Classic Streamliners - TRAINCYCLOPEDIA
Minnesota Commercial Railway No. 318 at Minneapolis, July 2009. Photo by Drew Jacksich.
By Drew Jacksich from San Jose, CA, The Republic of California - 07 17 09 143xRP, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17931406
ALCO RS-27 Diesel Electric Road Switcher Locomotive
The ALCO RS-27 (specification DL-640) is a diesel-electric locomotive built by ALCO between December 1959 and October 1962. Only 27 examples were manufactured. With ALCO's introduction of the Century Series line, the C-424 (specification DL-640A) replaced the RS-27 in the builder's catalog. Today, the Minnesota Commercial Railway has the only two RS-27s left in existence, both operational.
Original Owners
American Locomotive Company (demonstrator)
Quantity: 5
Road Numbers: 640-1 to 640-5
Notes: 640-1 rebuilt as C424 for Pennsylvania Railroad, 640-2 through 640-5 to Union Pacific Railroad 675–678; 678 wrecked 1969, 675–676 sold 1971 to Montreal Locomotive Works and used as lease fleet on Roberval and Saguenay Railway and British Columbia Railway, sold to Devco Railway 1974, renumbered 214-215, scrapped 1984.
Chicago and North Western Railway
Quantity: 4
Road Numbers: 900–903
Notes: One sold to Peabody Coal, three sold to Green Bay and Western 316–318; GBW 317 scrapped, 316 and 318 to Minnesota Commercial Railway.
Green Bay and Western Railroad
Quantity: 1
Road Numbers: 310
Pennsylvania Railroad
Quantity: 15
Road Numbers: 2400–2414
Notes: to Penn Central and Conrail (same numbers).
Soo Line Railroad
Quantity: 2
Road Numbers: 415–416
Total Units: 27
ALCO RS-27 Overview
Type and origin
Power type: Diesel-electric
Builder: ALCO
Model: RS-27
Build date: December 1959 – October 1962
Total produced: 27
Specifications
AAR wheel arrangement: B-B
Gauge: 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Trucks: AAR type B
Wheel diameter: 40 in (1,016 mm)
Minimum curve: 21°
Wheelbase: 40 ft 4 in (12.29 m)
Length: 57 ft 2 1⁄2 in (17.44 m)
Width: 9 ft 11 1⁄8 in (3.03 m)
Height: 14 ft 6 in (4.42 m)
Locomotive weight: 256,800 lb (116,500 kg)
Fuel capacity: 2,000 gal (7,600 L)
Prime mover: Alco 251B
RPM range: 1000
Engine type: Four-stroke diesel
Aspiration: Turbocharged
Displacement: 10,688 cu in (175.14 L)
Generator: GE 5GT-581-B1
Traction motors: (4) GE 5GE-752-E3
Cylinders: V16
Cylinder size: 9 in × 10.5 in (229 mm × 267 mm)
Performance figures
Power output: 2,400 hp (1.8 MW)
Tractive effort: 64,200 lb (29,100 kg)
Career
Locale: U.S.A.
Disposition: 2 survive, remainder scrapped or unknown
See also:
Text: wikipedia.org. Images: Public Domain; http://www.commons.wikimedia.org (unless otherwise specified) and 17 U.S. Code § 107 fair use. References: Lewis, Robert G. The Handbook of American Railroads. New York: Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation, 1951, 2nd Edition 1956. Site Map Contact webmaster HERE.
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