ALCO S-6
Encyclopedia
The Alco S-6 was a diesel-electric locomotive of the switcher
type constructed by ALCO of Schenectady, New York
; a total of 126 locomotives were built between May 1955 and December 1960. The S-6 was a development of the earlier S-5
; instead of the 800 hp ALCO 251
engine on the previous locomotive, the S-6 used a 251A or 251B engine rated at 900 hp. The locomotive rode on two-axle AAR
trucks
, giving a B-B wheel arrangement. A cow-calf
version was produced exclusively for Oliver Iron Mining Company, who bought two: this was the SB-8/SSB-9
(DL-441). The freight train used to smash the DeLorean DMC-12 time machine
in Back to the Future Part III
was pulled by two Alco S-6 locomotives in Ventura County Railroad
livery.
Switcher
A switcher or shunter is a small railroad locomotive intended not for moving trains over long distances but rather for assembling trains ready for a road locomotive to take over, disassembling a train that has been...
type constructed by ALCO of Schenectady, New York
Schenectady, New York
Schenectady is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 66,135...
; a total of 126 locomotives were built between May 1955 and December 1960. The S-6 was a development of the earlier S-5
ALCO S-5
The Alco S-5 was a diesel-electric locomotive of the switcher type rated at , that rode on two-axle trucks, having a B-B wheel arrangement....
; instead of the 800 hp ALCO 251
ALCO 251
The Alco 251 diesel engine was developed by the American Locomotive Company to replace the 244 and 539. The 251 was developed to be used in diesel locomotives, as a marine power plant in ships and as a stationary power generator.-Development:...
engine on the previous locomotive, the S-6 used a 251A or 251B engine rated at 900 hp. The locomotive rode on two-axle AAR
Association of American Railroads
The Association of American Railroads is an industry trade group representing primarily the major freight railroads of North America . Amtrak and some regional commuter railroads are also members...
trucks
Bogie
A bogie is a wheeled wagon or trolley. In mechanics terms, a bogie is a chassis or framework carrying wheels, attached to a vehicle. It can be fixed in place, as on a cargo truck, mounted on a swivel, as on a railway carriage/car or locomotive, or sprung as in the suspension of a caterpillar...
, giving a B-B wheel arrangement. A cow-calf
Cow-calf
In North American railroading, a cow-calf locomotive is a set of switcher-type diesel locomotives. The set usually is a pair; some 3-unit sets were built, but this was rare. A cow is equipped with a driving cab; a calf is not...
version was produced exclusively for Oliver Iron Mining Company, who bought two: this was the SB-8/SSB-9
ALCO SB-8/SSB-9
The Alco SB-8/SSB-9 was a diesel-electric locomotive of the switcher type constructed as a cow-calf set by ALCO of Schenectady, New York. These were based on the ALCO S-6, and produced exclusively for Oliver Iron Mining, who bought two sets. The 'cow' being the model SB-8, and the 'calf' beingthe...
(DL-441). The freight train used to smash the DeLorean DMC-12 time machine
Time Machine
A time machine is a fictional/hypothetical device used to achieve time travel. The term may also refer to:-Novels and films:* The Time Machine, an 1895 novel by H. G...
in Back to the Future Part III
Back to the Future Part III
Back to the Future Part III is a 1990 American science fiction comedy Western film. It is the third installment of the Back to the Future trilogy. The film was directed by Robert Zemeckis and starred Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Mary Steenburgen, Thomas F. Wilson and Lea Thompson. The film...
was pulled by two Alco S-6 locomotives in Ventura County Railroad
Ventura County Railroad
The Ventura County Railroad is a shortline railroad subsidiary of RailAmerica, connecting the Union Pacific Railroad in Oxnard to South Oxnard and Port Hueneme. It began operations in 1998, leasing its lines from the Ventura County Railway , owner of lines first opened in about 1905 that have...
livery.
External links
- Sarberenyi, Robert. Alco S5, S6, and SSB9 Original Owners.
Original Owners
| Railroad | Quantity | Road Number | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allied Chemical Company | 1 | 110 | |
| ARMCO Steel | 1 | 1202 | |
| B. Perini & Sons Construction Company | 1 | 101 | to Upper Merion and Plymouth Railroad 101 |
| Belt Railway of Chicago Belt Railway of Chicago The Belt Railway of Chicago , headquartered in Chicago, is the largest switching terminal railroad in the United States. It is co-owned by six Class I railroads — BNSF Railway, Canadian National Railway, Canadian Pacific Railway, CSX Transportation, Norfolk Southern Railway, and Union... |
1 | 420 | |
| Ferrocarril Chihuahua al Pacífico | 1 | 60 | Renumbered 106 |
| Cia Fundidora de Hierro y Acero | 3 | 1–3 | |
| Ferrocarril del Pacífico Ferrocarril del Pacífico The Ferrocarril del Pacífico is a former railroad line of Mexico that operated from Benjamín Hill, Sonora to Guadalajara, Jalisco via Mazatlán, Sinaloa. It was absorbed into Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México in 1984.... |
24 | 701–723 | |
| 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... |
1 | 5300 | |
| Northern Pacific Railway Northern Pacific Railway The Northern Pacific Railway was a railway that operated in the west along the Canadian border of the United States. Construction began in 1870 and the main line opened all the way from the Great Lakes to the Pacific when former president Ulysses S. Grant drove in the final "golden spike" in... |
1 | 750 | to Burlington Northern Railroad Burlington Northern Railroad The Burlington Northern Railroad was a United States-based railroad company formed from a merger of four major U.S. railroads. Burlington Northern operated between 1970 and 1996.... 950 |
| Ohio River Company (ORCo) | 1 | 56 | |
| Republic Steel Republic Steel Republic Steel was once the third largest steel producer in the United States.The Republic Iron and Steel Company was founded in Youngstown, Ohio in 1899.... |
3 | 153,317,318 | |
| Secretaria de Comunicaciones de Obras Publicas (SCOP) | 3 | 7133-1,2,3 | to Ferrocarril del Sureste (same numbers) |
| Sheffield Steel | 2 | 15,16 | |
| Southern Pacific Railroad Southern 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.... |
70 | 1033–1082,4634–4645 | renumbered 1200–1257, 1270–1281 |
| South Buffalo Railway South Buffalo Railway The South Buffalo Railway operates more than fifty miles of railway lines along the southeast shore of Lake Erie. South Buffalo connects to CSX, Norfolk Southern, Canadian Pacific, and Canadian National Railway.-Historical connections:... |
6 | 40–45 | |
| Tennessee Copper | 1 | 107 | |
| Upper Merion and Plymouth Railroad | 1 | 61 | |
| U.S. Pipe and Foundry | 1 | 38 | |
| Columbia Geneva Steel | 1 | 1 | |
| Western Maryland Railroad | 2 | 151,152 | |
| Ferrocarriles Unidos de Yucatán Ferrocarriles Unidos de Yucatan Ferrocarriles Unidos de Yucatán was a narrow gauge railroad that operated in the state of Yucatán in Mexico. Four steam locomotives were bought and rebuilt by The Walt Disney Company and are currently operating at the Walt Disney World Railroad.- Facts :... |
1 | 301 |