The ALCO HH series was an early set of diesel switcher locomotives built by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) of Schenectady, New York between 1931 and 1940, when they were replaced by the S series: the S-1 and S-2. They were ALCO's first diesel switchers to enter true series production, and among the first land vehicles anywhere to use the revolutionary diesel-electric power transmission.
The "HH" name stood for "High Hood", a name ALCO came eventually to use in an official context, but originally an unofficial name. Model designations such as HH600 are only semi-official. Original ALCO designations were either descriptive or based on the internal order/design number.
A total of 177 of the HH series was produced; comprising one prototype and four production models of varying power outputs.
ALCO 600 (New Haven #0900) The first HH series locomotive, ALCO demonstrator #600, was mechanically almost identical to later designs, but the appearance differed. The sides of the locomotive's hood sloped outward from top to bottom, and brake equipment was exposed beneath the cab. It rode on a unique pattern of trucks. After a period of demonstration on a number of railroads, the unit was sold to the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad as #0900. This number often was used to describe the locomotive, although the classification on the builder's data card was "404-OE-200". This first unit was built in July 1931.
Diesel-electric power transmission The locomotive was equipped with a four-stroke McIntosh & Seymour 531 straight-6 diesel engine, powering a General Electric GT551A1 main generator. Four nose-suspended GE-287-D traction motors in the trucks were geared at a ratio of 4.25:1 to the wheels; the motors were cooled by electrically driven traction motor blowers.
HH600 The HH600 was nearly identical to the previous #0900 of the New Haven internally and mechanically, but it was clad in new bodywork, with a straight-sided hood and cab sides that came all the way to the frame. The HH600's were powered by 6-cylinder McIntosh & Seymour 531 engines of . They were built from July 1932 through May 1939; in all, 78 HH600s were constructed. The first-built units had sharp-edged front hood corners, but in 1934 ALCO employed industrial designer Otto Kuhler to clean up the appearance; he curved the corners and recessed the headlight, and all subsequent HH series units were of this style until another restyling in 1938 where the nose was further rounded. Late versions of this locomotive used the 6-cylinder 538 engine.
Original buyers Railroad Quantity Road numbers NotesAmerican Locomotive Company (prototype) 1 600 (1st) to New Haven 0900American Locomotive Company (demonstrators) 5 1, 600 (2nd) 1 to ATSF 2300601 to Lehigh Valley Railroad 105602 to Boston and Maine 1102603 to Delaware, Lackawanna and Western 401Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway 2 2301–2302 2301 retired Feb 1, 1971 Relocated to Temple, TX 2302 to American Grain & CattleBelt Railway of Chicago 2 302–303 Boston and Maine Railroad 1 1101 Central Railroad of New Jersey 4 1020–1023 1021 to Houdaille Construction Materials Co.Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad 1 102 Chicago and Illinois Western Railroad 1 1 Chicago and Western Indiana Railroad 1 1 Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad 7 402–408 405–406 to Erie Lackawanna as 322-323Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway 1 209 Hoboken Manufacturers Railroad 1 601 Illinois Central Railroad 8 9006–9013 Scrapped 1951Massena Terminal Railroad 1 7 Michigan Limestone and Chemical Company 2 101–102 New York Central Railroad 6 614–619 New York Central (Boston and Albany Railroad) 5 680–684 Renumbered 806–810New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad 10 0911–0920Patapsco and Back Rivers Railroad 7 54–60 Peoria and Pekin Union Railway 1 100 Portland Terminal Company [Maine] 4 1001–1004 South Buffalo Railway 6 54–59 Steelton and Highspire Railroad 1 31 Universal Atlas Cement 1 4 Total 79
HH900 The HH900 was a 900 hp (670 kW) version of the HH series using a turbocharged version of the McIntosh & Seymour 531 engine. Both turbocharged models (HH900 and HH1000) needed a greater cooling capacity, and this was reflected in the larger bodyside radiator space of both models, which distinguishes them from the lower-powered HH600 and HH660. The 21 HH900 units were produced between March 1937 and January 1939, after which they were supplanted by the McIntosh & Seymour 538T-engined HH1000. Several HH900s were built with the 538T engine.
Original buyers Railroad Quantity Road numbers NotesAmerican Locomotive Company (demonstrator unit) 1 101 to CRI&P 730Birmingham Southern Railroad 8 81–88 Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway 1 402 Kansas City Terminal Railway 1 50 Minnesota Transfer Railway 3 90–92 Philadelphia, Bethlehem and New England Railroad 1 207 to South Buffalo Railway 70Reading Company 2 40–41 Warrior River Terminal Company 2 50–51 Youngstown and Northern Railroad 2 211–212 Total 21
HH660 The HH660 started production in ALCO's lineup in October 1938; 43 examples were built until April 1940. It used a naturally aspirated version of the 6-cylinder McIntosh and Seymour 538 engine, producing . Externally, HH660s were indistinguishable from late HH600s.
Original buyers Railroad Quantity Road numbers NotesAmerican Locomotive Company (plant switcher) 1 4 Atlantic Coast Line Railroad 1 1900 Boston and Maine Railroad 1 1162 Buffalo Creek Railroad 1 43 To Relco - 1966, to WNYRHS - 2000 Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (“Milwaukee Road”) 4 1600–1603 Renumbered 980–983 980-981 to Relco 982 in Scottsdale, AZ 983 to III Transportation then Illinois Railway MuseumDelaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad 3 409–411 409–410 to Erie-Lackawanna Railway 324–325Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway 3 210–212 211 to Gopher State Scrap and MetalErie Railroad 4 302–305 305 to Erie-Lackawanna Railway, same numberGreen Bay and Western Railroad 1 101 Inland Steel 1 50 Louisville and Nashville Railroad 1 10 Maine Central Railroad 2 951–952 Minneapolis and St. Louis Railway 1 D939 To Glacier Sand & GravelNew York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad 10 0921–0930 0924 to Penn Central 9411 in 1969Northern Pacific Railway 3 125–127 Renumbered NP 600-602
NP 600 sold WWV 770 WWV 770 to RELCo. 770 RELCo. 770 to Port of Longview 770 Port of Longview #770 to Northwest Railway Museum, under restoration to NP 125. NP 601 to WWV 775 WWV 775 scrapped NP 602 to RELCo. 602, on display in CB&Q paint, Albia, IowaSouthern Pacific Company 3 1001–1003Tennessee Central Railway 1 50 Wabash Railroad 2 100, 150 Total 43
HH1000 The HH1000 replaced the HH900, with the new McIntosh and Seymour 538T engine, turbocharged to produce 1000 hp (750 kW), a 100 hp (75 kW) increase from the previous model. They were produced between May 1939 and December 1940; 34 were built. M&STL D539 was the only HH1000 built with the 531T engine.
Original buyers Railroad Quantity Road numbers NotesAmerican Locomotive Company (demonstrator unit) 1 1000 Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway 12 2310–2321 Atlantic Coast Line Railroad 1 600 Birmingham Southern Railroad 1 89 Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (“Milwaukee Road”)1 1671 Manufacturers Railway 3 202–203 Michigan Limestone and Chemical Company 4 103–106 Minneapolis and St. Louis Railway 1 D-539 Renumbered 92; to Chicago and North Western RailwayMissouri Pacific Railroad 1 9102 Newburgh and South Shore Railway 2 1–2 Oliver Iron Mining Company 7 900–906 Total 34
Specifications Overall length45 ft 2.75 in13.79 mBetween bolster centers:21 ft 3 in6.48 mTruck wheelbase:8 ft 0 in2.44 mWidth over grabirons:9 ft 10 in3.00 mHeight above rails:14 ft 3 in4.34 mWheel diameter:40 in1.02 mFuel capacity:625 gal2365.88 LEngine (HH600):McIntosh & Seymour 531Power (HH600):600 hp450 kWEngine (HH900):McIntosh & Seymour 531T (turbocharged)Power (HH900):900 hp670 kWEngine (HH660):McIntosh & Seymour 538Power (HH660):660 hp500 kWEngine (HH1000):McIntosh & Seymour 538T (turbocharged)Power (HH1000):1000 hp750 kWMain generator:GT-551Traction motors:GE 287 (x4)Standard gearing:68 to 16Weight:197500 lbs89.58 t
Surviving units
Locomotive Type Built Owner Image Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe #2301 HH600 1937 Temple Railroad & Heritage Museum Buffalo Creek #43 HH660 1940 Western New York Railway Historical Society Delaware, Lackawanna & Western #409 HH660 1940 Delaware-Lackawanna Elgin, Joliet & Eastern #210 or Northern Pacific #127 HH660 1940 Monroe County Historical Society Elgin, Joliet & Eastern #211 HH660 1940 Gopher Scrap, Mankato MN Milwaukee Road #1601 HH660 1940 Relco? Milwaukee Road #1603 HH660 1939 Illinois Railway Museum Northern Pacific #125 HH660 1940 Northwest Railway Museum Birmingham Southern #82 HH900 1937 Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum Oliver Iron Mining #900 HH1000 1940 Lake Superior Railroad Museum
A few HH-series switchers still survive in revenue service, and more are in museums. Working HH locomotives include an HH660 at Gopher Scrap in Mankato, Minnesota, one owned by the Western New York Railway Historical Society, and one from the Delaware-Lackawanna Railroad owned by Genesee Valley Transportation Company at Scranton, Pennsylvania. Another HH660, Northern Pacific Railway #125, is presently under restoration to her as-delivered appearance at the Northwest Railway Museum.
Among the preserved locomotives are an HH600, four HH660s and an HH1000. Birmingham Southern #82, the sole surviving HH900, is on static display at the Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum in Calera, Alabama.
See also List of ALCO diesel locomotives
References
Additional information Data sheets: HH-600 , HH-660 Komaneski, John. ALCO HH600 Roster. Retrieved March 27, 2005. States information originally from Extra 2200 South. Komaneski, John. ALCO HH660 Roster. Retrieved March 27, 2005. States information originally from Extra 2200 South. Komaneski, John. ALCO HH900 and HH1000 Roster. Retrieved March 27, 2005. States information originally from Extra 2200 South. Laundry, Mark. Alco High Hood Models. Retrieved March 29, 2005.
Steinbrenner, Richard (2003) The American Locomotive Company A Centennial Remembrance. Chapter VI subchapter "ALCO's First Production Diesels". Sweetland, David. (2004) Santa Fe's Alco Switcher Fleet. Diesel Era Vol. 15 No. 6, November/December 2004, pp. 10–31. Withers Publishing, Halifax, Pennsylvania.