ALCO RS-2 | |
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Power type | Diesel-electric |
Builder | American Locomotive Company Montreal Locomotive Works |
Model | RS-2 |
Build date | October 1946 – May 1950 |
Total produced | 378 |
AAR wheel arr. | B-B |
Gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
Prime mover | Alco 244 |
Cylinders | V12 |
Power output | 1,500 horsepower (1,100 kW) later models 1,600 horsepower (1,200 kW) |
Locale | North America |
The ALCO RS-2 is a 1,500 horsepower (1,100 kW), B-B road switcher railroad locomotive. It was manufactured by American Locomotive Company (ALCO) from October 1946 to May 1950, and 378 were produced — 369 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 244 engine, developing 1,500 horsepower (1,100 kW). Thirty-one locomotives built by Alco between February and May 1950 had 1,600 horsepower (1,200 kW) engines.
ALCO built the RS-2 to compete with EMD, Fairbanks-Morse, and Baldwin Locomotive Works. In 1947, Fairbanks-Morse introduced the 1,500 hp (1.2 MW) H-15-44. Also in that year, Baldwin introduced the 1,500 hp (1.125 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 (1.125 to 1.2 MW), and added more improvements to create new locomotive lines.
EMD, however, kept its competing GP7 at 1,500 hp (1.125 MW) In 1954, EMD introduced the GP9. It was rated at 1,750 hp (1.3 MW).
EMD produced 2,729 GP-7s. ALCO produced 378 RS-2s, and 1,370 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.
Contents |
Railroad | Quantity | Road numbers | Notes |
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American Locomotive Company (demonstrator) |
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to Monon 29, 28, renumbered 59, 58 |
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to Boston & Maine 1500 | |
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to AT&SF 2110, renumbered 2099 | |
Alton and Southern Railway |
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Atlantic and Danville Railway |
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Belt Railway of Chicago |
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Birmingham Southern Railroad |
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Boston and Maine Railroad |
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1530s had steam generators |
Canadian Pacific Railway |
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Bought for operations in Vermont |
Carolina & North-Western Railway |
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Chesapeake and Ohio Railway |
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to Lehigh Valley 217–218 |
Chicago and North Western Railway |
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Chicago Great Western Railway |
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to Chicago and North Western 50-57 |
Chicago, Indianapolis and Louisville Railroad (“Monon”) |
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Renumbered 51–57 |
Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad |
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Rebuilt by EMD with 1,500 hp (1,100 kW) 567C engines |
Danville and Western Railway |
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to Southern (Cincinnati, New Orleans & Texas Pacific) 6206-6207 |
Delaware and Hudson Railway |
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Detroit and Mackinac Railway |
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Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway |
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Erie Railroad |
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1000-1004 renumbered 950-954, to Erie Lackawanna 900-913, 950-954 |
Great Northern Railway |
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200-201 to SP&S 63-64 |
Green Bay and Western Railroad |
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Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad |
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Kennecott Copper Corporation |
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Lake Superior and Ishpeming Railroad |
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Lehigh and New England Railroad |
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Lehigh Valley Railroad |
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Macon, Dublin and Savannah Railroad |
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to Seaboard Air Line 1685–1687 |
Maine Central Railroad |
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Missouri-Illinois Railroad |
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renumbered 960 |
New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad |
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All had steam generators |
New York Central Railroad |
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Oliver Iron Mining Company |
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Ontario Northland Railway |
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Roberval and Saguenay Railway |
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St. Louis and Belleville Electric Railway |
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to Peabody Short Line 701, then Illinois Central 701 |
St. Louis-San Francisco Railway (“Frisco”) |
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Rebuilt by EMD with 1,500 hp (1,100 kW) 567C engines |
Seaboard Air Line Railroad |
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1,600 hp (1,200 kW) | |
Southern Railway |
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Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway |
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to Burlington Northern 4000–4002 |
Texas and Pacific Railway |
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to Texas Pacific-Missouri Pacific Terminal 23, renumbered 958 |
Texas Pacific-Missouri Pacific Terminal Railroad of New Orleans |
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Renumbered 956–957 |
Toledo, Peoria and Western Railway |
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Union Pacific Railroad |
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renumbered 1291-1295 |
Union Railroad |
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Western Maryland Railway |
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Youngstown and Northern Railroad |
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Total | 338 31 |
1,500 hp 1,600 hp |
Railroad | Quantity | Road numbers | Notes |
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Canadian Pacific Railway |
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Delaware and Hudson Railway (Napierville Junction Railway) |
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Ontario Northland Railway |
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Roberval and Saguenay Railway |
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Total | 9 | 1,500 hp (1,100 kW) |
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, still exists. It was fully operable in freight service on the Michigan Southern Railroad (1989) until a few years ago. As of Sep 2005, the 466 was stored out of service near the Michigan Southern's office in White Pigeon, Michigan. 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.
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