ALCO Century 636

ALCo Century 636
RPRX 78, now NYSW 3660 is on the point of SU-100 at Ridgefield Park, New Jersey, September 2005.
Type and origin Power type Diesel-electric Builder ALCo, AE Goodwin (licensee) Model Century 636 Build date December 1967 – September 1970 Total produced 63
Specifications Configuration: ​  • AAR C-C Gauge 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge Prime mover ALCo 16-251F Engine type V16 diesel engine Cylinders 16
Performance figures Power output 3,600 hp (2.7 MW)
Career Disposition Most scrapped, some rebuilt, 1 preserved

The ALCo Century 636 was the most powerful single-engine road switcher diesel-electric locomotive constructed by the American Locomotive Company (ALCo). It used their 251 prime mover. The locomotive had a C-C wheel arrangement and 3,600 horsepower (2,700 kW). The locomotive rode on a pair of trucks of all-new design, known as the Hi-Ad, standing for 'high adhesion'. Visually, it is similar to the Century 630, but can be distinguished by the intercooler box. The C630 has two grilles here, one above the other. The C636 only has the upper grille.

Production

The production of only 1000 units, built in 1969 and 1970, reflected ALCo's dwindling locomotive market share. Despite many new and innovative features, the C636 could not hold its own. Three demonstrators were built costing Alco about $5.5 million. 636-2, the only former demonstrator operating, was a factor in dissuading potential customers from purchasing these locomotives. During an evaluation on the Santa Fe Railway, the same traction motor blower on 636-2 failed (which causes engine shutdown) and was replaced on three of four runs, and had other unsatisfactory results while being tested on the Southern Pacific Railroad.

AE Goodwin in Australia built 29 C636s between May 1968 and September 1970 for the Pilbara iron ore railroads. Hamersley Iron purchased 12 units in 5 separate orders. Bechtel purchased 5 C636s for use in the construction of the Mount Newman Mining facilities. The latter company ordered 12 C636s a year later and bought Bechtel's locomotives. Hamersley Iron had their fleet rebuilt in the 1980s by Comeng, Bassendean with the Australian designed Pilbara cab.

Montreal Locomotive Works produced a M636 variant of the C636 on Dofasco trucks for Canadian Pacific Railway and Canadian National Railway. This was also built in Australia for Hamersley Iron, Mount Newman Mining and Robe River Mining.

Original owners

Railroad	Quantity	Road numbers	Notes
Alco Products (demonstrators)	3	636-1–636-3	To Québec Cartier Mining Company 77-79
Illinois Central Railroad	6	1100–1105
Penn Central	15	6330–6344	Ordered by PRR before PC merger; to Conrail as 6780-6794
Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway	10	330–335, 340–343	To Burlington Northern 4360-4369
Hamersley Iron	12	3006–3017	Built by AE Goodwin, Australia
Mount Newman Mining	17	5452–5468	Built by AE Goodwin, Australia
Total	63

Current usage

As of March 2020, the only C636 in existence is in operation on the Delaware-Lackawanna Railroad of Scranton, PA. The two former Cartier, ex-Alco demonstrator units stored on the Bath and Hammondsport Railroad for many years have been scrapped by a local contractor. The NYS&W is currently an all-EMD powered railroad. The WNY&P still operates M630 and M636 MLW locomotives, but these units will be removed from service in Summer 2019 and replaced by GE AC6000CWs that formerly served on CSX. The WNYP M-630s and M-636s are reportedly going to the Delaware-Lackawanna in the future.

See also

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

External links

• Sarberenyi, Robert. Alco C636 Original Owners.