Preserved Nickel Plate No. 324 (originally Utah Railway No. 306) at the Oregon Rail Heritage Center in 2013.
(Mobilus In Mobili, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)
ALCO RSD-5 DIESEL-ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVE
The ALCO RSD-5 is a diesel-electric locomotive rated at 1,600 horsepower (1.2 MW), that rode on a pair of three-axle trucks, having a C-C wheel arrangement.
Basically an upgraded version of the earlier ALCO RSD-4, and used in much the same manner as its four-axle counterpart, the ALCO RS-3, the six-motor design allowed better tractive effort at lower speeds.
Chesapeake & Ohio Alco RSD5 5589 at Toledo, Ohio, in July, 1956. Photographer unknown.
The big chain hanging alongside the bogie was for moving a freight car in a switch move or a
derailment in a yard. Along with polling poles, very dangerous and outlawed eventually.
(Craig Garver, Public domain, https://www.flickr.com/photos/digitalrailartist/50304101068/)
Original owners
| Railroad | Quantity | Road numbers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Locomotive Company (demonstrator) | 1 | 1606 | to ATSF 2157 |
| Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway | 52 | 2110–2156, 2158–2162 | |
| Birmingham Southern Railroad | 1 | 160 | |
| Chesapeake and Ohio Railway | 26 | 5570–5595 | |
| Chicago and North Western Railway | 10 | 1665–1667, 1684–1690 | |
| Central Railroad of New Jersey | 1 | 1615 | |
| Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (Milwaukee Road) | 6 | 2150–2155 | Renumbered 570–575 |
| Pennsylvania Railroad | 6 | 8446–8451 | |
| St. Louis Southwestern Railway | 3 | 270–272 | |
| Southern Pacific Company | 36 | 5294–5307, 5336–5339, 5445–5448, 5494–5507 | 21 of them traded back to Alco in 1960 and rebuilt into Alco RSD-12's |
| Southern Pacific (Texas and New Orleans Railroad) | 24 | 155–176, 185–186 | |
| Utah Railway | 1 | 306 | to DLMX 324 |
| Ferrocarril del Pacífico | 35 | 801–835 | |
| Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México | 2 | 6900–6901 | |
| Total | 204 |
Ferrocarril del Pacifico Alco RSD5 832 at Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, March 5, 1980. Photographer: Bob Wily.
(Craig Garver, Public domain, https://www.flickr.com/photos/digitalrailartist/51755537973/)
Preserved units
As of 2024, there are only two RSD-5s that have not been rebuilt known to be in existence.
- CNW No. 1689 is preserved and operational at the Illinois Railway Museum.
- Utah Railway No. 306 is preserved at the Utah State Railroad Museum awaiting a planned restoration to its Utah Railway colors. It is currently painted as Nickel Plate Road No. 324, from its former owner, Doyle McCormack of the Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation.
Two former RSD-5s (rebuilt as RSD-12's) built for the Southern Pacific survive at the Southern California Railway Museum (SP No. 2954 and SP No. 2958).
Milwaukee Road Alco RSD5 575 at St Paul, Minnesota, September 14, 1969. Photographer: Ed Kanak.
(Craig Garver, Public domain, https://www.flickr.com/photos/digitalrailartist/50988497033/)
ALCO RSD-5 Overview
Type and origin
Power type: Diesel-electric
Builder: ALCO
Model: RSD-5
Build date: 1952–1956
Total produced: 204 (167 USA, 37 Mexico)
Specifications
Configuration: AAR C-C
Gauge: 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Trucks: ALCO trimount
Wheel diameter: 40 in (1,016 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+5⁄8 in (3.089 m)
Height: 14 ft 8+1⁄4 in (4.477 m)
Locomotive weight: 287,000 lb (130,000 kg)
Fuel capacity: 1,300 US gal (4,900 L; 1,100 imp gal)
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 GT566
Traction motors: (x 6) GE 752
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: 71,750 lb (32,550 kg)
