ALCO RS-2

Infobox Locomotive
name=ALCO RS-2
powertype=Diesel-electric
builder=American Locomotive Company
Montreal Locomotive Works
buildmodel=RS-2
gauge=RailGauge|ussg


primemover=Alco 244
cylindercount=V12
poweroutput=convert|1500|hp|MW|abbr=on
convert|1600|hp|MW|abbr=on 31 later units
aarwheels=B-B
builddate=October 1946 – May 1950
totalproduction=383
locale=North AmericaThe ALCO RS-2 is a convert|1500|hp, B-B road switcher railroad locomotive. It was manufactured by American Locomotive Company (ALCO) from October 1946 to May 1950, and 383 were produced — 366 by the American Locomotive Company, and 17 by Montreal Locomotive Works in Canada. It has a single, 12 cylinder, model 244 engine, devoloping convert|1500|hp. Thirty-one locomotives built by Alco between February and May 1950 had convert|1600|hp 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 383 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.

Original buyers

Locomotives built by American Locomotive Company, USA

Locomotives built by Montreal Locomotive Works, Canada

urvivors

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.

References

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