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ALCO RSD-15

ALCO RSD-15
Green Bay and Western 2407, preserved at the Illinois Railway Museum
Type and origin
Power typeDiesel-electric
BuilderAlco
ModelDL600B
Build dateAugust 1956 – June 1960
Total produced75
Specifications
Configuration:
​
 • AARC-C
 • UICCo′Co′
Gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
TrucksAlco trimount
Wheel diameter40 in (1,016 mm)
Length66 ft 7 in (20.29 m)[1]
Width10 ft 2 in (3.10 m)
Height14 ft 11 in (4.55 m)
Loco weight335,000 lb (151,953.4 kg)
Fuel capacity3,350 US gallons (12,700 L; 2,790 imp gal)
Prime moverAlco 251B
Engine typeV16 Four-stroke diesel
GeneratorGE GT586
Traction motorsGE 752 (6x)
Cylinders16
Performance figures
Maximum speed65 mph (105 km/h)
Power output2,400 hp (1.79 MW)
Tractive effortStarting: 95,600 lbf (425.2 kN) at 25% adhesion;
Continuous: 79,500 lbf (353.6 kN) at 12 mph (19 km/h)

The ALCO RSD-15 is a diesel-electric locomotive built by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) of Schenectady, New York between August 1956 and June 1960, during which time 75 locomotives were produced. The RSD-15 was powered by an ALCO 251 16-cylinder four-cycle V-type prime mover rated at 2,400 horsepower (1.79 MW); it superseded the almost identical ALCO 244-engined RSD-7, and was catalogued alongside the similar but smaller 1,800 hp (1.34 MW) RSD-12, powered by a 12-cylinder 251-model V-type diesel engine.[2]

The locomotive rode on a pair of three-axle Trimount trucks with all axles powered by General Electric model 752 traction motors. These trucks have an asymmetrical axle spacing because of the positioning of the traction motors. The six-motor design allowed higher tractive effort at lower speeds than an otherwise similar four-motor design.

The RSD-15 could be ordered with either a high or low short hood; railfans dubbed the low short hood version "Alligators", due to their unusually long low noses.

RSD-17

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A single example of the very similar model RSD-17 was built by the Montreal Locomotive Works in 1957. After demonstrating on the Canadian Pacific (as #7007), the Canadian National (as #3899), and the Pacific Great Eastern (as #624), the locomotive was purchased by the Canadian Pacific (as #8921). Nicknamed "The Empress of Agincourt", by Pete Fairfull, who was its primary operator for many years, (for its common presence around Toronto's Agincourt yard), the locomotive served the railway until 1995, when truck problems forced its retirement.[3]

Original owners

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Railroad Quantity Road numbers Notes
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway 50 800–849 Low nose
Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range Railroad 6 50–55 Later Bessemer and Lake Erie Railroad 881-886 Cartier acquired the six units (91-96) 6/1972. All 6 units were converted to low hoods. #96 in service as Susquehanna and Maryland RR (SMD) #96
Pennsylvania Railroad 6 8611–8616 Later Penn Central 6811–6816. Conrail rebuilt four of them to MT6s 1125–1128. After the dividing of Conrail, 2 went to CSX as 1017 and 1018, and 2 went to Norfolk Southern as 1114 and 1115.
Southern Pacific Railroad 3 250–252 Low nose
St. Louis Southwestern Railway 10 850-859[4] Renumbered 5150 – 5159 in 1965

Low nose

Canadian Pacific Railway 1 8921 RSD-17[3]

[2][5]

Surviving examples

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RSD-17 locomotive in Elgin County Railway Museum, St. Thomas, Ontario.

Five RSD-15s survive in preservation; all are ex-Santa Fe units.[6]

• Santa Fe #843 is preserved at the Arkansas Railroad Museum in Pine Bluff, Arkansas.

• Santa Fe #9820 is preserved at the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento, but is not publicly displayed.

• Austin and Texas Central #442 (ex-ATSF #842) is preserved, but is currently out of service, at the Austin Steam Train Association (ASTA) in Cedar Park, Texas. It's painted in a modified Southern Pacific "Black Widow" scheme.[7] While #442 is sidelined being rebuilt should return into service late 2024 or early 2025.[8]

• Green Bay and Western #2407 (ex-ATSF #841) is preserved and operational at the Illinois Railway Museum.[9]

• Utah Railway #401 (ex-ATSF #823) is preserved at the Utah State Railroad Museum in Ogden, Utah.

• The RSD-17 demonstrator, Canadian Pacific #8921, is preserved at the Elgin County Railway Museum, St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada.[3]

Models

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The RSD-15 has been produced in N scale by Mehano of Yugoslavia and Broadway Limited of the United States.

The RSD-15 has been produced in HO scale by Broadway Limited Imports and handmade brass. Alco Models (DL600b) high and Low hoods. Also (Overland Models).[10]

The RSD-15 has been produced in O scale by Atlas O in their Trainman line.[11]

The RSD-17 has not been mass-produced in any scale; however, in 2008 Broadway Limited Imports did produce a limited run of the high-hood CP 8921 in HO scale.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "ALCO RSD-15 Data Sheet". The Diesel Shop. Archived from the original on 2006-10-01. Retrieved 2006-11-29.
  2. ^ a b Pinkepank, Jerry A. (1973). The Second Diesel Spotter's Guide. Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Kalmbach Publishing. ISBN 978-0-89024-026-7.
  3. ^ a b c "Elgin County Railway Museum...St. Thomas, Ontario...The Railway Capital of Canada". Retrieved 2009-04-14.
  4. ^ "Cotton Belt (SSW) RSD15 Info Page". espee.railfan.net. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
  5. ^ "ALCO RSD-15 Roster". The Diesel Shop. Archived from the original on 2006-10-01. Retrieved 2006-11-29.
  6. ^ "Preserved ALCO Road-Switchers". The Diesel Shop. Archived from the original on 30 December 2006. Retrieved 2006-11-29.
  7. ^ "Alco Diesel 442". Austin Steam Train. Archived from the original on 2006-10-08. Retrieved 2006-11-29.
  8. ^ "Locomotive 442".
  9. ^ Glischinski, Steve (1997). Santa Fe Railway. Osceola, WI: Motorbooks International. p. 126. ISBN 978-0-7603-0380-1.
  10. ^ "ALCO RSD-15". Broadway Limited Imports. Archived from the original on 2006-11-20. Retrieved 2006-11-29.
  11. ^ "ALCO RSD-15". Atlas O, LLC. Archived from the original on 2 February 2007. Retrieved 2007-02-08.
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