ALCO DH643

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ALCO DH643
ALCO DH643
Southern Pacific #9152, formerly #9020.
Power type Diesel-Hydraulic
Builder American Locomotive Company (ALCO)
Model DH643
Build date September 1964
Total production 3
AAR wheel arr. C-C
Gauge ft 8½ in (1435 mm)
Length 75 ft 10 in (23.11 m)
Total weight 378,000 lb (171,000 kg)
Prime mover ALCO 251C (2)
Engine type four stroke diesel
Aspiration Turbocharger
Displacement 16,032 in³ (262.7 L)
Cylinders V12 (2)
Cylinder size 9 in × 10.5 in
(229 mm × 267 mm)
Transmission Voith hydraulic
Top speed 77 mph (124 km/h)
Power output 4,300 hp (3,200 kW)
Tractive effort 95,000 lbf (423 kN)
Locomotive brakes Straight air
Train brakes Air
Locale North America

The ALCO DH643, also known as the Century 643DH, was a twin-engine diesel-hydraulic locomotive, the first diesel-hydraulic unit built in the United States. It had a C-C wheel arrangement and generated 4,300 hp (3,200 kW). Only three were built, all for Southern Pacific Railroad in 1964 (#9018–#9020). The Alco DH643s joined 21 Krauss-Maffei diesel-hydraulics already on the Southern Pacific's roster. These hydraulic-drive diesels spent most of their service lives in the flat San Joaquin Valley in California.

Dissatisfaction over the poor performance of diesel-hydraulic locomotives, as well as their use of foreign-made components (the hydraulic transmission was of German Voith design), eventually led Southern Pacific to scrap the DH643s in 1973.

[edit] Original Owners


Railroad Quantity
Southern Pacific Railroad 3

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