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[quote]QUOTE: Originally posted by jshrade First off.... why? What practical purpose does a smaller size locomotive serve, versus using a standard chassis and body designed with less horsepower? In other words... why not have high and low horsepower versions of the same locomotive, rather than have completely different designs? [/quote] Switchers are well-adapted for their environment... Low-height hoods permits better visibility in all directions, crucial for manpower-intensive operations such as shunting cars. Their 4-axle configuration also works best on branch lines where there are sharp curves and poor track conditions that might derail heavy 6-axle road locomotives. That's why it doesn't make sense to build a switcher out of a 6-axle heavy road-diesel locomotive chassis such as an SD90MAC. It is also an issue with fuel economy... You don't need a locomotive with a fuel-guzzling turbocharged 16-cylinder 3000HP engine to shunt one or two cars at a time. Switchers can be found in yards and in short-haul local service that involves shunting cars onto destination sidings.
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