I have read some things online claiming that the Alco PA is the most beautiful diesel locomotive ever.
Personally, I find them ugly. They look to me like a Bizarro World E7, or like the hellspawn of Satan and an E7. Or like an E7 that took steroids and showed up at a monster truck rally.
On the positive side, I do like the top curve over the driver’s side window.
What sayest thou?
Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder!
Well, maybe that explains why I don’t like Alco PAs. I am a wine connoisseur, and EMD E and F units pair much better with a nice Cabernet.
I find myself coming around eventually with pretty much any unit. I was cold on the N&W Class J 4-8-4 at first, but came around and find it quite an attractive locomotive. No idea why that should be. Same with the C-Liner…eewwww! Now I quite fancy them. I was also averse, like you, to the PA at first, but now they seem to fit into the stable quite nicely.
Nicely put. Maybe I need to try to appreciate the Alco PA on its own terms, rather than thinking about it in relation to E and F units.
When you talk about ugly - this comes to mind
Closely followed by
I believe that it’s important to take it all in context. I enjoy the streamlined diesels from all of the manufacturers, be they EMD E and F units, Alco PA and FA units, and DL 109s, FM Erie builts and C-Liners, Baldwin Centipedes and Baby Faces, or even the more exotic stuff like the big-blow gas turbines. There were a few other oddballs that I cannot immediately recall, that fit with this group as well.
I think that learning the difference between the various offerings were a big part of my becoming a rail fan.
That said, I’m glad that my next door neighbor does not have one sitting out in his back yard rusting away.
Could you please share the names and manufacturers of those two? I’m not familiar. The bottom one looks like a Euro train.
GM&O 1900 was constructed by Ingalls Shipbuilding of Mobile, AL - their only attempt at building a locomotive. I believe the GM&O did operate it for 20 or 30 years.
The SCL engine was built by GE as their BQ23-7. This was an attempt to build a locomotive that could hold a full crew at the time cabooses were being eliminated but two man crew agreements had yet to be negotiated.
I prefer the FPA-4:
No “eyebrows” on the cab sides. [;)]
[quote user=“BaltACD”
Ingalls was and is located in Pascagoula MS.
I’d give the PA and edge over an E-8.
No doubt about it, the ALCO PA and the D&H “Blue Warbonnet” color scheme were made for each other. Honestly, I prefer the “Blue Warbonnet” over the Santa Fe’s more famous red one.
It looked great on the Baldwin “Sharks” too.
That Cuyahoga Valley FPA’s a looker as well.
I like the PAs but prefer the FAs which are shorter and overall look more balanced. Hey… its a locomotive… of course I love it.
[quote user=“tdmidget”]
BaltACD
Shock Control
BaltACD
When you talk about ugly - this comes to mind…Closely followed by…
Could you please share the names and manufacturers of those two? I’m not familiar. The bottom one looks like a Euro train.
GM&O 1900 was constructed by Ingalls Shipbuilding of Mobile, AL - their only attempt at building a locomotive. I believe the GM&O did operate it for 20 or 30 years.
The SCL engine was built by GE as their BQ23-7. This was an attempt to build a locomotive that could hold a full crew at the time cabooses were being eliminated but two man crew agreements had yet to be negotiated.
Pascagoula is only a good stone’s throw from Mobile on CSX’s NO&M Sub.
Early on: The GM&O’s #1900 was a personal favorite of mine. It was operated at one point, between the GM&O shops at Jackson,Tn., and Corinth, Ms.
AS Balt noted: (it was a product after WWII, of the Ingall’s Shipbuilding of Pascagoula,Ms). They had envisioned it and it’s siblings as a family of railroad engines.
They were to include, 1-S thru 4-S, the only one built was the 4-S. As built, it utilized as a power plant a marine-style engine, bySuperior Diesel& Compressors, @1650 hp with 1500 available hp. It was a speculative style build, and once operational, it was campaigned about the industry. Unfortunately, it languished for some time, until it was sold at a bargain price to the GM&O( around about #140K(?).
They(GM&O) used if for some time inthe Moblie,Al area. At one point, it
Alco PA’s = looks like someone tried to sculpt an F7 but gave up halfway there.
Alco PA Engine sound = sounds like it needs a tune-up and is about to fall apart.
Hence the nick-name- “Q-Boats”. Although I doubt the Germans had anything similar on their attack subs! [;)]
About the N&W J. Imagine seeing both the SOU RR PA-4 and a J sitting side by side in Bristol, Happened every evening and if #45 on time about 1730.A very good sight to see.
I remembered this:
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.$b283111;view=1up;seq=7
I always called them “Q ships” but that gets rid of the pun.
