ALCO HH900 No. 82

Birmingham Southern Railroad Co. No. 82, builder No. 68788
Birmingham Southern Railroad Co. No. 82, wearing her original road colors.

Birmingham Southern Railroad Co. No. 81, builder No. 68788
Birmingham Southern Railroad Co. No. 81, sister to HOD's No. 82, builder No. 68788

This locomotive was built by The American Locomotive Company (ALCO), in Schenectady, New York, in March 1937 under the construction number No. 68788. It was delivered to its original owner, the Birmingham Southern Railroad carrying the road number No. 82. Birmingham Southern bought five HH900s and five EMC NC locomotives as part of their dieselization initiative in 1937. Later, they acquired No. 86-88.

Birmingham Southern Railroad Co. No. 82
Birmingham Southern No. 82 wearing dark green and yellow paint

Supercharged Diesel

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 a weight of 115 tons, the HH900 had 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.

Birmingham Southern Railroad

For over two decades, No. 82 worked for the Birmingham Southern, but eventually all of the High Hoods were replaced by newer power. The inspection cards of #82 show Birmingham Southern last operated here in 1962.

As a Birmingham Southern Railroad locomotive, its last paint scheme would have been green with a broad yellow strip and black lettering. The original paint scheme is believed to have been dark green with white pinstriping and lettering, however no colored photo has ever been found to support this suggestion.

ACIPCO No. 103
American Cast Iron Pipe Company HH900 No. 103 wears a bright red, white and blue paint scheme in this photo taken inside the ACIPCO plant on November 16, 1974. When this photo was made, No. 103 was the second-oldest operating diesel locomotive in the United States.

American Cast Iron Pipe Co.

The next year, Birmingham Southern sold No. 81 and No. 82 to one of its on-line shipping customers, American Cast Iron Pipe Company (ACIPCO). ACIPCO renumbered the engines as No. 101 and No. 103 respectively, and operated them in a plain green paint scheme. Later, the green paint was replaced with an elaborate red, white and blue scheme. For the next two decades, No. 103 switched carloads of cast iron pipe before being finally sidelined due to a broken crankshaft.

Retirement

In her last years of operation, No. 103 was the second-oldest operating diesel locomotive in the United States. With her retirement, No. 103 was subsequently donated to the Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum.