Locomotives | Seaboard Air Line Railroad

Seaboard’s Diesel Locomotive Roster

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.

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

Photo Credit: Personal collection.

EMD E4A for streamlined passenger trains (1938)

Photo Credit: Personal collection.

EMD FT for freight trains (1942)

Photo Credit: Personal collection.

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

Photo Credit: Personal collection.

Photo Credit: Donald J. Hensley, Jr. Collection

EMD E7A for passenger service (1945)

Alco S-2 yard switcher (1946)

Photo Credit: Donald R. Hensley, Jr. Collection

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

Photo Credit: Personal collection.

Alco FA-2 for freight (1948)

Photo Credit: Donald R. Hensley, Jr. Collection

Alco RS-3 Road Switcher

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

EMD SDP35 for passenger service (1964)

Photo Credit: Donald R. Hensley, Jr. Collection

EMD GP40 for freight (1967)

Photo Credit: Donald R. Hensley, Jr. Collection

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. 

Back to Seaboard Air Line Overview Page

Bibliography and Additional Reading on the Atlantic and Seaboard Lines

• Personal Maps & Memorabilia: Documents, maps, timetables, and track charts
• Newspaper Articles: Newspapers.com
• Magazines/Online: ‘Trains‘, ‘Classic Trains‘
• Books:
  • Calloway, Warren L. Atlantic Coast Line: The Diesel Years. Halifax: Withers Publishing, 2008.
  • Calloway, Warren L., and Paul K. Withers. Seaboard Motive Power. Halifax: Withers Publishing, 1988.
  • Carleton, Paul. Locomotives of the Seaboard System: Railroad of the South. Dunnellon: D. Carleton Railbooks, 1987.
  • Faulk, Paul. Atlantic Coast Line Color Guide to Freight and Passenger Equipment. Scotch Plains: Morning Sun Books, 2003.
  • Goff, Ernest R., and Larry Goolsby. CSX Diesel Locomotives in Color. Lynchburg: TLC Publishing, 2000.
  • Goolsby, Larry. Atlantic Coast Line Passenger Service: The Postwar Years. Lynchburg: TLC Publishing, 1999.
  • Goolsby, Larry. Seaboard Air Line Passenger Service: The Streamlined Era. Lynchburg: TLC Publishing, 2011.
  • Griffin, William E., Jr. Atlantic Coast Line: The Standard Railroad of the South. Lynchburg: TLC Publishing, 2001.
  • Griffin, William E., Jr. Seaboard Air Line Railway: The Route of Courteous Service. Lynchburg: TLC Publishing, 1999.
  • Griffin, William E., Jr. Seaboard Coast Line & Family Lines Railroad 1967–1986. Lynchburg: TLC Publishing, 2004.
  • Griffin, William E., Jr. Seaboard Coast Line Railroad: All Lines North of Raleigh. Lynchburg: TLC Publishing, 2007.
  • Johnson, Robert Wayne. Through the Heart of the South: The Seaboard Air Line Railroad Story. San Jose: Boston Mills Press, 1995.
  • Nuckles, Douglas B. Seaboard Coast Line Railroad. Lynchburg: TLC Publishing, 1995.
  • Prince, Richard E. Atlantic Coast Line Railroad: Steam Locomotives, Ships, and History. Green River, WY: R.E. Prince, 1966 (Reprinted by Indiana University Press, 2000).
  • Prince, Richard E. Seaboard Air Line Railway: Steam Boats, Locomotives, and History. Green River, WY: R.E. Prince, 1969 (Reprinted by Indiana University Press, 2000).
  • Solomon, Brian. CSX. St. Paul: MBI Publishing Company, 2005.
  • Stout, Greg. Seaboard Coast Line Through Passenger Service in Color. Scotch Plains: Morning Sun Books, 2019.
• Websites:
  • Carolana.com – North Carolina Railroads, South Carolina Railroads
  • TheDieselShop.us
  • SteamLocomotive.com
  • Wikipedia.org