ALCo C430 diesel locomotive

A postcard featuring a Green Bay & Western ALCo C430, the only one that GB&W bought.  This was ALCo's final model in its Century line of four-axle road switchers and was its most powerful four-axle design. The Alco C430 began production in 1966 and used the latest version of Alco's 251 prime mover the 251E, one of the final such modifications of its standard prime mover which could produce 3,000 hp and came equipped with standard features for the day such as turbocharging (a standard ALCo feature).

By the late 1960s railroads had begun to recognize the value of six-powered-axle locomotives and began to purchase them in larger numbers. Thus ALCo found little success with its C430 line and the model was the worst sales performer in the series, selling only 16 units to a handful of US railroads. After this, the once important manufacturer, whose history dated back to 1901, relinquished to General Motors' Electro-Motive Division (EMD) and General Electric in early 1969. Today, at least five examples of the C430 remain preserved around the US.