Lima LS-1200
| Company type | Manufacturer |
|---|---|
| Industry | Locomotive manufacturing |
| Headquarters | Lima , United States |
| Products | Diesel-electric locomotives |
The A-3170, commonly referred to by rail enthusiasts as the LS-1200, is a diesel-electric switcher locomotive manufactured by Lima-Hamilton Corporation in Lima, Ohio between May 1950 and August 1951. This model was developed as an advancement of the A-3080, a 1,000 horsepower switcher that established Lima's engineering benchmark. Although a smaller version with 660 horsepower (designated A-3081) was proposed for the American Rolling Mill Company, it never entered production. By modifying the fuel rack settings, the A-3080 was enhanced to become the A-3170, which featured a turbocharged Hamilton T89SA inline eight-cylinder engine producing 1,200 horsepower. The locomotive's power was delivered through a Westinghouse generator coupled with four Westinghouse traction motors, resulting in a tractive effort of 74,508 pounds-force.
Lima-Hamilton identified their locomotives by specification numbers rather than model names; therefore, "LS-1200" is an informal term used by railfans. The official specification number for this locomotive is A-3170. Although Southern Pacific initially placed an order for 60 units, they ultimately opted to acquire 84 Baldwin S-12 locomotives instead.
Original owners
| Owner | Quantity | Road Numbers |
|---|---|---|
| Armco Steel | Template:Center | 710, E109, E110 |
| Baltimore & Ohio Railroad | Template:Center | 320–329, 340–353 |
| Erie Railroad | Template:Center | 660–665, transferred to Erie Lackawanna Railway in 1960 with unchanged numbers |
| Chicago River and Indiana Railroad (New York Central Railroad) | Template:Center | 8406–8411 |
| New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad | Template:Center | 630–639 |
| New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad (Nickel Plate Road) | Template:Center | 309–312, transferred to Norfolk and Western Railway in 1964 retaining original numbers |
| Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis | Template:Center | 1200–1205 (1200 was originally a Lima-Hamilton demonstrator) |
| Wabash Railroad | Template:Center | 401–406, 408–411, moved to Norfolk and Western Railway in 1964 with same numbers |
| 69 |
Preservation
There are two preserved A-3170 locomotives:
- ARMCO Steel E-110, recognized as the last unit manufactured by Lima-Hamilton, is exhibited at the Illinois Railway Museum.
- Baltimore and Ohio 320 is on display at the Whitewater Valley Railroad.