ALCO RS-2

The ALCO RS-2 is a 1,500–1,600 horsepower (1,100–1,200 kW) B-B road switcher diesel-electric locomotive built by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) from 1946 to 1950. ALCO introduced the model after World War II as an improvement on the ALCO RS-1. The locomotive was one of several road switchers in a crowded market, including the Baldwin DRS-4-4-1500, EMD GP7, and FM H-15-44. ALCO discontinued the RS-2 in 1950 in favor of the ALCO RS-3. Several examples have been preserved.

ALCO RS-2
Type and origin
Power typeDiesel-electric
BuilderAmerican Locomotive Company
Montreal Locomotive Works
ModelRS-2
Build dateOctober 1946 (1946-10) – May 1950 (1950-05)
Total produced377
Specifications
Configuration:
  AARB-B
Gauge4 ft 8 12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
TrucksAAR type B
Wheel diameter40 in (1,000 mm)
Minimum curve57° (104.79 ft or 31.94 m)
Wheelbase39 ft 4 in (11.99 m)
Length56 ft (17 m)
Width10 ft (3.0 m)
Height14 ft 5 in (4.39 m)
Loco weight249,600 lb (113,200 kg)
Fuel capacity800 US gal (3,000 L; 670 imp gal)
Prime moverAlco 244-B, 244-C
Engine typeV12 Four-stroke diesel
AspirationTurbocharger
GeneratorGE 5GT-564B-1
Traction motors(4) GE 752-A
Cylinders12
Cylinder size9 in × 10 12 in (229 mm × 267 mm)
bore x stroke
Performance figures
Power output1,500 hp (1.119 MW) @ 1,000rpm
later models 1,600 hp (1.193 MW)
Tractive effort62,500 lb (28,300 kg)
Career
LocaleNorth America
[1]

Design and development

The RS-2 was a further development of the road switcher concept. It had more horsepower than the RS-1, to better meet the needs of heavy road service. Externally, the RS-2 bodywork was more rounded, while mechanically the new 244 engine was introduced. A turbocharged four stroke V12 with a 9 in × 10 12 in (229 mm × 267 mm) bore and stroke developing 1,500 (later 1,600) hp at 1,000 rpm, it had a smaller cylinder, higher cylinder speed design than the 539 used in the RS-1. Production of the RS-2 was delayed several months while Alco worked out the new four pipe divided low rise manifold for the GE constant pressure RD-1 turbocharger. The 244 engine was not a reliable design, however, and was replaced in less than ten years by the Alco 251 engine.[2]

History

377 locomotives were produced 368 by the American Locomotive Company, and 9 by Montreal Locomotive Works in Canada. Eight of the ALCO RS-2s were exported to Canada. The RS-2 has a single, 12 cylinder, model 244B engine, developing 1,500 horsepower (1,100 kW). Thirty-one locomotives built by Alco between February and May 1950 with the 12 cylinder 244C 1,600 horsepower (1,200 kW) engine.

ALCO built the RS-2 to compete with EMD, Fairbanks-Morse, and Baldwin Locomotive Works. In 1947, Fairbanks-Morse introduced the 1,500 hp (1.1 MW) H-15-44. Also in that year, Baldwin introduced the 1,500 hp (1.1 MW) DRS-4-4-1500. In the case of ALCO, Fairbanks-Morse, and Baldwin, each company increased the power of an existing locomotive line from 1,500 to 1,600 hp (1.1 to 1.2 MW), and added more improvements to create new locomotive lines.

EMD, however, kept its competing GP7 at 1,500 hp (1.1 MW) In 1954, EMD introduced the GP9. It was rated at 1,750 hp (1.30 MW).

EMD produced 2,734 GP-7s. ALCO/MLW produced 377 RS-2s, and 1,418 RS-3s. Fairbanks-Morse produced 30 H-15-44s, and 296 H-16-44s. Baldwin produced 32 DRS-4-4-1500s, and 127 AS-16s.

The Delaware and Hudson Railway rebuilt 13 of its RS-2s for passenger service, including on the Laurentian. The D&H added a steam generator and 1,600-US-gallon (6,100 l; 1,300 imp gal) water tank.[3]

Original owners

ALCO and Montreal Locomotive Works in Canada built 377 locomotives. Cited and mirrored roster [4]

RailroadQuantityRoad numbers
Manufactured by ALCO
American Locomotive Company (demonstrators)41500, 1500:2, 1501, 1600[note 1]
Alton and Southern Railway1528–42
Atlantic and Danville Railway6101–106
Belt Railway of Chicago9450–458
Birmingham Southern Railroad1150
Boston and Maine Railroad91501–1504, 1530–1534
Canadian Pacific Railway58400–8404
Carolina & North-Western Railway41–4
Chesapeake and Ohio Railway25500–5501
Chicago and North Western Railway11503
Chicago Great Western Railway850–57
Chicago, Indianapolis and Louisville Railroad721–27
Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad5450–454
Danville and Western Railway21–2
Delaware and Hudson Railway264000–4025
Detroit and Mackinac Railway6466–469, 4610, 481
Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway10800–809
Erie Railroad19900–913, 1000–1004
Great Northern Railway20200–219
Green Bay and Western Railroad4301–304
Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad141501–1514
Kennecott Copper Corporation9100–102, 104–107, 902–903
Lake Superior and Ishpeming Railroad31501–1503
Lehigh and New England Railroad13651–663
Lehigh Valley Railroad5210–214
Macon, Dublin and Savannah Railroad31700–1702
Maine Central Railroad5551–555
Missouri-Illinois Railroad161
New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad170500–0516
New York Central Railroad238200–8222
Oliver Iron Mining Company81100–1107
Ontario Northland Railway21300–1301
Roberval and Saguenay Railway119
St. Louis and Belleville Electric Railway1700
St. Louis-San Francisco Railway5550–554
Seaboard Air Line Railroad291600–1628
Southern Railway302101–2130
Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway360–62
Texas and Pacific123
Texas Pacific-Missouri Pacific Terminal Railroad of New Orleans221–22
Toledo, Peoria and Western Railway7200–206
Union Pacific Railroad51191–1195
Union Railroad12601–612
Western Maryland Railway5180-184
Youngstown and Northern Railroad1231
Total368
Manufactured by Montreal Locomotive Works
Canadian Pacific Railway48405–8408
Napierville Junction Railway24050–4051
Ontario Northland Railway21302–1303
Roberval and Saguenay Railway120
Total9

Survivors

Texas State Railroad's ALCO RS-2

Very few RS-2s survive today. Three former Kennecott Copper locomotives are preserved, including Kennecott Copper 908 (former number 104) at the Western Pacific Railroad Museum at Portola, California. KCC 908 once served the mines out of Ely, Nevada along the Nevada Northern Railway. Nevada Northern 105 is at Ely, Nevada, it was formerly the Kennecott Copper 105. Kennecott Copper 103 is at the San Diego Railroad Museum in Campo, California. It is painted as Santa Fe 2098. Another RS-2 is in active service on the Texas State Railroad (rebuilt as an RS-2-CAT). It is the former Union Railroad 608. The first production RS-2, originally sold to the Detroit & Mackinac RR as their number 466, was fully operable in freight service on the Michigan Southern Railroad (1989) until a few years ago. As of September 2005, the 466 was stored out of service near the Michigan Southern's office in White Pigeon, Michigan, it was finally scrapped in December 2011. The former Detroit & Mackinac 469 was sold to Waymore Power and may be restored. The former Elgin Joliet and Eastern 801 is preserved in Jala, Mexico as a Las Encinas SA de CV 801. And MLW built Roberval and Saguenay 20 is at the Canadian Railway Museum.

See also

Notes

  1. ALCO had two demonstrators numbered 1500.

Footnotes

  1. Dorin 1972, p. 139
  2. Pinkepank 1973, pp. 208, 233–237, 243–244
  3. Pinkepank 2016, p. 33
  4. "ALCO RS-2 roster". The Diesel Shop. December 4, 2010. Retrieved April 23, 2017.

References

  • Dorin, Patrick C. (1972). Chicago and North Western Power. Burbank, California: Superior Publishing. ISBN 0-87564-715-4.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Foster, Gerald L. (1996). A Field Guide to Trains of North America. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 0-3957-0112-0.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Pinkepank, Jerry A. (1973). The Second Diesel Spotter's Guide. Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Kalmbach Publishing. ISBN 978-0-89024-026-7.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Pinkepank, Jerry A. (Spring 2016). "Double RS2s on the Laurentian". Classic Trains. 17 (1): 32–33. ISSN 1527-0718.
  • Solomon, Brian (2000). The American diesel locomotive. MCI Publishing Company. ISBN 0-7603-0666-4.
  • Steinbrenner, Richard T. (2003). The American Locomotive Company: A Centennial Remembrance. On Track Publishers LLC, New Brunswick, NJ. ISBN 0-911122-07-9. Chapters IX, X, and XI.
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