- ALCO RS-3
Infobox Locomotive
name=ALCO RS-3
powertype=Diesel-electric
image_size=200px
caption=An ALCO RS-3 locomotive inSeaboard Air Line Railroad livery.
builder=American Locomotive Company Montreal Locomotive Works
buildmodel=RS-3
poweroutput=1,600 hp (1.2 MW)
aarwheels=B-B
builddate=May 1950 – August 1956
totalproduction=1,370
locale=North America ;Spain (purchased from US railroads)
cylindercount=12
primemover=ALCO 244The ALCO RS-3 is a 1,600 hp (1.2 MW), B-Broad switcher railroad locomotive . It was manufactured byAmerican Locomotive Company (ALCO) from May 1950 to August 1956, and 1,370 were produced — 1,265 for American railroads, 98 for Canadian railroads, and 7 for Mexican railroads. It has a single, 12 cylinder, model 244 engine.Competition
ALCO built the RS-3 to compete with EMD,
Fairbanks-Morse , andBaldwin Locomotive Works . In 1950, Fairbanks-Morse introduced the 1,600 hp (1.2 MW) H-16-44. Also in 1950, Baldwin introduced the 1,600 hp (1.2 MW) AS-16. 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 (1.1 to 1.2 MW), and added more improvements to create new locomotive lines. All of this was to be more competitive with EMD. ALCO's 1,500 hp (1.1 MW) line was the RS-2, although 31 were built in 1950 with 1,600 hp (1.2 MW). Fairbanks-Morse's 1,500 hp (1.1 MW) line was the H-15-44. Baldwin's 1,500 hp (1.1 MW) line was the DRS-4-4-15. EMD, however, kept its competing GP7 at 1,500 hp (1.1 MW) But in1954 , EMD introduced the GP9. It was rated at 1,750 hp (1.3 MW).EMD won the road switcher production race, though. 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-4-4-15s, and 127 AS-16s.
pain
In 1964 the Spanish railway the
Ferrocarril de Langreo purchased four RS-3s from theTerminal Railroad Association of St. Louis . A fifth unit, number 1604, was purchased in 1971 from theBurlington Northern Railroad (BN), a piece of surplusGreat Northern Railroad stock from the 1970 merger that formed BN. The locomotives served until 1984, when the line was converted tometre gauge . [cite web| url=http://alcoworld.railfan.net/langreo.htm| title=Ferrocarril de Langreo en Asturias| work=AlcoWorld| date=2000-05-14 | accessdate=2007-09-13| ]ee also
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RS3m , a rebuild of the RS-3References
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