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ALCO RS-11
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United States | 1956
433 produced
RS-11 No. 2301 of Ferrocarril Sonora-Baja California in September 2017 at Benjamín Hill
RS-11 No. 2301 of Ferrocarril Sonora-Baja California in September 2017 at Benjamín Hill
LIMO 5

The RS-11 was a road switcher introduced in 1956 as the successor of the RS-3. It used the new 251 engine instead of the 244. In this case, it had twelve cylinders and 1,800 hp. The customers had the choice between a high hood and a low hood variant. 334 were built directly by ALCO and 99 by Montreal Locomotive works. The largest customers were Norfolk & Western with 99 and Nacionales de México with 94. They were the last road switchers built by ALCO for the domestic market when production was completed in 1964. The MLW RS-18, of which 351 were built until 1968, was nearly identical to the RS-11. ALCO had also offered a six-axle variant as the RSD-12.

General
Built1956-1964
ManufacturerALCO, Montreal Locomotive Works
Wheel arr.B-B 
Gauge4 ft 8 1/2 in (Standard gauge)
Dimensions and Weights
Length56 ft 6 in
Wheelbase49 ft 8 in
Rigid wheelbase9 ft 4 in
Service weight257,300 lbs
Adhesive weight257,300 lbs
Axle load64,325 lbs
Boiler
Power Plant
Power
Power sourcediesel-electric
Top speed70 mph
Starting effort64,325 lbf
EngineALCO 251B
Engine typeV12 diesel
Fuel2,000 us gal (diesel)
Engine output1,800 hp (1,342 kW)
Calculated Values
diesel locomotive
freight
last changed: 01/2026
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