what is it?
The ALCO DL420 was the prototype ALCO S-5 diesel-electric switcher locomotive. It was built in August, 1951 using an early six-cylinder 251 engine rated at 800 horsepower (600 kW) and RS-3 subassemblies in its construction. It rode on two-axle trucks with a B-B wheel arrangement, and was the first ALCO switcher with a front radiator opening.
who runs it
base stats
Bars compare against all trains: 600 km/h (maglev), 1,700 seats; power, weight and number built on a log scale up to 20 MW, 1,000 t and 20,000 built.
fun facts
- 597 kW is about 7 family cars (~85 kW each) flat out.
diesel locomotive: A diesel engine on board drives the wheels, usually through a generator (diesel-electric).
spec sheet
- built
- —
- number built
- 1
- kind
- Diesel-electric
- traction
- diesel
- origin
- 🇺🇸 United States
- builders
- American Locomotive Company
- operators
- American Locomotive Company
- top speed
- —
- power
- 597 kW
- gauge
- 1,435 mm standard gauge
- wheel arrangement
- B-B
From the Wikipedia infobox and Wikidata. Blank means the sources don't say.
Sources: Wikidata Q4652274, Wikipedia: ALCO DL420 (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.