Locomotives
Reading Company Alco C630, Class RSA14, 5308
Background & History
In 1966, the Reading returned to Alco to determine the value of their trade-in locomotives on new procurements for Alco C430 and C630 locomotives. The arrangement included ten retired RS3 locomotives and surprisingly four Baldwin Lima Hamilton AS16 locomotives. The order produced two C430s (5211-5212) and seven C630 (5300-5306) locomotives. All produced 3000 HP using a 16-cylinder 251E prime mover.
In 1967, the Reading was surveying six axle motive power offerings by the three active locomotive builders. It ordered five EMD SD45s, five GE U30Cs and another five Alco C630s. All 15 units sported the “Bee Line” service logo on the long hood. Bee Line service was an innovative service offered by the Reading to compete with truckers to serve on-line customers and producers. The five Alcos came on the newly developed High-Adhesion trucks which resulted is an increased locomotive height and weight to 396,620 lbs. The C630s were the longest and tallest diesel locomotives that the Reading owned. A total of 77 C630 locomotives were built by Alco before the company discontinued operations in 1969.
5308 sits at Leesport yard on the Reading & Northern Railroad.
(Photo Courtesy of Mike Shirk)
5308 sits next to its GE competition at the Museum.
(Photo Courtesy Don Crabtree)
The C630’s on the Reading were primarily used on main line ore train service and fast merchandise trains. Because of Alco’s exit from the locomotive market in 1969, mechanical support and product upgrades were lost.
In 1975, the Reading had recently received sixty new EMD locomotives allowing older units to be stored. The C630s and C430s were stored at Reading Shops and Rutherford. Unit 5308 was stored in Rutherford. Conrail did initially did not want the C630s, but a power shortage encouraged them to acquire the twelve units. Conrail renumbered the unit 6761 and placed it into ore train service out of Mingo Junction with maintenance performed at Conway Engine Facility near Pittsburgh. Although placed in storage in 1979, the 6761 was not retired and sold until 1983.
In 1986, RCT&HS learned that 6761 was at Chrome Locomotive, a rebuilder and parts dealer in Silvis, Ill. Through generous donations and loans from Society members and interested parties, the unit was purchased and moved to Reading. It was restored and repainted into its original Reading scheme by Society volunteers working at the former Reading Locomotive Shops in 1987. 5308 is one of only two U.S. built ALCO C630’s preserved and is the only one operational. The other remaining unit is Norfolk & Western (N&W) 1135, which differs by having a high short hood and mounted on N&W Fairbanks-Morse Trainmaster trade-in trucks at the Virginia Museum of Transportation. There are also several Canadian built C630’s in static condition.
The unit was rebuilt just before retirement. In the RCT&HS care repairs to a frozen oil cooler and rebuilt turbocharger has been installed. It served regularly during summer excursions but has been stored operational at the Reading Heritage Museum.
Alco C630 Specifications
(As Built)
Builder:
American Locomotive Co (Alco)
Schenectady, NY
Date Built:
September 1967
Builder’s #:
3487-2
Engine:
Model 16V-251E
4-stroke diesel
16 cylinder (v)
Horsepower:
3000
Top Speed:
70 mph
Weight:
393,740 lbs.
Tractive Effort:
98,435 lbs.
Length:
69’6″
Fuel:
4,000 gallons
Lube Oil:
250 gallons
Water:
340 gallons
Aspiration:
Turbocharger
Bore x Stroke:
9 x 10.5″
Displacement:
10,688 c.i.
Idle Speed:
400 rpm
Max Speed:
1100 rpm
Transmission:
AC alternator, silicon rectifiers, DC traction motors
Brake System:
26-L
Air and dynamic