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ALCO S-6

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Trainsandotherthings (talk | contribs) at 14:50, 20 August 2022 (A bit more detail on the SB-8/SSB-9 which I just redirected here.). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

ALCO S-6
SP No. 1231 at El Centro, California, in 1970
Type and origin
Power typeDiesel
BuilderALCO
ModelS-6
Build dateMay 1955–December 1960
Total produced126
Specifications
Configuration:
 • AARB-B
 • UICBo′Bo′
Gauge4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm)
Length45 ft 5 in (13.84 m)
Width10 ft (3.05 m)
Height14 ft 8 in (4.47 m)
Loco weight230,000 lb (104.3 tonnes)
Fuel capacity635 US gal (2,400 L; 529 imp gal)
Lubricant cap.140 US gal (530 L; 120 imp gal)
Coolant cap.110 US gal (420 L; 92 imp gal)
Sandbox cap.26 cu ft (0.74 m3)
Prime moverALCO 251A or B
RPM range375–1000 rpm
Engine typeFour-stroke diesel
GeneratorGE GT-533 (or GE GT-584)
Traction motors4 × GE 731 (GE 752 optional[1])
CylindersStraight 6
Cylinder size9 in × 10+12 in (229 mm × 267 mm)
Performance figures
Maximum speed60 mph (97 km/h)
Power output900 hp (670 kW)
Career
LocaleUnited States, Mexico
[2]

The Alco S-6 (specification DL 430) was a diesel-electric locomotive of the switcher type constructed by ALCO of Schenectady, New York; a total of 126 locomotives were built between May 1955 and December 1960. The S-6 was an improved version of the earlier S-5.

Design

Visually indistinguishable from the S-5, the S-6 used an ALCO 251A or 251B prime mover rated at 900 horsepower (670 kW). The locomotive rode on two-axle AAR trucks, giving a B-B wheel arrangement. ALCO produced a cow-calf variant for the Oliver Iron Mining Company designated SB-8/SSB-9, two sets were produced of this version.[3]

Original owners

Railroad Quantity Road Number Notes
Allied Chemical Company 1 110
ARMCO Steel 1 1202
B. Perini & Sons Construction Company 1 101 to Upper Merion and Plymouth Railroad 101
Belt Railway of Chicago 1 420
Ferrocarril Chihuahua al Pacífico 1 60 Renumbered 106
Cia Fundidora de Hierro y Acero 3 1–3
Ferrocarril del Pacífico 24 701–723
Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México 1 5300
Northern Pacific Railway 1 750 to Burlington Northern Railroad 950
Ohio River Company (ORCo) 1 56
Republic Steel 3 153,317,318
Secretaria de Comunicaciones de Obras Publicas (SCOP) 3 7133-1,2,3 to Ferrocarril del Sureste (same numbers)
Sheffield Steel 2 15,16
Southern Pacific Railroad 70 1033–1082,4634–4645 renumbered 1200–1257, 1270–1281
South Buffalo Railway 6 40–45
Tennessee Copper 1 107
Upper Merion and Plymouth Railroad 1 61
U.S. Pipe and Foundry 1 38
Columbia Geneva Steel 1 1
Western Maryland Railway 2 151,152
Ferrocarriles Unidos de Yucatán 1 301

See also

References

  1. ^ Strapac, Joseph A. (March 2013). Southern Pacific Historic Diesels Volume 18: Alco and GE Diesel Switchers. Bellflower, CA: Shade Tree Books. p. 73. ISBN 978-0-930742-44-7.
  2. ^ "ALCO S-6 Data Sheet". The Diesel Shop. Retrieved 2006-11-29.
  3. ^ Pinkepank, Jerry A. (1973). The Second Diesel Spotter's Guide. Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Kalmbach Publishing. p. 230. ISBN 978-0-89024-026-7.