#2989

Baldwin RS-12

🇺🇸 United States ·built by Baldwin Locomotive Works· from 1951· model of 50 American 1200hp Bo′Bo′ diesel-electric road switcher locomotives

🛤️ diesel locomotive diesel preserved

4 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences

1. USA 2012 0238 - Los Angeles - Travel Town: Klaus Nahr· CC BY-SA 2.0
2. Central of New Jersey 1208 (RS12) at the Elizabeth, NJ Shops on November 8, 1969 (22340974338): railfan 44· Public domain
3. CNJ Baldwin Road Switcher RS12 1208 at Elizabethport, NJ on Novemebr 8, 1969 (25943948742): railfan 44· Public domain
4. CNJ Baldwins RS12 1209 at and VO660 1043 at the Elizabethport NJ shops on November 8, 1969 (25433950933): railfan 44· Public domain

Read about it on Wikipedia ↗

what is it?

The BLH RS-12 was a class of 1,200 hp (895 kW) diesel-electric road switcher locomotives configured with an AAR type B-B wheel arrangement. It was the follow-on model to the former Baldwin DRS-4-4-1000, first introduced in 1948. It was more successful than its predecessor selling 50 units to eight railroads, versus 22 units to three railroads.

who runs it

Seaboard Air Line Railroad Central Railroad of New Jersey Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad New York Central Railroad Pennsylvania Railroad Durham and Southern Railway McCloud Railway

base stats

speed 121 km/htop speed
power 895 kWpower output
weight 105 tin working order
built 50made in total

Bars compare against all trains: 600 km/h (maglev), 1,700 seats; power, weight and number built on a log scale up to 20 MW, 1,000 t and 20,000 built.

fun facts

First built 75 years ago, in 1951.
895 kW is about 11 family cars (~85 kW each) flat out.
Weighs about as much as 18 African elephants (~6 t each).
17.7 m long: about 4 cars parked nose to tail.

diesel locomotive: A diesel engine on board drives the wheels, usually through a generator (diesel-electric).

spec sheet

built: 1951–1956
status: preserved
number built: 50
kind: Diesel-electric
traction: diesel
origin: 🇺🇸 United States
builders: Baldwin Locomotive Works
operators: Seaboard Air Line Railroad, Central Railroad of New Jersey, Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad, New York Central Railroad, Pennsylvania Railroad, Durham and Southern Railway, McCloud Railway
top speed: 121 km/h
power: 895 kW
gauge: 1,435 mm standard gauge
wheel arrangement: Bo′Bo′
length: 17.7 m
weight: 105 t

From the Wikipedia infobox and Wikidata. Blank means the sources don't say.

Sources: Wikidata Q4850584, Wikipedia: Baldwin RS-12 (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.