ALCO Century 855

The ALCO Century 855 (sometimes called the ALCO C855) was a diesel-electric locomotive built in 1964 by the American Locomotive Company for the Union Pacific Railroad. The C855 was notable for being ALCO's most powerful diesel-electric locomotive and, at the time, the most powerful diesel locomotive ever built, until it was later surpassed by the 6,600-horsepower (4,922-kilowatt) EMD DDA40X in April 1969.
The ALCO Century 855 was designed and built specifically for Union Pacific, because Union Pacific was in need of very high horsepower locomotives and specifically for its Overland Route through the Rocky Mountains.
==History==
=== Technical Specifications ===
Regarding technical specifications, the C denoted that the it was part of the ALCO Century Line, 8 denoted it had a total of 8 axles, and the 55 denoted that it could generate and produce a total of 5,500 horsepower (or 4,101 kilowatts).
The ALCO Century 855 was powered by a pair of two ALCO 251C V16 cylinder diesel engines, and rated at 5,500 hp (4,101 kW).
=== Production and delivery ===
Only two A units and one B unit were built, all for the Union Pacific Railroad, which had also requested double-engined locomotives from EMD and GE in order to replace the turbines, which had become uneconomical to operate.
Union Pacific also wished to reduce the number of locomotives required on a consist, to keep in line with their allowable gross weight limit. By consolidating several locomotives into one or two, this allowed them to lower the axle load on the rails, but to stay within the limits placed by the company.
=== Flaws ===
However, they were very problematic in operation, due to the production of the three units being rushed, as a result of this, the three units of the ALCO Century 855 were prone to overheating and suffering electrical fires much like the GE U50C, it also caused the 251C V16 cylinder engines to consistently shutdown from the overheating and the performance of the two ALCO 251C V16 cylinder diesel engines themselves weren't good at all, the frames of the C855s were also prone to cracking as a result from the rushed production.
=== Ending ===
Following the issues from the C855s, all three units were withdrawn from active service, after their withdrawal, all three units were almost immediately shipped away to Texas and scrapped.
==Stock list==
Image	Loco No.	Manufacturer(s) 	Build date(s)	Withdrawn	Status
 	60 	American Locomotive Company (ALCO)	1964 	1972 	Scrapped
 	60B 	American Locomotive Company (ALCO)	1964 	1972 	Scrapped
 	61 	American Locomotive Company (ALCO)	1964 	1972 	Scrapped
==See also==
*List of ALCO diesel locomotives
*ALCO DH643
==Gallery==
File:ALCO C-855.jpg
Category:Unique locomotives
Category:Diesel locomotives
Category:American locomotives
Category:ALCO locomotives
Category:DC Traction Locomotives
Category:Eight-axle diesel locomotives
Category:Built in 1964
Category:Standard gauge locomotives
Category:United States
Category:Scrapped locomotives
Category:ALCO Century Series
Category:B+B-B+B locomotives
Category:Locomotives
Category:Scrapped diesel locomotives
Category:Union Pacific locomotives
Category:ALCO diesel locomotives