By 1939, Baldwin Locomotive Works had determined that the future of the locomotive industry lay with Diesel-Electrics. In increasing numbers, BLW started turning out diesel-electric engines with Westinghouse electrics and traction motors. Initial successes with their industrial and yard switchers led them to create the DRS-4-4-15 roadswitcher in 1947 followed by the production of the AS-16 in 1950. These met limited success for Baldwin and were soon dwarfed by the sales of the GP-7 from EMD.. With over 1000 units sold of the FT, F2 and F3 units, EMD had become the industry leader with their F series engines and as such had dictated a certain style to their engines. To compete with EMD, BLW introduced a style that became known as a "Babyface". |
 PRR #3082 BLW 2000 hp Centercab & shark dead at Pittsburgh |
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| Baldwin had Diesels to sell.. Pennsy was a big customer of BLW steam. But the BLW road diesel was the DR4.4.1500 "Babyface", a face only a mother could love. Pennsy had centipedes which were “Babyfaces” but reportedly didn’t have a lot of success with them.. Maintenance headaches, all those wheels, multiple engines, and built one at a time like steam engines so each one was a bit different in the placement of wiring and equipment. So the story goes Baldwin and “Babyface” equals problems, so the BLW felt that they needed a new image if they were to sell to Pennsy. | ||
 NYC DR-4-4-15 # 3803 re-engined by EMD Pre Shark Carbody |
BLW had a road engine .. the DR-4-4-15 that was BLWs answer to the F7… It had a bulldog nose like the EMD F7 but was dubbed a “Babyface”. It was not very successful and many RRs were unimpressed by its looks as well as its performance. This is typified by the NYC 3803 pictured here except when this picture was taken 3803 had already been re-engined by EMD. At some point BLW decided to stop emulating EMD and searched for a style that was their own. | |
| BLW looked back in their history and fondly remembered the Pennsy T-1s (4-4-4-4 Duplex) locomotive with its rakish look of speed and was relatively successful albeit a bit slippery and too late to make a difference with diesels on the horizon. So How about a T-1 image on a diesel? |  PRR T-1 #55xx at Harrisburg |
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The DR-6-4-2000 had been in production since 1945 with the
babyface style car body (The CNJ had double enders of this type complete
with two babyfaces.) They first applied the sharknose style to the 2000
hp passenger
unit in
1948. This
became the BP20 passenger shark, the only A-1-A, A-1-A trucked sharks ever
produced. |
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 PRR Shark #5770 & NJC Trainmaster #2412 at South Amboy |
Pennsy bought 18 A units and 9 B units and was the
only buyer of the BP20. |
 PRR Shark #5782 at South Amboy, NJ NY + LB RR |
 PRR Shark #5770 Indianapolis, Indiana 10-16-56 |
 PRR Shark #5771 |
 PRR Shark #5783 at Pittsburgh, PA |
 BLW Demo |
Then they made the freight model, basically a DR-4-4-15 with a sharknose carbody. Pennsy bought 34 A units and 34 B units BLW had a demo set that ultimately went to the EJ&E but later became B&O A/B units 4200/5200 and 4201/5201. Pennsy bought 64 of these units, 32 A units and 32 B units. |  B&O Shark #4220 Rochester, NY |
 B&O Shark #4220 Rochester, NY |
When the 308A 1600hp diesel engine was introduced, they produced the RF16. B&O was a buyer of both shark DR-4-4-15's and RF16s. The B&O RF-16s finished out their career working from Pittsburgh to Rochester, NY where I managed a ride once on a SB freight for about 25 miles. The sharks were worked to death and eventually all went to scrap. Here are two photos of B&O RF16 #4220 at Rochester, NY and #4219 at Glenwood, PA in August of 1964. |  B&O Shark #4219 at Glenwood, PA 8-30-64 |
 PRR Shark #9633, in Enola, PA 10-7-62 |
Pennsy bought 96 of these. BLW still made a tough lugging type of locomotive, even if they were still a bit of a maintenance headache. Three Pennsy RF16s (A-B-A) were involved in a wreck at Pittsburgh. RF16As 9726A & 2001A and the B were re-engined with ALCO prime movers with dubious success. Shark #9633 at left is re-engined and renumbered Alco rebuild. You can tell by the slightly larger air intake at the top side rear just aft of the grilles. Compare it with the next photo of 2022 which is a standard out of the box BLW shark. |  RF-16B #2001 MU'ed with EMD F3's. Note also that the B unit MU'ed with the EMD has the same larger intake Grille. |
 PRR Shark #2012 at Toledo, OH |
 PRR Shark #2022 at Detroit, MI |
 PRR Shark #2025 |
 PRR Shark #2027 |
DR-4-4-15 B unit # 9583B was repowered after a wreck,
and renumberd 9632B. The two A's, #9726A and 2001A were in another wreck
and rebuilt and renumbered 9632A and 9633A They lasted until the end
of Sharks on the Pennsy in 1966. |
 PRR Shark #9718 in ABA Set near Walbridge water tower |
 NYC #3816 later to be D&H 1216 |
.  NYC bought 18 RF16 A units and 8 B units.. NYC #3805 to be D&H 1205 above. The Central had already acquired several of the DR-4-4-15 babyfaces |
 NYC Shark #3817 at Dewitt Yard Syracuse, NY |
 NYC Shark #3702 at Dewitt |
 NYC Shark #3812 at Dewitt |
 NYC Shark #3818 at Dewitt |
 NYC Shark #3821 & EMD F Unit #1795 Toledo, OH |
 NYC/PRR various engines in East Altoona scrap line |
 PRR #1535, 1504, etc. in East Altoona scrap line |
 NYC Shark #1216 (D&H #1216) Dewitt |
 NYC Shark #3807 at Sharonville, OH |
 NYC Shark #3805 leads A-B-A set of Sharks on a frieght near Toledo |
 NYC Shark #3808 leads an A-B-A set of Sharks w/o load Detroit |
 NYC Shark #1213 Dewitt |
 NYC Sharks #1207 & #1218 in Sharonville, PA 11-11-66 |
 NYC Shark #3804 & U-Boat #2550 Dewitt |
 NYC Shark #3806 & Lima switcher #6209 in Cincinnati, OH |
 NYC units #6600 & 6602 in scrapline NYC locos at Collinwood, OH |
 NYC Shark #1207 at Brownsville, PA |
A few NYC refugees were traded in to GE, who sold
them to Monongahela Ry. (1205, 1207, 1209, 1210, 1211 for parts, 1213
and 1216 along with boosters 3708 and 3709 for parts). There they were
worked (amazingly 5 more years from 1967 to 1972) hauling their
favorite, coal drags. Eventually attrition and hard work took their
toll on these old girls and by 1972, Monongahela was down to just two
serviceable units, 1205 (ex NYC 3805) and 1216, (ex NYC 3816). |
 NYC-Monongahela #1210 |
 NYC-Monongahela #1216 |
 NYC-Monongahela #1205 with leased EMD |
 NYC-Monongahela #1205 leaving roundhouse |
 NYC-Monongahela #1205 |
 NYC-Monongahela #1216 |
 NYC-Monongahela #1216 |
 NYC-Monongahela #1205 w/ D&H RS3 #4118 in Colonie 9-7-74 |
The Sharks were all sold to a scrap dealer in 1972
and in 1974 along came the D&H who got the two serviceable units
(1205 & 1216) from the dealer for $6000 worth of scrap boxcars for
each one. Ironically just what the Monongahela paid for them. |
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 D&H #1205 in Monongahela Paint 9-1-74 |
The D&H was home to a variety of paint schemes, so
coming up with an ideal paint scheme for the sharks was no small problem. |
 D&H #1205 in Monongahela Paint |
 D&H #4033 & 4040 RS2's in Tigerstripes at North Creek, NY |
 D&H PA-1 #18 Before re build at MK |
 D&H #4021 RS2's in Lightning stripe |
 D&H #5014 RS36 in Lightning stripe at Oneonta, NY, 1966 |
 D&H #5015 RS36 in Experimental Paint scheme at Mechanicville |
 D&H #2312 Preamble Express Pittsburgh, PA 7-18-74 |
 D&H Shark #1215 Model in Lightning Stripe that went to the D&H |
Then D&H cleaned them up and came up with a paint
scheme for them.. (the paint scheme story abbreviated is used here).
The next slides are of the painting of the first models, a model power
shark in freight, a mantua shark in Warbonnet ..then to the D&H as
there was a strict timeline for the decision… A third shark model
was later obtained and painted ala NYC but never made it to the D&H
for consideration, as by then the deed was done. See
the write up in the Spring '76 issue of Railfan Magazine “Markers "
page 69 |
 D&H Shark Model in Warbonnet TheMantua Shark that went to D&H |
 D&H two Shark Models in Warbonnet & Lightning Stripe |
 D&H Shark Model in NYC Lightning Stripe 3rd model never to sent to the D&H |
 D&H Shark Model in Warbonnet |
 PRR Shark Model #5772 soon to become D&H |
Then the next slides show the Model Sharks being
painted. It was a real thrill to see grown men referring to models to
paint the
locos. One of the slides as I recall when stripping a shark reveals the
NYC lightning stripe underneath. (not in this set) This follows with
slides of the painting and the results. A few minor changes were made
on the original scheme.. the lower body stripe curls around the pilot
on the real thing, on the model it does not, due in part to the inaccuracy
of the Mantua model, and the number placement and color was changed for
more visibility. |
 NYC Shark Model #3820 soon to become D&H |
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 2 Shark Models in D&H Blue Warbonnet done for C.B. Sterzing |
 2 Shark Models in D&H Blue Warbonnet on diorama |
 2 Shark Models in D&H Blue Warbonnet overhead on diorama |
 Shark Model in D&H Blue Warbonnet on diorama |
 2 Shark Models in D&H Blue Warbonnet on diorama |
 2 Shark Models in D&H Blue Warbonnet display for Bruce Sterzing |
 2 Shark Models in D&H Blue Warbonnet under glass |
 D&H Shark #1216 in Warbonnet in Colonie Shops |
Then a bunch of pictures of the completed Sharks
next to PAs in Colonie followed by a bunch of “In service” shots
working the Sayre Turn out of Binghamton, pusher service up Belden Hill
north of Binghamton as well as a few slightly out of focus shots of what
I believe was the only fantrip out of Mechanicville. |
 D&H Shark #1216 in Warbonnet in Colonie Shops 10-21-1974 |
 D&H Shark #1216 in Warbonnet nose shot Colonie |
 D&H Shark #1216 in Warbonnet nose shot next to PA |
 D&H Shark #1216 in Warbonnet |
 D&H Shark #1216 in Warbonnet nose shot next to PA #17 |
 D&H Shark #1216 in Warbonnet |
 D&H Shark #1216 in Warbonnet |
 2 Sharks in D&H Blue Warbonnet Paint Scheme Mechanicville, NY |
 2 Sharks in D&H Blue Warbonnet Paint Scheme, Mechanicville, NY |
 Shark Builder's Plate #75372 D&H 12/16 nee NYC 3816 |
 Shark Builder's Plate #75361 D&H 1205 nee NYC 1205 |
 D&H Sharks w/ #1216 in lead arrive Sayre, PA on Sayre Turn |
 D&H Sharks w/ #1205 in lead in Sayre awaiting return to Binghamton |
 D&H Sharks w/ #1216 in lead pulling into Sayre on Sayre Job |
 D&H Sharks w/ #1216 in lead pulling into Sayre on Sayre Job |
 D&H Shark #1205 in Sayre awaiting return to Binghamton |
The ultimate Railfan trip, to ride in
a Shark! With no less than Marv Davis and George Hockaday as your Engineers
even! |
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 D&H Shark #1205 in Sayre awaiting return to Binghamton |
 D&H Shark #1205 w/D&H U33C #762 waiting to push at Bevier St yd |
 Cab view from D&H Shark #1205 at Bevier St yd Binghamton |
 Cab view from D&H Shark, 1205 E-L SD45-2 #3644 Bevier St |
 Cab view from D&H Shark, Engineer's Stand #1205 |
 Cab view from D&H Shark, #1205 bulkhead |
 Cab view from D&H Shark, Engineer's Stand 1205 |
 Cab view from D&H Shark, Fireman's side backing down yd |
 Cab view from D&H Shark.looking north up Belden Hill @ Bevier st |
 Cab view from D&H Shark.Onto the rear of our NB train at Bevier St |
 Cab view from D&H Shark.pushing up Belden Hill |
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 Cab view from D&H Shark.getting ready to cut off on the fly at Tunnel |
 Cab view from D&H Shark.cut off made on the fly |
 Cab view from D&H Shark.pushers roll to a stop |
 Cab view from D&H Shark.train continues north we await orders |
 D&H Shark #1216 sharks pull ahead crossover to return to Binghamton. End of the Cab ride just shy of Tunnel. Now to go home and figure out what has just transpired! |
 D&H Shark #1216 leads on an excusion runby at Coons Crossing North of Mechanicville, NY |
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BEWARE OF SHARKS on the D&H! |
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