Kennecott Copper Corp #109

#109 was originally purchased to operate at Kennecott Copper Corporation’s Ray Mines Division in Arizona along with RS-2 #100. Typically, one Alco was sufficient to handle ore traffic, so typically one Alco ran while the other received maintenance.

Alco, formed by the acronym of American Locomotive Company, created the first successful Diesel-Electric switch engine in 1924. In 1941, they began production of their successful Road Switcher series, starting with the RS-1. In May 1950, production started on the RS-3 design, superseding the RS-2.

The RS-3 was powered by the ALCO 244 Turbocharged V-12 diesel engine, outputting 1,600 horsepower. 1,418 RS-3s were made for railroads across the Americas.

In 1969, Ray received new GP-39 locomotives. Rather than scrap two working locomotives, Kennecott transferred the two Alcos to Nevada Mines Division where 7 other RS-2s and an RSD-4 were already operating.

By the time #109 arrived in Ely, operations had gone from 30-car trains plus a caboose and a single locomotive to two locomotives and 48-car trains plus a caboose.

In September 1978, Nevada Mines Division closed the mines at Ruth, spelling the end of ore train operations. #109 and RS-2 #101 had the honors of pulling the last ore train from Copper Flat to McGill. As the McGill facility was highly efficient at concentrating ore, Kennecott began sending ore from their other facilities in Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah, as well as other locations, to McGill for processing.

As a large fleet of ore locomotives was no longer needed, Kennecott transferred all but RS-2 #105 and #109 to their Utah Mines Division, where they were ultimately retired. #105 and #109 assisted Nevada Northern #401 pulling the trains between Cobre and East Ely.

After the shutdown of the Nevada Northern in 1983, #109 was stored in the engine house. Los Angeles Dept. of Power & Water purchased the northern section of the line from McGill Junction to Cobre, along with #105, #109, and #401, for a planned powerplant near Cherry Creek. When the powerplant fell through, the Nevada Northern Railway Museum was able to re-aquire #105 and #109 back from LADPW.