ALCO RSC-2
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 Seaboard Air Line Railway #1526, an ALCO RSC-2 |
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| Power type | Diesel-electric |
|---|---|
| Model | RSC-2 |
| Build date | October 1946 – April 1950 |
| AAR wheel arr. | A1A-A1A |
| Gauge | 4 ft 8½ in (1,435 mm) |
| Length | 53 ft 1 in (16.18 m) |
| Width | 10 ft 0 in (3.05 m) |
| Height | 14 ft (4.26720 m) |
| Locomotive weight | 242,500 lb (110.0 t) |
| Fuel capacity | 800 US gal (3,000 l/670 imp gal) |
| Prime mover | ALCO 244 |
| Engine type | Four-stroke diesel |
| Aspiration | Turbocharger |
| Displacement | 8,016 cu in (131.36 l) |
| Cylinders | V12 |
| Cylinder size | 9 in × 10½ in (229 mm × 267 mm) |
| Transmission | DC generator, DC traction motors |
| Top speed | 65 mph (105 km/h) |
| Power output | 1,500 hp (1,100 kW) later models 1,600 hp (1,200 kW) |
| Tractive effort | 40,425 lbf (179,820 N) |
| Locomotive brakes | Straight air |
| Train brakes | Air |
| Locale | North America, Portugal, Algeria |
The ALCO RSC-2 was a diesel-electric locomotive of the road switcher type that rode on three-axle trucks, having an A1A-A1A wheel arrangement.
Used in much the same manner as its four-axle counterpart, the ALCO RS-2, though the wheel arrangement lowered the axle load for operation on light rail such as are found on branch lines.
The Milwaukee Road was the first railroad to take delivery of the RSC-2, initially assigning them to their Valley Division (headquartered near Wausau, Wisconsin) in 1947. This was done in order to study the effects of an all-diesel roster (i.e. no steam locomotives available as protection power). The experiment was deemed a success, and soon all steam locomotives were gone from the Valley Division. RSC-2s would faithfully serve the Milwaukee Road for many years, until being replaced themselves by the EMD SDL39.
Meanwhile, down in the southeast, the Seaboard Air Line Railroad determined that the RSC-2 had just the right combination of light weight and power to work their branch lines. Seaboard eventually became the largest owner of the RSC-2, using the locomotives in everything from yard service, to powering heavy phosphate trains in the Bone Valley region of central Florida. These lasted well into the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad era, before being retired and scrapped at their Uceta (Tampa) shop facilities in the early 1970s.
ALCO exported these units to the state railway of Portugal and Algeria. The last units in Portugal served into the late 1990s.
[edit] Original Buyers
| Railroad | Quantity | Road Numbers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Office des Chemins de fer Algériens (Office CFA) |
|
040DD1 – 040DD5 | |
| Caminhos de Ferro Portugueses |
|
DE101–DE106, DE1101–DE1106 | |
| American Locomotive Company (demonstrator) |
|
1190 | to Union Pacific |
| Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (“Milwaukee Road”) |
|
975–996 | |
| Seaboard Air Line Railroad |
|
1500–1536 | 1532–1536 were 1,600 hp |
| Soo Line Railroad |
|
368–371 | |
| Union Pacific Railroad |
|
1180–1189 | |
| Total | 91 |
|
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