ALCO 241

The ALCO 241 was a diesel prime mover built by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO). It was the company's first diesel engine designed to power road locomotives, with a higher output and operating speed than previous designs.

Design work on the 241, began in 1940, initially led by Ralph Miller, who was shortly thereafter replaced by Paul Vaughan.[1] With work delayed by the onset of World War II, the first test engine, a small two-cylinder model, was not tested until late 1943, with larger 12 and 16 cylinder versions under construction at the time.[1] During the design process, engineers concluded that the company's existing turbocharger of choice, a Buchi product, did not have the capacity to allow the engine to reach the desired horsepower output.[1] As a result, in mid-1943, work began with General Electric to incorporate that company's turbocharger design in the 241 engine.[1] The first tests of a 241 engine with the GE turbo were conducted on the 12-cylinder test engine in March, 1944.[2]

Testing of 241 engines in 1944 revealed several shortcomings, including failures of the connecting rods and their bearings, and the GE turbocharger's inability to supply sufficient air to the engine as the engine's speed was increased.[3] As a result, work began that year to design a new engine based on the 241; this design was named the 244.[3] Later that year, ALCO management decided to abandon their previous plan to use the 241 in production locomotives, instead choosing to use the new 244 design as soon as possible.[3]

Three 16-cylinder 241 engines were placed in demonstrator road locomotoves in 1945, which late in the year underwent testing on the Delaware and Hudson Railroad.[4] During these tests, the aluminum pistons proved to have weakness not found in laboratory testing, while one of the GE turbochargers failed.[5] After installation of redesigned pistons and other modifications in 1945, the locomotives returned to road testing in August on the New Haven Railroad before moving to the Bangor and Aroostook Railroad in October.[5] These tests were abrubtly halted in November after several mechanical problems, including a crankshaft failure in one of the engines.[5] The locomotives subsequently returned to ALCO property, where the engines underwent teardown and inspection, while the carbodies were scrapped.[5] By this time, the 241's successor, the 244, had entered production, and no further work was conducted on the 241 design.[5]

References

Footnotes

  1. 1 2 3 4 Stenbrenner, page 221"
  2. ↑ Steinbrenner, page 222
  3. 1 2 3 Steinbrenner, page 226"
  4. ↑ Steinbrenner, page 228
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Steinbrenner, page 229

Bibliography

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