The ALCO; American Locomotive Company; S1 is a type of four-axle 600 hp diesel locomotive built between 1940 and 1950. Many were built, as well as there being different versions of the actual locomotive. Many are also preserved, and operate on several shortline railroads.
History[]
The ALCO S1 was built during the 1950s as a typical "road switcher" (or shunter) for use on various railroads for switching, shunting, or sorting out rollingstock in yards, industries, junctions and/or stations.
They were originally meant to compete with GE's "Boxcab" series of switching locomotives, and EMC/EMD's NW/SW series of switching locomotives. Yet, the S1 succeeded in being larger and more powerful for railroads to use for heavy-duty freight service; though EMD however, developed the GP7 which surpassed the S1; dominating both the S1, subsequent models, and ALCO's "RS" series switchers (a line which was actually greenlit as a result of the S1's ever-growing success).
The S1 was unfortunately outsold by the ever-growing success of EMD's GP7, but most railroads still primarily used the ALCO S1 for switching duties until the 1960s when GE and EMD introduced the U25B and GP30 respectively; beginning the second-generation for freight (and passenger) diesel locomotives evolving from being a basic "road switcher".
Numerous shortline railroads throughout North America and the United States have S1 units preserved, and are used for hauling freight and passenger excursions (besides some currently residing on static display).
Versions[]
Although some aren't considered or classified as such:
- S2 (900 hp version)
- S3 (660 hp version)
- S4 (1,000 hp version)
- S5 (1,200 hp version)
- S6 (1,500 hp version)
Trivia[]
- Whitewater Valley Railroad (WVRR) ALCO S1 #9339 was built in 1948 as Proctor & Gamble 9, and is preserved in a New York Central paint scheme at the Whitewater Valley Railroad shortline in Connersville, Indiana.
- This Locomotive was seen in the film, Dirty Mary Crazy Larry
- The Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal railroad owns 6 of these engines numbers 21-26. All 5 were scrapped except for #25 because it's currently on display in Riverside Park as New York Central #8625.