#2852

FM H-15-44

🇺🇸 United States ·built by Fairbanks-Morse· from 1947· model of American 1500ho diesel road switcher

2 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences

1. Central Railroad of New Jersey (CHJ) Fairbankd Morse H15-44 1503 at Commercial Av. Engine Terminal, Jersey City, NJ on November 8, 1969 (24160281511): railfan 44· Public domain
2. Fairbanks Morse FM H-15-44: Fairbanks-Morse Company· Public domain

what is it?

The FM H-15-44 was a diesel locomotive manufactured by Fairbanks-Morse from September 1947 to June 1950. The locomotive was powered by a 1,500-horsepower (1,100 kW), eight-cylinder opposed piston engine as its prime mover, and was configured in a B-B wheel arrangement mounted atop a pair of two-axle AAR Type-B road trucks with all axles powered. The H-15-44 featured an offset cab design that provided space for an optional steam generator in the short hood, making the model versatile enough to work in passenger service as well as freight duty.

who runs it

Long Island Rail Road Kansas City Southern Railway Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad Union Pacific Railroad Fairbanks-Morse Central Railroad of New Jersey Akron, Canton and Youngstown Railroad Central of Georgia Railway Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad Monon Railroad

base stats

speed 105 km/htop speed
power 1.1 MWpower output
weight 113 tin working order
built 35made 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 79 years ago, in 1947.
1.1 MW is about 13 family cars (~85 kW each) flat out.
Weighs about as much as 19 African elephants (~6 t each).
15.5 m long: about 3 cars parked nose to tail.

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

spec sheet

built: 1947–1950
status: retired
number built: 35
kind: Diesel-electric
traction: diesel
origin: 🇺🇸 United States
builders: Fairbanks-Morse
operators: Long Island Rail Road, Kansas City Southern Railway, Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad, Union Pacific Railroad, Fairbanks-Morse, Central Railroad of New Jersey, Akron, Canton and Youngstown Railroad, Central of Georgia Railway, Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad, Monon Railroad
top speed: 105 km/h
power: 1.1 MW
gauge: 1,435 mm standard gauge
wheel arrangement: B-B
length: 15.5 m
weight: 113 t

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

Sources: Wikidata Q5426720, Wikipedia: FM H-15-44 (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.