H15-44/H16-44 Diesel Locomotive

Prototype Information

In the late 1940s, Fairbanks-Morse set out to break into the road switcher market with a powerful, all-purpose locomotive based on their unique opposed-piston diesel engine. Their design team created the H15-44, an 8-cylinder, 1,500-horsepower locomotive that combined performance with distinctive styling. FM rolled out the first unit—demonstrator “FM 1500”—in September 1947, featuring sloped ends, rounded body corners, oval cab-side windows, and raised, rounded headlight housings at both ends.

Monon Railroad jumped on the opportunity and bought both the demonstrator and the second unit off the line in December 1947. The Denver & Rio Grande Western followed with three more orders, and FM kept building a few additional demonstrators throughout 1948. By the time production ended in mid-1949, FM had produced just 35 H15-44s. Jersey Central led all buyers with a fleet of 14.

By 1950, rival locomotive builders had already pushed horsepower ratings higher, forcing FM to respond with the H16-44. Engineers upgraded the same 8-cylinder engine to produce 1,600 horsepower while keeping the bodywork nearly identical to the H15-44. One notable example, MKT 1591, began as an H15-44 order but received the horsepower boost during assembly, effectively becoming an H16-44.

Jersey Central again led the way, placing the first true production order for H16-44s. Soon, other major railroads including Santa Fe, New York Central, Southern, and Pennsylvania added the model to their rosters. FM built 99 phase I H16-44s before wrapping up that version in December 1952. The company kept the model alive through updated phase II and III versions, continuing production until 1963, even as their position in the locomotive market weakened.