A Centipede pair on the Pennsylvania Railroad. By this point they have been reduced to the status of helpers, and they are seen here returning around Horseshoe Curve to the bottom to push again.

Centipedes of the Nacionales de Mexico (Mexican National Railways) including #6404 being serviced at the San Luis Potosí diesel shops in December 1959.

The Baldwin Centipede was the Baldwin Locomotive Works' first serious attempt at a production main-line diesel locomotive. The Baldwin type designation was DR-12-8-1500/2 meaning a diesel road locomotive, with 12 axles, 8 of which were driven, and two engines of 1,500hp each. The trucks were in a 2-D+D-2 wheel arrangement. Pennsylvania Railroad class BH50 locomotive - a Baldwin Centipede. ... Pennsylvania Railroad class BH50 locomotive - a Baldwin Centipede. ... Image File history File links Nacionales de Mexico Baldwin Centipedes including #6406 at the San Luis Potosí diesel shops. ... Image File history File links Nacionales de Mexico Baldwin Centipedes including #6406 at the San Luis Potosí diesel shops. ... The city of San Luis Potosí is the capital of the Mexican state of the same name. ... 1959 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Baldwin Locomotive Works builders plate, 1922 The Baldwin Locomotive Works was an American builder of railroad locomotives. ... Great Western Railway No. ... The AAR wheel arrangement system is a method of classifying locomotive (or unit) wheel arrangements that was developed by the Association of American Railroads. ...

The design reflected Baldwin steam locomotive and electric locomotive practice. The locomotive body rode on two massive cast steel half-frames cast by General Steel Castings, linked at the middle with a hinged joint. Unpowered four-wheel trucks at each end guided the locomotive for stability at speed. Internal wiring was passed through metal conduits exactly like those used on a steam locomotive, and this proved troublesome in practice. Great Western Railway No. ... East German E 18 electric locomotives of the Deutsche Reichsbahn An electric locomotive is a locomotive powered by electric motors which draws current from an overhead wire, a third rail, or an on-board storage device such as a battery or a flywheel energy storage system. ... The driver of a car transporter truck prepares to offload Skoda Octavia cars in Cardiff, Wales For further uses of the word truck, see Truck (disambiguation). ...

The prototype (a 2-unit set) was built in 1945 and toured American railroads. Orders followed from the Pennsylvania Railroad (24), the Seaboard Air Line (14) and the Mexican railroad Nacionales de Mexico (14). The two demonstrators were never sold and were eventually scrapped. 1911 map The Pennsylvania Railroad (AAR reporting mark PRR) was an American railroad existing 1846–1968, after which it merged into Penn Central Transportation. ... Categories: Stub | Defunct railroad companies of the United States | Defunct companies | Florida Seaboard Air Line Railroad precursors | Georgia railroads | North Carolina railroads | South Carolina railroads | Virginia railroads ...

The Centipedes were very soon made obsolete; the state of the art overtook them. Reliability was an ongoing problem, and the PRR units were eventually derated and relegated to helper service.