The American Locomotive Co.’s introduction to the diesel locomotive came from the industry practice of commercial steam locomotive builders supplying carbodies to electric locomotive builders, such as General Electric Co. and Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Co.
In 1927, GE decided to bring all of its locomotive work in-house and build complete locomotives at its Erie, Pa., plant. This ended GE’s commercial partnership with Alco, which had been in effect for approximately 30 years. As a result, if Alco were to remain in the diesel locomotive building business, it would have to do so at its own manufacturing facilities at Schenectady, N.Y.

The first step taken by most builders of then-new diesel-electric locomotives was to acquire an existing company that produced diesel engines. Alco acquired the McIntosh & Seymour Corp. in 1928 and by 1930, was offering a line of 300- and 600-horsepower locomotives. This line soon developed into what is known today as the High Hood or HH series of locomotives.

Between 1932 and 1940, Alco built 176 HH units, ranging from 600 to 1,000
horsepower, for a wide cross-section of America’s railroads. Even today, some 60 years later, a handful of the units remains in service at industrial operations across the country.

Softcover, 120 pages, 8.5” x 11”, 37 color and 293 black-and-white photographs, ads, and drawings