103 was the second-oldest operating diesel locomotive in the United States. With her retirement, No. 103 was subsequently donated to the Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum.

Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum

This 35 ton center cab switcher was built in 1953 by Euclid Company of Ohio. It is the only locomotive Euclid produced. Euclid was better known for their manufacturing of off-road haulers and scrapers. By the early 1950s, Euclid had grown to become a large corporation. General Motors saw an opportunity to enter the earthmoving manufacturing market building on the strengths of the Euclid Corporation. On September 30, 1953, the General Motors take over was announced. With an already strong presence in the Locomotive marketplace via EMD, the continued production and developed of a Euclid locomotive product line came to an end before it even really got started. Birmingham Slag Company (later named Vulcan Materials Company) operated 2430 using the road number DE4. Vulcan Materials Company later retired #2430. The locomotive was donated to the Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum in 1973. Since the museum’s move to Calera, 2430 has been on static display in Clark Yard.

Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum

Fairbanks-Morse (FM) No. 1850 is a H12-44 locomotive built in January and February of 1953 as part of a group of 20 locomotives. It is a 1200 horsepower 120-ton yard switcher. The locomotive was delivered with the Fairbanks Morse standard 2-cycle 38D-6 opposed piston prime mover capable of producing 1,200 horsepower via a B-B truck setup (meaning two axles per truck). Each of the six cylinders was 8.125 x 10 inches in size. This combination allowed for a top speed of 60 mpg and a tractive effort of 40,440 lbf.

The FM H12-44 became the builder's most successful diesel locomotive it ever produced with nearly 400 constructed over an eleven year period. Despite the fact that Fairbanks Morse diesels used the complicated opposed-piston prime mover, railroads became quite fond of them for their incredible lugging ability and relative lightweight.

Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum