ALCO RSD-1

ALCO RSD-1
Former US Army ALCO RSD-1, now owned by the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum. TVRM has two of these unique locomotives.
Type and origin Power type Diesel-electric Model RSD-1 Build date March 1941 – March 1960 Total produced 417
Specifications Configuration: ​  • AAR C-C Gauge Template:4ft8.5in Length 55 ft 5.75 in (16.2 m) Width Template:Ft to m Height 14 ft 5 in (4.4 m) Fuel capacity 1,000 gal (6,056 L) Prime mover ALCO 539T Engine type 4-stroke diesel Aspiration Turbocharger Displacement 8,256 in³ (135.2 L) Cylinders Straight-6 Cylinder size 9 in × 10.5 in (229 mm × 267 mm) Transmission DC generator, DC traction motors Loco brake straight air Train brakes air
Performance figures Power output 1,000 hp (745 kW)
Career Locale North America, Soviet Union

The ALCO RSD-1 was a diesel-electric locomotive built by American Locomotive Company (ALCO). This model was a road switcher type rated at 1000 horsepower and rode on three-axle trucks, having a C-C wheel arrangement. It was often used in much the same manner as its four-axle counterpart, the ALCO RS-1, though the six-motor design allowed better tractive effort at lower speeds.

Most of the RSD-1s were shipped overseas to the Soviet Union during World War II, as part of the Allied war effort. Operated on the Trans-Iranian Railway, these locomotives kept the trains running and helped to assure eventual victory over Nazi Germany in 1945. Subsequently, the Soviets kept many of the RSD-1s after the war, adopting the design to form the basis of their own line of diesel locomotives.

External links

• ALCo World: The Russian RSD-1 Copies