ALCO Century 420
Encyclopedia
The ALCO Century 420 was a four-axle
, 2000 horsepower
(1.5 MW) diesel locomotive
of the road switcher
type. 131 were built between June 1963 and August 1968. Cataloged as a part of ALCO's "Century
" line of locomotives, the C420 was intended to replace the earlier RS-32
model.
Since 2005, roughly 30% of C420 production exists. All units ordered by Mississippi State Export, New York, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad ("Nickel Plate"), and Piedmont & Northern Railway have been scrapped.
The two units delivered to the Piedmont & Northern were the first of the Phase II units.
Phase break down: http://www.calclassic.com/alco/century.htm
Axle
An axle is a central shaft for a rotating wheel or gear. On wheeled vehicles, the axle may be fixed to the wheels, rotating with them, or fixed to its surroundings, with the wheels rotating around the axle. In the former case, bearings or bushings are provided at the mounting points where the axle...
, 2000 horsepower
Horsepower
Horsepower is the name of several units of measurement of power. The most common definitions equal between 735.5 and 750 watts.Horsepower was originally defined to compare the output of steam engines with the power of draft horses in continuous operation. The unit was widely adopted to measure the...
(1.5 MW) diesel locomotive
Diesel locomotive
A diesel locomotive is a type of railroad locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine, a reciprocating engine operating on the Diesel cycle as invented by Dr. Rudolf Diesel...
of the road switcher
Road switcher
A road switcher is a type of railroad locomotive used for delivering or picking up cars outside of a railroad yard. Since the road switcher must work some distance away from a yard, it needs to be able to operate at road speeds, it must also have high-visibility while it is switching, and it must...
type. 131 were built between June 1963 and August 1968. Cataloged as a part of ALCO's "Century
ALCO Century Series locomotives
The ALCO Century Series locomotives were a line of locomotives produced by Alco,the Montreal Locomotive Works, and A. E. Goodwin Ltd under license in Australia. Production of the Century Series began in 1963 and ended in 1972. MLW and Goodwin continued to build Century locomotives after Alco...
" line of locomotives, the C420 was intended to replace the earlier RS-32
ALCO RS-32
The ALCO RS-32 is a locomotive of which 35 were produced by ALCO between June 1961 and June 1962 for two customers: the New York Central Railroad and the Southern Pacific Company....
model.
Original Owners
| Owner | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Erie Mining | 3 |
| Ferrocarril del Sureste | 2 |
| Lehigh & Hudson River Railway | 9 |
| Lehigh Valley Railroad Lehigh Valley Railroad The Lehigh Valley Railroad was one of a number of railroads built in the northeastern United States primarily to haul anthracite coal.It was authorized April 21, 1846 in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and incorporated September 20, 1847 as the Delaware, Lehigh, Schuylkill and Susquehanna Railroad... |
12 |
| Long Island Rail Road Long Island Rail Road The Long Island Rail Road or LIRR is a commuter rail system serving the length of Long Island, New York. It is the busiest commuter railroad in North America, serving about 81.5 million passengers each year. Established in 1834 and having operated continuously since then, it is the oldest US... |
30 |
| Louisville & Nashville Railroad | 16 |
| Monon Railroad Monon Railroad The Monon Railroad , also known as the Chicago, Indianapolis and Louisville Railway from 1897–1956, operated almost entirely within the state of Indiana... |
18 |
| Mississippi Export Railway | 1 |
| New York, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad | 1 |
| Norfolk & Western Railroad | 8 |
| Piedmont and Northern Railway Piedmont and Northern Railway The Piedmont & Northern Railway was a heavy electric interurban company operating over two disconnected divisions in North and South Carolina. Tracks spanned total between the two segments, with the northern division running from Charlotte, to Gastonia, North Carolina, including a three-mile ... |
2 |
| Seaboard Air Line Railroad Seaboard Air Line Railroad The Seaboard Air Line Railroad , which styled itself "The Route of Courteous Service," was an American railroad whose corporate existence extended from April 14, 1900, until July 1, 1967, when it merged with the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, its longtime rival, to form the Seaboard Coast Line... |
27 |
| Tennessee Central Railway Tennessee Central Railway The Tennessee Central Railway was founded in 1884 as the Nashville and Knoxville Railroad by Alexander S. Crawford. It was an attempt to open up a rail route from the coal and minerals of East Tennessee to the markets of the midstate, a service which many businessmen felt was not being adequately... |
2 |
Since 2005, roughly 30% of C420 production exists. All units ordered by Mississippi State Export, New York, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad ("Nickel Plate"), and Piedmont & Northern Railway have been scrapped.
The two units delivered to the Piedmont & Northern were the first of the Phase II units.
Phase break down: http://www.calclassic.com/alco/century.htm
Preservation
- Lehigh Valley RailroadLehigh Valley RailroadThe Lehigh Valley Railroad was one of a number of railroads built in the northeastern United States primarily to haul anthracite coal.It was authorized April 21, 1846 in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and incorporated September 20, 1847 as the Delaware, Lehigh, Schuylkill and Susquehanna Railroad...
405 is currently operating in Scranton, PA as Delaware Lackawanna Railroad 405. - Lehigh Valley RailroadLehigh Valley RailroadThe Lehigh Valley Railroad was one of a number of railroads built in the northeastern United States primarily to haul anthracite coal.It was authorized April 21, 1846 in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and incorporated September 20, 1847 as the Delaware, Lehigh, Schuylkill and Susquehanna Railroad...
408 is at the Southern Appalachia Railway MuseumSouthern Appalachia Railway MuseumSouthern Appalachia Railway Museum is a railway museum headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, United States.The museum collects antique locomotives and rolling stock to run on their 7 miles of track from the K-25 facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee to an interchange with Norfolk Southern at Blair,...
(Oak Ridge, TN) as VLIX 2064. - Lehigh Valley RailroadLehigh Valley RailroadThe Lehigh Valley Railroad was one of a number of railroads built in the northeastern United States primarily to haul anthracite coal.It was authorized April 21, 1846 in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and incorporated September 20, 1847 as the Delaware, Lehigh, Schuylkill and Susquehanna Railroad...
414 is on the Delaware Lackawanna Railroad (Scranton, PA). - Long Island Rail RoadLong Island Rail RoadThe Long Island Rail Road or LIRR is a commuter rail system serving the length of Long Island, New York. It is the busiest commuter railroad in North America, serving about 81.5 million passengers each year. Established in 1834 and having operated continuously since then, it is the oldest US...
220 is at the Yucatan RR Museum as NdeMFerrocarriles Nacionales de MéxicoFerrocarriles Nacionales de México, was Mexico's state owned railroad company from 1938 to 1998, and prior to 1938 a major railroad controlled by the government that linked Mexico City to the major cities of Nuevo Laredo and Ciudad Juárez on the U.S. border...
220. - Louisville & Nashville Railroad 1310 is at the Southern Appalachia Railway MuseumSouthern Appalachia Railway MuseumSouthern Appalachia Railway Museum is a railway museum headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, United States.The museum collects antique locomotives and rolling stock to run on their 7 miles of track from the K-25 facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee to an interchange with Norfolk Southern at Blair,...
(Oak Ridge, TN). - Louisville & Nashville Railroad 1315 is at the Southern Appalachia Railway MuseumSouthern Appalachia Railway MuseumSouthern Appalachia Railway Museum is a railway museum headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, United States.The museum collects antique locomotives and rolling stock to run on their 7 miles of track from the K-25 facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee to an interchange with Norfolk Southern at Blair,...
(Oak Ridge, TN). - NdeMFerrocarriles Nacionales de MéxicoFerrocarriles Nacionales de México, was Mexico's state owned railroad company from 1938 to 1998, and prior to 1938 a major railroad controlled by the government that linked Mexico City to the major cities of Nuevo Laredo and Ciudad Juárez on the U.S. border...
5700 is at the Yucatan RR Museum. - Seaboard Air Line RailroadSeaboard Air Line RailroadThe Seaboard Air Line Railroad , which styled itself "The Route of Courteous Service," was an American railroad whose corporate existence extended from April 14, 1900, until July 1, 1967, when it merged with the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, its longtime rival, to form the Seaboard Coast Line...
124 is at the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic RailroadCuyahoga Valley Scenic RailroadCuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad is a Class III railroad and steam-powered excursion trips through Peninsula, Ohio in the Cuyahoga Valley, primarily through the scenic Cuyahoga Valley National Park.-History:...
(Independence, OH) as their 365. - Erie Mining 7221 is currently owned by Amsterdam Leasing Company and stored on the Southern Railroad of New JerseySouthern Railroad of New JerseyThe Southern Railroad of New Jersey is a small short-line railroad company based in Winslow, New Jersey. Trains operate between Winslow Junction and Pleasantville and between Winslow Junction and Vineland...
at Winslow, NJ. - Long Island Rail Road 213 is active on the Dakota Southern RR DS paint scheme, same number Mitchell, SD
External links
- Sarberenyi, Robert. Alco C420 Original Owners.