RF&P 59 / TLEW 62 (ALCO), 1946
Builder: American Locomotive Company (Schenectady, New York)
Type: S-2 diesel-electric switcher
Wheel Arrangement: B-B
Classification: Locomotive
Original Owner/Use: Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac Railroad, for yard switching and industrial switching duties
The RF&P 59 is a classic example of ALCO’s early diesel switcher technology, designed for reliable yard work and light freight operations. Built during the rapid transition from steam to diesel power in the post-WWII era, this S-2 represents one of the most successful and long-lived switcher designs produced by the American Locomotive Company. Many units like it served industrial and short-line railroads for decades before finding new life in preservation.
Build and Early Service
The 59 was constructed by the American Locomotive Company in Schenectady, New York, in August 1946 (builder’s serial number 74663), as part of ALCO’s highly successful S-2 production run. It was delivered new to the Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac Railroad (RF&P), a key Class I bridge route connecting Richmond, Virginia, to the greater Washington, D.C. area. Equipped with a 1,000 horsepower ALCO 6-539T prime mover (turbocharged 6-cylinder inline diesel), the locomotive was ideal for switching duties in RF&P yards, assembling trains, sorting cars, and handling transfers in support of the railroad’s busy passenger and freight operations.
Service Life and Retirement
The 59 provided dependable service with the RF&P in the late 1940s and 1950s. It was eventually sold to the Steelton & Highspire RR and renumbered 62. It later operated as Delray Connecting Railroad (DC) #62 in Michigan, serving industrial trackage. Its final revenue service was with Archer-Daniels-Midland (ADM) at their grain elevator facility in Ottawa Lake, Michigan, where it performed plant switching duties until replaced by a more modern switcher.
Preservation and Current Ownership
In 2012, the TLEW Museum stepped in and acquired the locomotive from ADM. It was delivered to the museum by Norfolk Southern and has since been a valued part of the outdoor collection. Currently lettered TLEW 62 and painted in blue, the unit is on static display. The museum plans to restore and repaint it in its original RF&P livery and renumber it back to #59, preserving its historic identity for future public education and display.
Today, the locomotive can be visited as part of the TLE&W outdoor museum collection. Please use our interactive map to discover its location. As with all equipment in the collection, do not climb onto the locomotive. You are welcome to admire it from the ground.
Specifications
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Builder | American Locomotive Company (Schenectady, New York) |
| Model | S-2 |
| Built | August 1946 |
| Serial Number | 74663 |
| Prime Mover | ALCO 6-539T, 6-cylinder inline diesel (turbocharged) |
| Horsepower | 1,000 hp (746 kW) |
| Cylinders | 6 |
| Wheel Arrangement | B-B |
| Trucks | ALCO “Blunt” trucks |
| Length | 46 ft |
| Weight | Approximately 230,000 lbs |
| Fuel Capacity | 635 gallons |
| Generator | General Electric GT 553-A |
| Traction Motors | General Electric 731 (4) |
| Top Speed | 60 mph |
Collection Details
Preserved in the Toledo, Lake Erie & Western Railway and Museum outdoor collection
Accession: 2012.1.1 | Acquired: 06/2012 | Status: On Display