ALCO 539T

Last updated
Several Alco 539T engines in various states of completion rest at an aggregate facility in Orlando, Florida. Alco 539T Locomotive Prime Movers.jpg
Several Alco 539T engines in various states of completion rest at an aggregate facility in Orlando, Florida.

The Alco 539T was a diesel prime mover built by the American Locomotive Company. This engine was also used as a stationary powerplant, used in pipeline pumping stations, tugboats and dredges. It began as a straight-six, four-stroke design in a cast block which produced from 810 to 1,000 horsepower (600 to 750 kW). The engine has a bore (cylinder diameter) of 12.5 inches (318 mm), and a stroke of 13 inches (330 mm). The 539 engine was built at Alco's Auburn, New York engine plant and later starting in September 1949 in Canada. The 539T was equipped with the Buchi turbocharger, being made under license by the Elliott Manufacturing Company of Jeannette, Pennsylvania. The first 539T engines were used in S-2 switchers and DL-105 passenger locomotives built in September 1940. Alco locomotives using this engine include the S-2, S-4, RS-1, RSC-1, RSD-1, DL-105, DL-107, DL-108, DL-109, and DL-110. MLW locomotives using this engine include the S-2, S-4, S-7, S-12, RS-1, and RSC-13.

An eight-cylinder inline version of the 539T was developed by Alco. This diesel engine developed from 1,080 to 1,300 horsepower (810 to 970 kW). It was never used in a locomotive, but a twin bank V8 had been planned to be used in an early version of the “Black Maria” DL-202/DL-203 in response to EMD's FT locomotive. The inline 8-539T was used in stationary and marine applications.

The 539 engine was developed in response to the perceived drawback that Alco's line of diesel switchers had a restricted field of vision because of the high hood. Both Baldwin and EMC were offering diesel switchers with a lower engine hood that the trainmen could see over. The 539 engine was developed from the 538 engine, both had the same cylinder dimensions. The engine base of the 538 was flat and rode on a flat underframe. The change that the 539 offered was to lower the base of the engine into the frame. This was done with revised mounting lugs and a modified oil pan. The modified 538 became known as the 539 and the change allowed the engine hood to be lowered by 27 inches (69 cm).

A very similar engine developed for the United States Navy was the 540T. This engine used a welded block. The welded construction was required because the specified shock tolerance requirements prohibit the use of cast blocks. The Navy 540 was used in patrol boats, mine sweepers, mine layers, and tug boats:

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Locomotive Company</span> Defunct locomotive manufacturer

The American Locomotive Company was an American manufacturer that operated from 1901 to 1969, initially specializing in the production of locomotives but later diversifying and fabricating at various times diesel generators, automobiles, steel, tanks, munitions, oil-production equipment, as well as heat exchangers for nuclear power plants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ALCO RS-3</span> Model of diesel-electric locomotive

The ALCO RS-3 is a 1,600 hp (1.2 MW), B-B diesel-electric locomotive manufactured from May 1950 to August 1956 by American Locomotive Company (ALCO) and its subsidiary Montreal Locomotive Works (MLW). A total of 1,418 were produced: 1,265 for American railroads, 98 for Canadian railroads, 48 for Brazilian railroads, and seven for Mexican railroads.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ALCO HH series</span>

The ALCO HH series was an early set of diesel switcher locomotives built by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) of Schenectady, New York between 1931 and 1940, when they were replaced by the S series: the 660 hp (490 kW) S-1 and 1,000 hp (750 kW) S-2. They were ALCO's first diesel switchers to enter true series production, and among the first land vehicles anywhere to use the revolutionary diesel-electric power transmission.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electro-Motive Diesel</span> American locomotive manufacturer

Electro-Motive Diesel is a brand of diesel-electric locomotives, locomotive products and diesel engines for the rail industry. Formerly a division of General Motors, EMD has been owned by Progress Rail since 2010. Electro-Motive Diesel traces its roots to the Electro-Motive Engineering Corporation, founded in 1922 and purchased by General Motors in 1930. After purchase by GM, the company was known as GM's Electro-Motive Division. In 2005, GM sold EMD to Greenbriar Equity Group and Berkshire Partners, and in 2010, EMD was sold to Progress Rail, a subsidiary of the heavy equipment manufacturer Caterpillar. Upon the 2005 sale, the company was renamed to Electro-Motive Diesel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ALCO RS-2</span> Model of US/Canadian diesel-electric locomotive

The ALCO RS-2 is a 1,500–1,600 horsepower (1,100–1,200 kW) B-B diesel-electric locomotive built by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) from 1946 to 1950. ALCO introduced the model after World War II as an improvement on the ALCO RS-1. Between 1946 and 1950, 377 examples of the RS-2 were built, primarily for American and Canadian customers.

The MLW RSC-24 was a type of diesel-electric locomotive built by Montreal Locomotive Works for use on the Canadian National Railway (CN).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ALCO RSD-7</span>

The ALCO RSD-7 was a diesel-electric locomotive of the road switcher type built by ALCO at Schenectady, New York between January 1954 and April 1956. Two versions were built, with the same RSD-7 model designation but different specifications and power ratings, although both used the ALCO 244 engine in V16 configuration. Specification DL-600, of which only two were built, developed 2,250 hp and used the 244G engine. The revised specification DL-600A, numbering 27 locomotives, was rated at 2,400 hp and used the 244H engine. The RSD-7 was superseded by the ALCO 251-engined ALCO RSD-15, which looks very similar. The RSD-7 was the last ALCO diesel built with a 244 engine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">EMD 567</span> Reciprocating internal combustion engine

The EMD 567 is a line of large medium-speed diesel engines built by General Motors' Electro-Motive Division. This engine, which succeeded Winton's 201A, was used in EMD's locomotives from 1938 until its replacement in 1966 by the EMD 645. It has a bore of 8+12 in (216 mm), a stroke of 10 in (254 mm) and a displacement of 567 cu in (9.29 L) per cylinder. Like the Winton 201A, the EMD 645 and the EMD 710, the EMD 567 is a two-stroke engine.

The MLW RSC-14 was a diesel-electric locomotive rebuilt by Canadian National Railway from locomotives originally supplied by Montreal Locomotive Works.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">EMD 710</span> Train diesel engine

The EMD 710 is a line of diesel engines built by Electro-Motive Diesel. The 710 series replaced the earlier EMD 645 series when the 645F series proved to be unreliable in the early 1980s 50-series locomotives which featured a maximum engine speed of 950 rpm. The EMD 710 is a relatively large medium-speed two-stroke diesel engine that has 710 cubic inches displacement per cylinder, and a maximum engine speed of 900 rpm.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ALCO S-5</span>

The Alco S-5 was a diesel-electric switcher locomotive rated at 800 horsepower (600 kW), that rode on two-axle trucks, having a B-B wheel arrangement.

The A-3080 (LS-1000) is a diesel-electric switcher locomotive built between May 1949 and April 1950, by the Lima-Hamilton Corporation of Lima, Ohio, United States. The A-3080 is a 1,000 hp switcher, which became the standard for Lima's designs. By changing fuel rack settings, the A-3080 was upgraded to the A-3170, producing 1,200 horsepower from the same turbocharged Hamilton T89SA four-stroke, eight cylinder inline diesel engine, a Westinghouse generator and four Westinghouse traction motors provided the 74,508 lbf of tractive effort.

The ALCO DL420 was the prototype ALCO S-5 diesel-electric switcher locomotive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ALCO RS-3m</span> Model of rebuilt diesel-electric locomotive

The ALCO RS-3m is a diesel-electric locomotive rebuilt from an ALCO RS-3 road switcher. These 98 locomotives were rebuilt to replace their original ALCO prime mover with the more reliable EMD 567B engine and fan assemblies taken from retired E8s. Many of these rebuilds were performed by the ex NYC DeWitt shop with 56 completed at the ex PRR Juniata shop. The RS3m rebuild program started in 1972 and continued until 1978 under Conrail.

The Paxman Ventura is an internal combustion diesel engine for railway locomotives, built by Davey, Paxman & Co.

The ALCO 251 is a 4-stroke diesel engine that was developed by the American Locomotive Company to replace its 244 and 539 engines. The 251 was developed to be used in diesel locomotives, as a marine power plant in ships, and as a stationary power generator.

Maine Central Railroad began operating diesel locomotives in 1935, and had retired all steam locomotives by 1954. That time interval was a joint operating period with the Boston and Maine Railroad (B&M). This article describes diesel locomotives owned by Maine Central through the period of joint operation and later independent operation prior to Guilford Rail System control in 1981.

The ALCO 241 was a diesel prime mover built by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO). It was the company's first diesel engine originally designed to power road locomotives, with a higher output and operating speed than previous designs.

The ALCO 244 was a diesel prime mover built by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO). An evolution of the earlier 241 diesel engine, it powered ALCO's first generation of production road locomotives. The 244 engine was developed to create an engine capable of being used in railroad freight and passenger locomotives. The 244 engine was also used in a very limited basis as a marine power plant in ships and as a stationary power generator.

The McIntosh & Seymour 531 was a diesel prime mover built by McIntosh & Seymour for use in railroad locomotives built by its parent company, the American Locomotive Company (Alco).

References

  1. see Admirable-class page for references