ALCO boxcab
Encyclopedia
The ALCO boxcabs were diesel-electric switcher
locomotives, otherwise known as AGEIR boxcab
s as a contraction of the names of the builders. Produced by a partnership of three companies, ALCO
(American Locomotive Company) built the chassis and running gear, General Electric
the generator, motors and controls, and Ingersoll Rand
the diesel engine. The principle of operation was the same as modern locomotives, the diesel engine driving a main generator of 600 volts DC with four traction motors, one per axle.
Two models were the 60-Ton with a six-cylinder four-stroke in-line engine of 300 hp and the 100-Ton with two of the same engines. Thirty-three units were produced between 1925 and 1928. These were the first commercially successful production diesel-electric locomotives.
ALCO dropped out of the arrangement in 1928, acquired their own diesel engine manufacturer in McIntosh & Seymour and went on to start its own line of diesel switchers. The first ALCO boxcab switcher was outshopped in January 1931 and after a brief demonstration tour was sold to Jay Street Connecting. The ALCO Boxcab and two end cab switchers built in early 1931 used the McIntosh & Seymour 330 engine. This early development of end cab switchers led ALCO to build the HH series
based on the McIntosh & Seymour 531 engine and using GE electrical components by mid 1931.
The six surviving examples of these earliest boxcabs can be found at the B&O Railroad Museum
in Baltimore, MD (CNJ #1000 - the first), the Museum of Transportation
, St. Louis, MO (B&O #1/195/8000), the North Alabama Railroad Museum
in Huntsville, Alabama
(Union Carbide #3/11), the Illinois Railway Museum
in Union, IL (DL&W #3001/IR #91), and the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, MI (IR #90).
The earliest boxcabs were often termed "oil-electrics" to avoid the use of the German name "Diesel", unpopular after World War I.
the continuation of this locomotive design after ALCO participation ceased.
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...
locomotives, otherwise known as AGEIR boxcab
Boxcab
A boxcab, in railroad terminology, is a locomotive in which the machinery and crew areas are enclosed in a box-like superstructure . It is a term mostly used in North America while in Victoria , such locomotives have been nicknamed "butterboxes"...
s as a contraction of the names of the builders. Produced by a partnership of three companies, 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:...
(American Locomotive Company) built the chassis and running gear, General Electric
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
the generator, motors and controls, and Ingersoll Rand
Ingersoll Rand
Ingersoll-Rand plc is a $13 billion global diversified industrial company founded in 1871. The Ingersoll Rand name came into use in 1905 through the combination of Ingersoll-Sergeant Drill Company and Rand Drill Company...
the diesel engine. The principle of operation was the same as modern locomotives, the diesel engine driving a main generator of 600 volts DC with four traction motors, one per axle.
Two models were the 60-Ton with a six-cylinder four-stroke in-line engine of 300 hp and the 100-Ton with two of the same engines. Thirty-three units were produced between 1925 and 1928. These were the first commercially successful production diesel-electric locomotives.
ALCO dropped out of the arrangement in 1928, acquired their own diesel engine manufacturer in McIntosh & Seymour and went on to start its own line of diesel switchers. The first ALCO boxcab switcher was outshopped in January 1931 and after a brief demonstration tour was sold to Jay Street Connecting. The ALCO Boxcab and two end cab switchers built in early 1931 used the McIntosh & Seymour 330 engine. This early development of end cab switchers led ALCO to build the HH series
ALCO HH series
The ALCO HH series were an early series of switcher diesel-electric locomotives built by the American Locomotive Company of Schenectady, New York between 1931 and 1940, when they were replaced by the S series; the S-1 and S-2...
based on the McIntosh & Seymour 531 engine and using GE electrical components by mid 1931.
The six surviving examples of these earliest boxcabs can be found at the B&O Railroad Museum
B&O Railroad Museum
The B&O Railroad Museum is a museum exhibiting historic railroad equipment in Baltimore, Maryland, originally named the Baltimore & Ohio Transportation Museum when it opened on July 4, 1953. It has been called one of the most significant collections of railroad treasures in the world and has the...
in Baltimore, MD (CNJ #1000 - the first), the Museum of Transportation
Museum of Transportation
The Museum of Transportation of the St. Louis County, Missouri, United States Parks Department is a museum located in the Greater St. Louis area. It was first founded in 1944 by a group of individuals dedicated to preserving the past and has a wide variety of vehicles from American history...
, St. Louis, MO (B&O #1/195/8000), the North Alabama Railroad Museum
North Alabama Railroad Museum
The North Alabama Railroad Museum, Inc. is a railway museum in Chase, Alabama. The museum, incorporated in 1966, is owned and operated by the North Alabama Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society. The museum has a collection of rolling stock, a small train station, and a small heritage...
in Huntsville, Alabama
Huntsville, Alabama
Huntsville is a city located primarily in Madison County in the central part of the far northern region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Huntsville is the county seat of Madison County. The city extends west into neighboring Limestone County. Huntsville's population was 180,105 as of the 2010 Census....
(Union Carbide #3/11), the Illinois Railway Museum
Illinois Railway Museum
The Illinois Railway Museum is the largest railroad museum in the United States and is located in Union, Illinois, northwest of Chicago...
in Union, IL (DL&W #3001/IR #91), and the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, MI (IR #90).
The earliest boxcabs were often termed "oil-electrics" to avoid the use of the German name "Diesel", unpopular after World War I.
See also
GE boxcabGE boxcab
The GE boxcabs were diesel-electric switcher locomotives. General Electric built the chassis and running gear, generator, motors and controls, and Ingersoll Rand provided the diesel engine...
the continuation of this locomotive design after ALCO participation ceased.