A Baldwin AS-616 diesel-electric locomotive used by E.F. Central do Brazil. A total of 32 units were delivered to that railroad between 1952 and 1953, being 12 large gauge units and 20 metric gauge units. These last ones had poor performance and were sold to E.F. Sorocabana, were they performed succesfully, specially in the sea shore lines and in the Serra do Mar section, between Samaritá and Evangelista de Souza, a hilly section between the seaside and the São Paulo state highlands, 800 meters (2,400 feet) above sea level. The large units also performed very well at Central do Brasil, being active up to the mid eighties. Its big two side lights originated two nicknames for that machine: Espanta-Demônio (Devil Frighter!) in Rio de Janeiro and Caranguejo (Crab) in the Baixada Santista, the sea shore country served by those locomotives after its transference to E.F. Sorocabana, where they were also known as Balduínas. These locomotives were used in other railroads abroad, like the Oregon & Northwestern Railroad. Photo originally published at Revista Ferroviária.



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© Antonio Augusto Gorni