ALCO RSD-4

ALCO RSD-4
Kennecott Copper Corporation locomotive 201 on display at Snoqualmie Depot, Snoqualmie, Washington
Type and origin Power type Diesel-electric Builder ALCO Model RSD-4 (Specification E1663) Build date 1951–1952 Total produced 36
Specifications Configuration: ​  • AAR C-C Gauge 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge Trucks ALCO trimount Wheel diameter 40 in (1,000 mm) Minimum curve 21° (274.37 ft or 83.63 m) Wheelbase 42 ft 3 in (12.88 m) Length 56 ft 6 in (17.22 m) Width 10 ft 1+7⁄8 in (3.096 m) Height 14 ft 5+1⁄4 in (4.401 m) Loco weight 278,860 lb (126,490 kg) Fuel capacity 800 US gal (3,000 L) Prime mover Alco 244 RPM range 1000 (max) Engine type V12 Four-stroke engine diesel Aspiration Turbocharger Displacement 8,016 cu in (131.36 L) Generator GE 5GT-581A1 Traction motors (6) GE 5GE752-C1 Cylinders 12 Cylinder size 9 in × 10.5 in (229 mm × 267 mm)
Performance figures Power output 1,600 hp (1.2 MW) Tractive effort 69,700 lb (31,600 kg)

Kennecott Copper Corporation locomotive 201 on display at Snoqualmie Depot, Snoqualmie, Washington.

The ALCO RSD-4 was a diesel-electric locomotive of the road switcher type rated at 1,600 horsepower (1.2 MW), that rode on three-axle trucks, having a C-C wheel arrangement.

Used in much the same manner as its four-axle counterpart, the ALCO RS-3, though the six-motor design allowed better tractive effort at lower speeds. Due to the inadequate capacity of the main generator, this model was later superseded in production by the ALCO RSD-5

Original owners

Railroad	Quantity	Road Numbers	Notes
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway	10	2100–2109
Chicago and North Western Railway	5	1515–1517, 1619–1620
Central Railroad of New Jersey	14	1601–1614
Kennecott Copper Corporation	1	201	Preserved
Utah Railway	6	300–305
Total	36

Preserved units

The only ALCO RSD-4 that has survived is Kennecott Copper Corporation #201. As of 2007, it resides in fully restored condition at the Northwest Railway Museum (formerly known as the Puget Sound & Snoqualmie Valley Railway) in Snoqualmie, Washington, wearing a coat of bright orange paint.

References

• Dorin, Patrick C. (1972). Chicago and North Western Power. Burbank, California: Superior Publishing. p. 141. ISBN 0-87564-715-4.
• Pinkepank, Jerry A. (1973). The Second Diesel Spotter's Guide. Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Kalmbach Publishing. p. 247. ISBN 978-0-89024-026-7.