ALCO High Hood 900 - Birmingham Southern #82

summerj · **Joined:** Mon Apr 07, 2008 10:12 am **Posts:** 27

On Saturday, Birmingham Southern #82 was rolled out of the shop at the Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum for a couple of photos after its cosmetic restoration.

Built by The American Locomotive Company (ALCO), Schenectady, NY, in March 1937 under the construction number 68788. It was delivered to its original owner, the Birmingham Southern Railroad carrying the road number 82. BS bought 5 of these and 5 EMC NC locos to dieselize in 1937. Later they acquired 86-88.

These locomotives were 900 horsepower supercharged diesel locomotives built for switching service and equipped with multiple-unit controls for transfer service. With a length of 43’ 3” and weight of 115 tons, the HH900 has a starting tractive force of 69,000 pounds. The prime mover is a McIntosh & Seymour Model 6-53T engine. The locomotive was equipped with Westinghouse electrical equipment.

No. 82 was sold to American Cast Iron Pipe Company (ACIPCO) in 1963 and renumbered 103.
In her last years of operation, No. 103 was the second-oldest operating diesel locomotive in the United States. With her forced retirement after suffering a broken crankshaft, No. 103 was subsequently donated to the Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum.

No. 82 is now in the finishing stages of its cosmetic restoration back to its original appearance as delivered to the Birmingham Southern Railroad. Please stop by the Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum to see this one of a kind beauty when you are in the area!

For more information about No. 82 please visit:
http://www.hodrrm.org/body.cfm?id=225

Jimmy Summers
Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum Volunteer

summerj · **Joined:** Mon Apr 07, 2008 10:12 am **Posts:** 27

An "action shot" starring No. 82 taken at night at the Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum.

summerj · **Joined:** Mon Apr 07, 2008 10:12 am **Posts:** 27

Thanks Jeff!

wilkinsd · **Posted:** Mon Oct 20, 2014 6:41 pm

Nice photos. What sources did you consult to replicate the BS scheme? It looks very well done.

Also, I understand the unit has a broken crankshaft, but is it otherwise complete?

Alabama is a little hotbed for early diesels. The North Alabama Railroad Museum has an Ingersoll-Rand boxcab that they are slowly restoring. The unit was modified in service, and they are returning it to an as-built appearance.

Alan Walker · **Posted:** Mon Oct 20, 2014 6:45 pm

The white trim on the wheels is a nice touch!

HOD Bill · **Posted:** Mon Oct 20, 2014 9:17 pm

The unit is complete and yes, sadly, has a broken crankshaft as far as we know. It was retired by ACIPCO (the 2nd owner) due to that fact and was donated to the museum in the 1980s.

We have pictures and documentation as to the correct 'As Delivered" paint scheme and that is how it is painted now.

Bill

rlsteam · **Posted:** Mon Oct 20, 2014 10:02 pm

The builder's photo shows sister units 81-83 with white wheel trim.
http://www.railarchive.net/vintagediesel/bs81-83_wk.htm

Richard Glueck · **Posted:** Mon Oct 20, 2014 10:35 pm

Beautiful. Truly beautiful.

summerj · **Joined:** Mon Apr 07, 2008 10:12 am **Posts:** 27

[quote="wilkinsd"]Nice photos. What sources did you consult to replicate the BS scheme? It looks very well done.

Also, I understand the unit has a broken crankshaft, but is it otherwise complete?

Alabama is a little hotbed for early diesels. The North Alabama Railroad Museum has an Ingersoll-Rand boxcab that they are slowly restoring. The unit was modified in service, and they are returning it to an as-built appearance.[/quote]

Thanks David! As Bill said, we have several photos that we consulted so as to get the handrails put back to the correct configuration and there was a lot of investigative work on the locomotive itself to find the original green color which we were able to uncover. Our goal was to put the locomotive back to it's original "as delivered" appearance to the Birmingham Southern. I think we got pretty darn close!

-Jimmy

summerj · **Joined:** Mon Apr 07, 2008 10:12 am **Posts:** 27

[quote="rlsteam"]The builder's photo shows sister units 81-83 with white wheel trim.
[url]http://www.railarchive.net/vintagediesel/bs81-83_wk.htm[/url][/quote]

Richard - Thank you for sharing that with us. Neat picture! Too bad 82 missed out on being in it!

Howard P. · **Posted:** Tue Oct 21, 2014 7:47 am

Really nice job on this one. Looks just like Nott St. in Schenectady! (sans trees in background)

Howard P.

nictd1000 · **Joined:** Fri Oct 17, 2008 1:30 pm **Posts:** 73

Looking good guys, great job! I hope someday that a crankshaft could be made or obtained in the future for this little guy.

Thomas Cornillie · **Joined:** Sun Apr 29, 2007 7:19 pm **Posts:** 272

If anybody at the HODRRM is following this thread, there are two Alco S-Series switchers in Albany, NY that are threatened with being scrapped in the very near future.

http://www.rypn.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=33698&start=30

As I understand, there were many parts compatible between Alco's S and HH series, which is a major reason why HH-series locomotives survive in industrial service. The units in Albany may be able to contribute parts to further the restoration of BS 82.

Thomas Cornillie

summerj · **Joined:** Mon Apr 07, 2008 10:12 am **Posts:** 27

[quote="Thomas Cornillie"]If anybody at the HODRRM is following this thread, there are two Alco S-Series switchers in Albany, NY that are threatened with being scrapped in the very near future.

[url]http://www.rypn.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=33698&start=30[/url]

As I understand, there were many parts compatible between Alco's S and HH series, which was a major reason why HH-series locomotives survive in industrial service. The units in Albany may be able to contribute parts to further the restoration of BS 82.

Thomas Cornillie[/quote]

Thanks Thomas! I am an HOD volunteer and we have several folks who follow along on RYPN. We'll have to look into it. Thanks for the heads up! - Jimmy

santafeboy · **Joined:** Tue May 26, 2009 12:42 am **Posts:** 113

Bueatiful restoration like others have said it looks fresh out of Schnectady . I have the builders plate from sister unit number 85 which ended up on a shortline in Georgia. Alco # 68791. April 1937