ALCO RS-11

ALCO RS-11

TPW 400, an RS-11 on display at Illinois Railway Museum, July 16, 2005.
Type and origin
Power type Diesel-electric
Builder ALCO, MLW
Model RS-11
Build date February 1956 to June 1961 (Alco) / April 1964 (MLW)
Total produced 425
Specifications
AAR wheel arr. B-B
Gauge 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Trucks AAR type B
Wheel diameter 40 in (1,016 mm)
Minimum curve 21° (274.37 ft or 83.63 m)
Wheelbase 39 ft 4 in (11.99 m)
Length 56 ft 6 in (17.22 m)
Width 10 ft 1 5⁄8 in (3.089 m)
Height 14 ft 5 1⁄8 in (4.397 m)
Loco weight 257,300 lb (116,700 kg)
Fuel capacity 2,000 US gal (7,600 L; 1,700 imp gal)
Prime mover ALCO 251B
RPM range 1,000 rpm max.
Engine type V12 Four stroke diesel
Aspiration Turbocharger
Generator GE GT 581
Traction motors (4) GE 752
Cylinders 12
Cylinder size 9 in × 10.5 in (229 mm × 267 mm)
Performance figures
Power output 1,800 hp (1,300 kW)
Tractive effort 64,325 lb (29,177 kg)
Career
Locale North America South America

The ALCO RS-11 is a diesel-electric locomotive of the road switcher type rated at 1,800 hp (1.34 MW), that rode on two-axle trucks, having a B-B wheel arrangement.

Development

The first three RS-11s were produced by ALCO in February 1956 as a demonstrator set. This locomotive, classified by ALCO as model DL-701, was their first high-horsepower road switcher,[1] intended to be a replacement for the very popular RS-3 road switcher. Featuring a V-12, 1,800 hp (1,300 kW) 251B diesel engine, the RS-11 was ALCO's answer to EMD's very successful GP9. The turbocharged RS-11 accelerated faster, had a higher tractive effort rating and typically used less fuel than the competition. It was also quite versatile and could be found in heavy haul freight as well as passenger service. It was produced in high-nose and low-nose versions. Montreal Locomotive Works built identical units.[1]

While the RS-11 benefited from the increased power and reliability offered with ALCO's new 251B engine, and was arguably a more advanced product than the GP9, its market acceptance was disappointing against the reputation EMD's locomotives had made for superior reliability.

Original purchasers

Owner Quantity Numbers Notes
Alco 3 701, 701A, 701B first RS11s built, sold to Southern Pacific, 701B steam generator
Carolina and Northwestern Railway 1 11
Delaware and Hudson 15 5000-5011 5000-5005 built as New York Central 8009-8014, 5006-5011 low nose
Duluth, Winnipeg and Pacific 15 3600-3614
Erie Mining 15 300-314
Ferrocarril del Pacifico 1 1501 built by Montreal Locomotive Works, steam generator
Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México 94 7200-7293 7205-7217 steam generator, 7218-7293 built by Montreal Locomotive Works, low nose, last built
Green Bay and Western 1 309
Lehigh Valley 4 400-403 low nose
Maine Central 1 801
Ministry of Communication and Transportation (Mexico) 4 7123-1 - 7123-4 7123-4 steam generator
Missouri Pacific 12 4601-4612
Monongahela Connecting Railroad 1 700
New York, New Haven and Hartford 15 1400-1414 steam generators
New York Central 9 8000-8008
New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad 35 558-577, 850-864
Norfolk and Western 99 308-406
Northern Pacific 18 900-917
Pennsylvania 38 8617-8654
Portland Terminal 1 1082 to Maine Central 802
Seaboard Air Line 10 100-109 to SCL 1202-1211, all retired by late 1980
Southern Peru Copper Corp. 5 3-6, 8
Southern Pacific Railroad 34 5723-5729, 5845-5871 5866-5871 low nose, purchased Alco Demonstrators to SP 5720-5722
Toledo, Peoria and Western Railway 3 400-402 401 rebuilt by Alco after a wreck with low nose

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Foster, Gerald (1996). A Field Guide to Trains. Boston, New York: Houghton Mifflin Company. p. 26. ISBN 0395701120.


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