Seaboard Air Line Railroad Locomotives – SAL

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Diesel Locomotive Roster for the Seaboard Air Line (SAL) Railroad

Seaboard Air Line Railroad

The Seaboard Air Line’s diesel locomotive fleet was defined by a remarkable diversity of builders and models, as the railroad explored different options during its transition from steam power. While the Electro-Motive Division (EMD) provided the railroad with its E4 passenger units, which famously pulled the Silver Meteor, Seaboard also heavily invested in locomotives from other manufacturers. The Baldwin Locomotive Works, for instance, supplied both freight and passenger units, including the visually striking, multi-axle “Centipede” freight locomotives and the unique “baby-face” passenger units. The railroad also purchased locomotives from the American Locomotive Company (Alco), including road switchers like the RS-3 and RS-11. Finally, the roster included switchers from Fairbanks-Morse, which were characterized by their distinctive opposed-piston engines. This wide array of builders gave Seaboard Air Line a fleet that was both varied in its operational function and visually distinct in its equipment.

SAL Locomotive Gallery

The following are just a sampling of the unique menagerie of locomotives the Seaboard maintained, including a few steam engines. Somehow, even with the maintenance headaches this produced for their maintenance team, the railroad was able to pull it off with success.

Streamline Steam 4-6-2 for the Silver Meteor

Photo Credit: Personal collection.

Seaboard Air Line Railroad - SAL

Steam 2-6-6-4 used for fast freights

Photo Credit: Personal collection.

Seaboard Air Line Railroad - SAL

EMD E4A for streamlined passenger trains (1938)

Photo Credit: Personal collection.

Seaboard Air Line Railroad - SAL

EMD FT for freight trains (1942)

Photo Credit: Personal collection.

Seaboard Air Line Railroad - SAL

Baldwin DR-12-8-3000 ‘Centipede’ for freight trains (1945)

Photo Credit: Personal collection.

Seaboard Air Line Railroad - SAL

Photo Credit: Donald J. Hensley, Jr. Collection

Seaboard Air Line Railroad - SAL

EMD E7A for passenger service (1945)

Seaboard Air Line Railroad - SAL

Alco S-2 yard switcher (1946)

Photo Credit: Donald R. Hensley, Jr. Collection

Seaboard Air Line Railroad - SAL

Baldwin DR-6-4-1500 “Babyface’ for passenger trains (1947)

Photo Credit: Personal collection.

Seaboard Air Line Railroad - SAL

Alco FA-2 for freight (1948)

Photo Credit: Donald R. Hensley, Jr. Collection

Seaboard Air Line Railroad - SAL

Alco RS-3 Road Switcher

#1633 is a restored RS-3 painted in SAL livery. Owned by the Florida Gulf Coast Railroad Museum

Seaboard Air Line Railroad - SAL

EMD SDP35 for passenger service (1964)

Photo Credit: Donald R. Hensley, Jr. Collection

Seaboard Air Line Railroad - SAL

EMD GP40 for freight (1967)

Photo Credit: Donald R. Hensley, Jr. Collection

Seaboard Air Line Railroad - SAL

SAL Diesel Locomotive Roster

Below is a diesel locomotive roster for the Seaboard Air Line, organized by manufacturer and then by model. This roster includes the number of units that Seaboard owned for each model. For further details, there are numerous websites, books, and archived reference materials that include more information on each locomotive.

Electro-Motive Division (EMD)

  • E4A: 14 locomotives. These unique, sloped-nose passenger units were built exclusively for the SAL, primarily for its Orange Blossom Special and Silver Meteor trains.
  • E4B: 5 locomotives. Cabless booster units that accompanied the E4A locomotives.
  • E6A: 3 locomotives. E6 models were an evolution of the E4, including one former EMD demonstrator.
  • E7A: 32 locomotives. A very common passenger locomotive on the Seaboard, with its signature “bulldog nose”.
  • E7B: 3 locomotives. Cabless booster units for the E7A locomotives.
  • E8A: 11 locomotives. A more powerful variant of the E-series, some of which were later acquired by Amtrak.
  • E9A: 1 locomotive. The final and most powerful E-unit built by EMD.
  • FTA: 28 locomotives. Early F-unit freight locomotives for Seaboard’s growing freight business.
  • FTB: 28 locomotives. Cabless booster units for the FTA locomotives.
  • F3A: 10 locomotives. A reliable, standardized freight cab unit.
  • F7A: 18 locomotives. An evolution of the F3, these units were a standard on many railroads.
  • F7B: 15 locomotives. Cabless booster units for the F7A locomotives.
  • GP7: 67 locomotives. A large fleet of these versatile “Geep” road switchers were used for both road freight and local service.
  • GP9: 36 locomotives. The successor to the GP7, this was another common road switcher model on the SAL.
  • SD7: 2 locomotives. The first of EMD’s six-axle “Special Duty” locomotives, used for heavy hauling.
  • SD9: 4 locomotives. The second-generation SD locomotive with a more reliable engine than the SD7.
  • SD35: 11 locomotives. A higher-horsepower, six-axle freight unit.
  • SD45: 35 locomotives. Built in the 1960s, these high-horsepower units were used for fast freight service.
  • SW1: 2 locomotives. An early, compact, and reliable switcher used for yard and light duty.
  • SW7: 3 locomotives. A more powerful switcher used for heavier industrial and yard tasks.
  • SW9: 14 locomotives. A standard and long-serving switcher model.
  • SW900: 5 locomotives. A smaller, yet robust, switcher.
  • SW1200: 6 locomotives. A modernized switcher for improved efficiency.
  • SW1500: 15 locomotives. A final order of EMD switchers before the merger with ACL. 

American Locomotive Company (ALCO)

  • FA-1: 3 locomotives. These early cab units were ALCO’s primary competitor to EMD’s F-units.
  • FB-1: 3 locomotives. Cabless booster units for the FA-1 locomotives.
  • S-2: 5 locomotives. Early ALCO switchers.
  • S-4: 11 locomotives. An upgraded and more successful ALCO switcher model.
  • RS-3: 10 locomotives. This versatile ALCO road switcher was common on many railroads.
  • RSC-3: 7 locomotives. A road switcher with a C-C truck arrangement, reducing weight per axle for use on lighter-traffic lines.
  • RSC-4: 4 locomotives. Another road switcher with C-C trucks.
  • RSC-5: 3 locomotives. A final variant of ALCO’s C-C road switchers for SAL. 

General Electric (GE)

  • U25B: 12 locomotives. Part of the first generation of GE’s high-horsepower “U-boat” locomotives.
  • U30B: 12 locomotives. A more powerful successor to the U25B.
  • U33B: 10 locomotives. Part of GE’s second generation of road freight units.
  • U36B: 30 locomotives. A large order of late-generation U-boats, delivered shortly before the merger.
  • B36-7: 2 locomotives. A late model from GE, delivered just before the Seaboard Coast Line merger.

Baldwin Locomotive Works (BLW)

  • DR-12-8-3000 “Centipede”: 14 locomotives. These unusual, large, and powerful locomotives were often used in pairs.
  • DRS-6-4-1500 “Babyface”: 3 locomotives. Baldwin’s distinctive “Babyface” road switchers.
  • DS-4-4-1000: 35 locomotives. A large fleet of Baldwin switchers for yard work.
  • S12: 10 locomotives. A powerful, modern Baldwin switcher.
  • RS-12: 4 locomotives. A later Baldwin road switcher. 

Fairbanks-Morse (FM)

  • H16-44: 2 locomotives. Part of FM’s “Hood” series of road switchers.
  • C-Liner: 4 locomotives. Cab unit passenger locomotives from FM, which competed with EMD and ALCO.
  • Train Master: 2 locomotives. Fairbanks-Morse’s large and powerful “Train Master” road switchers. 

For More Information – Sources and Resources

The following are excellent resources for those of you wanting to explore and learn more about the history and operation of the Appalachian Railroads. These sources of information also serve as reference and historical materials for Appalachian-Railroads.org. Much of the collective railroad history data points on this website are verified across multiple sources.

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