| ALCO RS-1 | |
|---|---|
| ALCO RS1 of the Southern Appalachia Railway Museum, Oak Ridge, TN. | |
| Power type | Diesel-electric |
| Builder | American Locomotive Company Montreal Locomotive Works |
| Model | RS-1 |
| Build date | March 1941 – March 1960 |
| Total produced | 469 |
| AAR wheel arr. | B-B |
| Gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
| Length | 55 ft 5 3⁄4 in (16.91 m) |
| Width | 10 ft 0 in (3.05 m) |
| Height | 14 ft 5 in (4.39 m) |
| Locomotive weight | 247,500 lb (112.3 t) |
| Fuel capacity | 1,000 US gal (3,800 l) |
| Prime mover | ALCO 539T |
| Engine type | Four-stroke diesel |
| Aspiration | Turbocharger |
| Displacement | 1,595 cu in (26.14 l) per cylinder 9,572 cu in (156.86 l) total |
| Cylinders | Straight-6 |
| Cylinder size | 12½ in × 13 in (318 mm × 330 mm) |
| Transmission | DC generator, DC traction motors |
| Top speed | 65 mph (105 km/h) |
| Power output | 1,000 hp (746 kW) |
| Tractive effort | 40,425 lbf (179.82 kN) |
| Locomotive brakes | Independent air |
| Train brakes | Air |
| Locale | North America, Brazil, Saudi Arabia |
The ALCO RS-1 was a 4-axle diesel-electric locomotive built by Alco-GE between 1941 and 1953 and the American Locomotive Company from 1953 to 1960. This model has the distinction of having the longest production run of any diesel locomotive for the North American market.
The carbody configuration of the RS-1 pioneered the road switcher type of diesel locomotive. Most locomotives built since have followed this basic design. In 1940, the Rock Island Railroad approached ALCO about building a locomotive for both road and switching service.[1]
The first thirteen production locomotives were requisitioned by the US Army, the five railroads affected had to wait while replacements were manufactured. The requisitioned RS-1s were remanufactured by ALCO into six axle RSD-1s for use on the Trans Iranian Railroad to supply the Soviet Union during World War Two.
Contents |
| Railroad | Quantity | Road numbers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta and St. Andrews Bay Railroad |
|
901–903 | to US Army 8010–8012 |
| Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (“Milwaukee Road”) |
|
1678–1679 | to US Army 8002–8003 |
| Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad |
|
746–749 | to US Army 8004, 8007, 8005, 8006; 748 first RS-1 built in 3/41 |
| New York, Susquehanna and Western Railroad |
|
231, 233 | to US Army 8000–8001 |
| Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad Company |
|
601–602 | to US Army 8008–8009 |
| Total | 13 |
Several examples exist at tourist railways and railway museums, including:
Grand Trunk Western 1951 (last domestic RS-1 produced) at the Illinois Railway Museum
Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific 745 (believed to be the oldest existing RS-1, and one of the replacements for the 13 taken by the U.S. Army) at the Louisiana Steam Train Association yard in Jefferson, LA
Eastman Kodak Company 9 (built as Chicago & Western Indiana 260, sold to Genesee & Wyoming in 1971 and then to EKC) is preserved at the Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum.
Green Mountain Railroad 405 (former Rutland Railway 405, serial number 79575)
Catskill Mountain Railroad #400 (out of service & under repair) and #401 (operating) tourist train in Kingston NY.
Duluth, South Shore and Atlantic Railway #101, the only known locomotive existing from that railroad, is at the Lake Superior Railroad Museum and has been restored for occasional use on the North Shore Scenic Railroad.
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