The Baldwin AS-616 was a diesel-electric locomotive of the road switcher type rated at 1,600 horsepower (1,200 kW), that rode on three-axle trucks, having a C-C wheel arrangement. Nineteen railroads bought 214 locomotives, and two railroads bought seven cabless B units. The AS-616 was valued for its extremely high tractive effort, far more than any ALCo or EMD product. It was used in much the same manner as its four-axle counterpart, the Baldwin AS-16, and its six-axle sister, the Baldwin AS-416, though the six- traction motor design allowed better tractive effort at lower speeds.
By the 1970s almost all Baldwin AS-616s had been scrapped or sold. A select few railroads-Trona Railway being a major operator- kept their Baldwin diesels running far past their builder's lifetime.
Today there are only nine AS-616 diesels that have been preserved.
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