RS-32's have received plenty of coverage over the years in print and digital form, so we see no need to duplicate this. Instead we offer a PDF of ALCo's Operating Manual for it and the never-produced RSD-33, and direct you to The Diesel Shop for roster information.

Southern Pacific's ten locos are particularly dear to Staff, since we lived in San Jose during the 1960's and early 1970's when RS-32's were a constant presence. Thus, we feel compelled to offer a brief description of their careers. Otherwise, you shall find several photo pages devoted to SP and New York Central units, plus subsequent owners.

When the units came into service in 1962, SP seems to have intended using RS-32's on Coast Division hotshots, based upon the numerous photos of them so-assigned in the beginning, but in practical terms, at ten units. they were the odd men out. Did SP purchase this 2000 horsepower model because it was wary of Alco's 2500 horsepower RS-27? In any event, SP also ordered large numbers of 2500 horsepower GE U25B, which began to arrive at the same time as the RS-32's. These were supplanted by even larger quantities of EMD GP35's, which along with the GE's, dominated the Coast Division mainline for the next decade, or so.

The displaced RS-32's found their niche in Central California local freight/road switcher service, where they generally (but not exclusive) range that ran San Francisco to Bakersfield. There they assumed duties that might otherwise be performed by GP9's. They found considerable favor within crews because of their much quicker loading characteristics over the Geeps, whose notoriously laggardly loading could be a serious impediment to an "early quit". The Alco's found particular favor in the South and West Bay Areas, where they became fixtures on the Sunnyvale, Redwood, and Millbrae Locals. Whether they also worked the Gilroy and Santa Cruz area locals, we are unsure, but they were spotted at least once on the Monterey Local.

Exactly when their range extended into the San Joaquin Valley, we don't know, but the RS-32"s maintain a dominant presence on the San Francisco Peninsula, where they could dependably found switching Sunnyvale, Redwood City and San Carlos-Millbrae during daylight hours. One usually could be found idling away at San Jose Roundhouse, where on one particular evening in 1969, nine were simultaneously present for reasons unknown (sadly, our negs recording this are long lost). This all began to change in the summer of 1974, when #4006 was transferred to Houston, with #4007 and #4008 soon to follow. The balance were initially stored at Bayshore by mid-winter, but later in the year, they were sent to Ogden reclassified as switch engines. No. 4007 was reportedly the last unit on the roster - stored at Houston by summer's end in 1979; retired in the first half of 1980. Several went to Chrome Crankshaft, which leased or sold them for service on other railroads, as you shall see in the photos.

Remarkably, three of the ten SP units still exist Ex SP #4002 currently (2024) operates in revenue service on Genesee Valley Transportation's Falls Road Railroad in New York. Former #4004 resides at Pacific Southwest Railway museum, while #4009 (ex Fillmore & Western) is now at Southern California Railway Museum. A single New York Central unit remains (NO? Write: wx4org@yahoo.com), Arkansas & Missouri #30, but we suspect that it is no longer operational.