These locomotives had a unique cab that featured the same upright, aggressive prow as the 30 Baldwin 0-6-6-0-1000/1DE C-C units built on a U.S. Army order in June 1945 for shipment to the Soviet Railways as part of a Lend-Lease.

The Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad ordered two locomotives in 1947, road #280 and #281, with #280 built in January and #281 in February.

They mostly pulled the Gulf Coast Rebel streamlined train from St. Louis, Missouri to Mobile, Alabama as a pair.

The Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México ordered one additional DR-6-4-2000 unit in August 1946 after purchasing the two demonstrators.

This was assigned road #6002 and had nearly identical styling to the demonstrators, but used two 608NA engines instead of their VO power plants.

They were originally used on top-flight express trains such as the Broadway Limited, but problems soon relegated them to lesser service.

A single DR-6-2-1000 locomotive of A1A-3 wheel arrangement was produced for the Chicago and North Western Railway in November 1948 and assigned road #5000A.

Other locomotive units like this included the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad's EMC AB6 in their original form.