ALCO Century 415

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ALCO Century 415
Reddish-brown locomotive with cab located in the middle
Rock Island No. 415 in 1972
Type and origin
Power typeDiesel-electric
ModelCentury 415
Build date1966–1968
Total produced26
Specifications
Configuration:
 • AARB-B
Gauge4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Prime moverAlco 251-F
Engine typeTurbocharged four-stroke diesel
Cylinders8
Performance figures
Power output1,500 hp (1,100 kW)

The ALCO Century 415 is a diesel-electric locomotive of B-B wheel arrangement produced by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) as part of their Century Series of locomotives.

Specifications[edit]

The C415 is a large switcher locomotive or small road switcher locomotive equipped with a raised cab mounted slightly off-center, with a lower, narrower hood on either side. The longer one contained the diesel engine, a 1,500 hp (1.1 MW) eight-cylinder turbocharged Alco 251-F, while the shorter contained auxiliaries. The C415 could be ordered with three different cab heights; a low one for minimum clearances, a regular height one, and an extra-height one for maximum visibility.

Trucks fitted were either Type B standard road trucks or ALCO Hi-Ad (high adhesion) Type B trucks.[1]

Service history[edit]

The locomotive was not very popular; 26 were built between 1966 and 1968 for seven different owners. The locomotive may still be in use. According to the November 2011 issue of Railfan & Railroad magazine, the Burlington Junction Railway owned three C415s numbered 21, 701 and 702.[2]

Original owners[edit]

Preservation[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Tomashek, Charles. "Hi Adhesion Truck". greenbayroute.com. The Green Bay Route. Archived from the original on 14 January 2013. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  2. ^ "Rare Alco Returns to Service in Iowa". Railfan & Railroad. November 2011. p. 24.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g "Alco's C415 - Original Owners". TrainWeb. Retrieved 12 May 2010.
  4. ^ Oberg, Leon (2010). Locomotives of Australia 1850s-2010s. Kenthurst: Rosenberg Publishing. pp. 352–353. ISBN 9781921719011.
  5. ^ a b c "Preserved Alco and MLW-built Centuries". The Diesel Shop. 23 November 2006. Archived from the original on 6 May 2010. Retrieved 12 May 2010.
  6. ^ Exhibits Pilbara Railway Historical Society
  7. ^ "Everyone Loves a Parade". Railfan & Railroad. September 2010. p. 22.
  8. ^ "Buffalo Southern Railroad (BSOR) Locomotive Photographic Roster". RR Picture Archives. Retrieved 15 February 2018.

Further reading[edit]

  • Schmidt, Brian M. (Spring 2022). "Diesels that didn't: Alco C415". Classic Trains. Vol. 23, no. 1. p. 7. ISSN 1527-0718.