Nostalgia & History > Great Northern Number 100, built Jan. 1938

This is Great Northern #100 on June 9, 1964 in Minneapolis, MN. She was built by EMC (i.e., pre-EMD) as an NC with Serial Number 647 and numbered GN 5150 in Jan. 1938 with a 900 hp Winton 201-A V12 engine. She was rebuilt as SW1200m in Feb. 1955. Later she became BN 106 and worked into at least the mid-1980s.

The EMC SC and NC switchers of the 1930s had 600 hp (straight-8) and 900 hp (V12) engines, hence the S for 600 and the N for 900. The C was for the cast underframe. The 900 hp NW1 had a welded underframe. The most famous (because of numbers built) of these early switchers was (I should says "is" because some survive in active service) the 600 hp welded frame SW1.

For many years I thought SW stood for SWitcher. And, of course, with larger engines the S ceased to stand for 600 hp.


Happy Labor Day Weekend
Marty Bernard

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Marty, I too always thought that "SW" stood for switcher. If the "S" stood for the 600 straight. What did the "W" stand for? Thanx,......Pat

"W" stands for welded frame as opposed to "C" for cast frame.

Marty Bernard

Nice shot, I too have learned something new today. What about SW 1500's, 1200's etc?
JB

Thanks for the nice shot and the education.

Best regards,

Rob L.

3rdswitch Wrote:
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> Nice shot, I too have learned something new today.
> What about SW 1500's, 1200's etc?
> JB


Don't quote me, but I think EMD started to believe the railfans that SW stood for Switcher by the time the 1200, and 1500 models were introduced.

Actually the 900 hp models were designated "N", for nine hundred, and retained the C or W suffix for cast or welded frames as in NC1 or NW1. 1000 hp models were introduced as NW2s in 1939.

After WW2 in 1954 EMD introduced the SW6 with the 567A V6 engine (the NW2 was re-introduced with a 1000 hp 567 V12 in 1950) followed by the SW7, SW8, and SW9 models with 567B engines developing up to 1200 hp. No explanation is given as to changing to the SW designation (OUR GM SCRAPBOOK, from the pages of TRAINS magazine, first printing 1971 Kalmbach Publishing).

Here's a close relative of the #100, still in service in 1976.

-- Greg

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E25 Wrote:
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> Here's a close relative of the #100, still in
> service in 1976.
>
> -- Greg

The 99 still exists on the Oregon Pacific @ Canby, OR AS OPR 801. Recently re-engined with a 8-567BE prime mover, she will be returned to service as soon as a new set of batteries arrives.

Dick Samuels
Oregon Pacific Railroad

I rescaned the slide. I think it's better.

Marty

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