Top Three Most Powerful F-M Diesel Hood Units
As a follow-up to the Fairbanks-Morse Horsepower Comparison chart, here are the top three most powerful diesel locomotives of that brand. This is pretty challenging to decide, but I think I’m going to list the top F-M hood-unit models that are geared for freight as the default service, although steam generators were optional on those locomotives. Let’s start from third place.
The Bronze Medal of Hood Power is going to the Fairbanks-Morse H-16-66 (a.k.a. the “Baby Train Master”). While it does have the same 1,600-hp rating as its four-axle sibling, the H-16-44, the six-motor Baby Train Master (in its original form) measures just over a couple of feet longer. Early production units built between 1951 and 1953 had Westinghouse electrical equipment and several semi-streamlined details that were designed by Raymond Loewy. Later versions of the H-16-66 (1954-1958) had General Electric equipment, and each of them measures nearly seven feet longer than the initial units. The Baby Train Master name not only referred to the 1,600-hp rating (compared to 2,400 hp on the H-24-66 “Train Master”) but more specifically the late versions that looked like the H-24-66. By the time F-M built the last example of this model, the Chicago & North Western Railway had the largest fleet of H-16-66’s, four of which were equipped with steam generators.
Earning the Silver Medal of Hood Power is the H-20-44. At first glance, this 2,000-hp F-M locomotive resembled a yard switcher since it had no short hood. However, because it was equipped with four-wheel road trucks and multiple-unit connections, the H-20-44 was meant to be a road switcher. While not quite intended for shunting in a yard, it was useful for mainline and transfer duties. Despite the locomotive’s 2,000-hp rating, F-M never made any six-axle versions of the H-20-44. Production lasted from 1947 to 1954, and the Pennsylvania Railroad ended up with more units than any other purchaser.
Finally, it should be no surprise that the Gold Medal of Hood Power is going to the massive Fairbanks-Morse H-24-66 “Train Master”. Propelled by the 12-cylinder, opposed-piston engine, the 2,400-hp Train Master can be described as the king of all F-M locomotives. With the optional steam generator, the H-24-66 could haul freight or passengers. In fact, the Southern Pacific Railroad’s Train Masters once carried commuters in the San Francisco Bay Area for several years. Like the H-16-66 Baby Train Master, the big H-24-66 came in two versions with respect to the brands of electrical components. The first phase came with Westinghouse equipment (1953-1955), and the second phase had General Electric equipment (1954-1957). In a world of toy trains, the Train Master was introduced as an O gauge model by Lionel during the postwar era. It was the biggest O gauge diesel of that time period. While the real H-24-66 suffered its reliability issues, primarily due to the hard-to-maintain OP engine, it is still a fan-favorite locomotive in the history of Fairbanks-Morse.
Click on following links to learn more about the top three F-M Hood diesels.
