ALCO Century 636
Encyclopedia
The ALCO Century 636 was the most powerful single-engine diesel locomotive
constructed by ALCO
. The locomotive had a C-C wheel arrangement
and 3600 hp. The locomotive rested on a pair of trucks of all-new design, known as the Hi-Ad, standing for 'high adhesion'. Visually, it is similar to the Century 630
, but can be distinguished by the intercooler box. The C630 has two grilles here, one above the other. The C636 only has the upper grille.
.
A.E. Goodwin in Australia built 29 C636s between May 1968 and October 1970 for the Pilbara Iron Ore railroads. Hamersley Iron purchased 12 units in 5 separate orders. Bechtel purchased 5 C636s for use in the construction of the Mt. Newman Mining facilities. The latter company ordered 12 C636s a year later and bought Bechtel's locomotives.
Montreal Locomotive Works
produced a M636 variant of the C636 on Dofasco
trucks for Canadian Pacific Railway
and Canadian National Railway
.
(DL) and the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway
(NYSW) own ALCO C636s. The Delaware-Lackawanna C636, number 3642, is formerly Conrail 6792. The New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway owns 2 ALCO C636s assigned numbers 3660 and 3662. The 3660 is former Québec Cartier Mining Company
number 78 and had been temporarily numbered RPRX 78. NYSW 3662 is former Quebec Cartier Mining number 77. The 3662 has yet to be renumbered and has been out of service due to freeze damage as of 2005. Both the Delaware-Lackawanna and the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway also own MLW M636s built by the Montreal Locomotive Works
in Montreal, Canada.
The NYSW C636s and M636s are now owned by Western New York and Pennsylvania Railroad/Livonia, Avon and Lakeville Railroad
.
Locomotive
A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
constructed by ALCO
American Locomotive Company
The American Locomotive Company, often shortened to ALCO or Alco , was a builder of railroad locomotives in the United States.-Early history:...
. The locomotive had a C-C wheel arrangement
Wheel arrangement
In rail transport, a wheel arrangement is a system of classifying the way in which wheels are distributed beneath a locomotive.. Several notations exist to describe the wheel assemblies of a locomotive by type, position, and connections, with the adopted notations varying by country...
and 3600 hp. The locomotive rested on a pair of trucks of all-new design, known as the Hi-Ad, standing for 'high adhesion'. Visually, it is similar to the Century 630
ALCO Century 630
The ALCO Century 630 was a six-axle, 3000 horsepower diesel locomotive built between 1965 and 1967. 77 were built: 3 for Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, 4 for Chesapeake and Ohio Railway, 8 for Louisville and Nashville Railroad, 10 for Norfolk and Western Railway, 15 for Pennsylvania Railroad, 12...
, but can be distinguished by the intercooler box. The C630 has two grilles here, one above the other. The C636 only has the upper grille.
Production
The production of only 34 Alco C636s, built in 1967 and 1968, reflected Alco's dwindling locomotive market share. Despite many new and innovative features, the C636 could not hold its own. Three demonstrators were built costing Alco about $5.5 million. 636-2, the only ex-Demo operating, was a factor in dissuading potential customers from purchasing these locomotives. During an evaluation on the Santa Fe Railway, the same traction motor blower on 636-2 failed (which causes engine shutdown) and was replaced on three of four runs, and had other unsatisfactory results while being tested on the Southern Pacific RailroadSouthern Pacific Railroad
The Southern Pacific Transportation Company , earlier Southern Pacific Railroad and Southern Pacific Company, and usually simply called the Southern Pacific or Espee, was an American railroad....
.
A.E. Goodwin in Australia built 29 C636s between May 1968 and October 1970 for the Pilbara Iron Ore railroads. Hamersley Iron purchased 12 units in 5 separate orders. Bechtel purchased 5 C636s for use in the construction of the Mt. Newman Mining facilities. The latter company ordered 12 C636s a year later and bought Bechtel's locomotives.
Montreal Locomotive Works
Montreal Locomotive Works
Montreal Locomotive Works was a Canadian railway locomotive manufacturer which existed under several names from 1883–1985, producing both steam and diesel locomotives. For a number of years it was a subsidiary of the American Locomotive Company...
produced a M636 variant of the C636 on Dofasco
Dofasco
Dofasco is a steel company based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, which is also home to longtime Canadian rival Stelco. Dofasco is currently a standalone subsidiary of ArcelorMittal, the world's largest steel producer. Previously ordered by the U.S...
trucks for Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
and Canadian National Railway
Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
.
Original Owners
| Railroad | Quantity | Road numbers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alco Products American Locomotive Company The American Locomotive Company, often shortened to ALCO or Alco , was a builder of railroad locomotives in the United States.-Early history:... (demonstrators) |
|
|
to Québec Cartier Mining Company Québec Cartier Mining Company Québec Cartier Mining Company was one of the leading producers of iron ore products in North America, now part of ArcelorMittal.The company was founded in the late 1950s by multiple Canadian and American investors, based in Quebec, Canada. The first open pit mine was located in Lac-Jeanine, Quebec.... |
| Illinois Central Railroad Illinois Central Railroad The Illinois Central Railroad , sometimes called the Main Line of Mid-America, is a railroad in the central United States, with its primary routes connecting Chicago, Illinois with New Orleans, Louisiana and Birmingham, Alabama. A line also connected Chicago with Sioux City, Iowa... |
|
|
|
| Penn Central | |
|
|
| Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway The Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway was a United States-based railroad incorporated in 1905. It was a joint venture by the Great Northern Railway and the Northern Pacific Railway to build a railroad along the north bank of the Columbia River.... |
|
|
|
| Hamersley Iron Hamersley Iron Pilbara Iron is a wholly owned subsidiary of the multinational Rio Tinto Group, that manages assets for Hamersley Iron Pty Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Rio Tinto, and Robe River Iron Associates, an unincorporated joint venture between Rio and three Japanese steel companies Mitsui Iron Ore... |
|
|
Built by A. E. Goodwin |
| Mount Newman Mining | |
Built by A. E. Goodwin | |
| Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México Ferrocarriles 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... |
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| Total | 83 | ||
Current usage
As of 2006, the Delaware-Lackawanna RailroadDelaware-Lackawanna Railroad
The Delaware–Lackawanna Railroad is a shortline railroad operating in Pennsylvania.The DL began service in August 1993 and is the designated operator for 85 miles of trackage in Lackawanna and Monroe Counties. It is a subsidiary of holding company Genesee Valley Transportation Company, Inc...
(DL) and the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway
New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway
The New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway , also known as the Susie-Q, or simply the Susquehanna, is a Class II American freight railway operating over 500 miles of track in the northeastern states of New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. It was formed in 1881 from the merger of several...
(NYSW) own ALCO C636s. The Delaware-Lackawanna C636, number 3642, is formerly Conrail 6792. The New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway owns 2 ALCO C636s assigned numbers 3660 and 3662. The 3660 is former Québec Cartier Mining Company
Québec Cartier Mining Company
Québec Cartier Mining Company was one of the leading producers of iron ore products in North America, now part of ArcelorMittal.The company was founded in the late 1950s by multiple Canadian and American investors, based in Quebec, Canada. The first open pit mine was located in Lac-Jeanine, Quebec....
number 78 and had been temporarily numbered RPRX 78. NYSW 3662 is former Quebec Cartier Mining number 77. The 3662 has yet to be renumbered and has been out of service due to freeze damage as of 2005. Both the Delaware-Lackawanna and the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway also own MLW M636s built by the Montreal Locomotive Works
Montreal Locomotive Works
Montreal Locomotive Works was a Canadian railway locomotive manufacturer which existed under several names from 1883–1985, producing both steam and diesel locomotives. For a number of years it was a subsidiary of the American Locomotive Company...
in Montreal, Canada.
The NYSW C636s and M636s are now owned by Western New York and Pennsylvania Railroad/Livonia, Avon and Lakeville Railroad
Livonia, Avon and Lakeville Railroad
The Livonia, Avon and Lakeville Railroad is a short line railroad that operates in Livingston County and Monroe County in New York, United States...
.
External links
- Sarberenyi, Robert. Alco C636 Original Owners.