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ALCO RS-11

1,800 hp road-switcher diesel-electric locomotive

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) /November 1957-1 unit, June 1963 to April 1964 (MLW) Total produced 431
Specifications Configuration: ​  • AAR 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 ft1+5⁄8 in (3.089 m) Height 14 ft5+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 Maximum speed 70–85 mph (113–137 km/h) 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 class of diesel-electric locomotive rated at 1,800 hp (1.34 MW), that rode on two-axle trucks, having a B-B wheel arrangement. This model was built by both Alco (327 units) and Montreal Locomotive Works (99 units). Total production was 426 units.^[1]

Development[edit]

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 also built 351 nearly identical units, known as the RS-18, for the Canadian market.^[2]

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[edit]

Preservation[edit]

• Duluth, Winnipeg and Pacific 3612 is preserved as York-Durham Heritage Railway 3612 at the York–Durham Heritage RailwayinOntario^[5]
• Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México 7282 is preserved at the Yucatán RR Museum in Mérida, Yucatán.
• New York, New Haven and Hartford 1402 is preserved at the Danbury Railway MuseuminDanbury, Connecticut
• Toledo, Peoria and Western 400 is preserved at the Illinois Railway MuseuminUnion, Illinois^[6]

See also[edit]

• List of ALCO diesel locomotives
• List of MLW diesel locomotives

References[edit]

• Steinbrenner, Richard T. (2003). The American Locomotive Company: A Centennial Remembrance. On Track Publishers, LLC. ISBN 0-911122-07-9.
• Roster from The Diesel Shop http://www.thedieselshop.us/Alco_RS11.HTML Archived 2011-12-16 at the Wayback Machine^{[self-published source?]}
• Waller, R. (1998). Locomotive Roster: 1976. Conrail Cyclopedia . Retrieved November 22, 2022, from http://crcyc.railfan.net/locos/misc/rosters/roster-76.html ^{[self-published source?]}

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