I know next to nothing about Alcos
so will someone fill me in on some of the stereotypes about Alco diesels like C and RS series.
I know that they have a really thick black smoke comming out, and I know how they sound, but that’s all
How reliable were they, how good did they pull, were they elastic or slugish etc. etc.? And how did they compare to GE and EMD equivalents of that time
I hear that they loaded quicker than the EMD of the the 50s, but aside from that…
thanks, strange, I always thought everyone had opinions on Alco locomotives, as they are always mentioned as something special
On their later engines, look for notches at the corners of the hood ends.
A RAILROAD topic? How dare you!
They are good pullers as long as they ae well maintained.
Oh boy do they load fast!!! Man!
ALCO was a steam manufacturor, who when they turned to diesel production, gave EMD (General Motors) a run for it’s money. Alco actually developed and marketed the first “road switcher”. It’s PA model passenger locomotive developed 2200 horsepower with one prime mover, while the EMD E-series engines required two prime movers to equal the same horse power. While this was a seeming advantage for Alco, in reality, it was a drawback, as in the event of an engine failure, the EMD could still make it into the next station. The PA series locomotives, especially those using the 244 prime mover, developed a reputation for crankshaft problems. This difficulty was largely solved with the introduction of the 251 model engine. The PA was a superior locomotive to the EMD E-units when dealing with sustained grades. In the opinions of many, it had a superior electrical (General Electric) system to the EMDs. Alco ceased U.S. production in 1969, however it’s Canadian affiliiate Montreal Locomotive Works produced engines well into the late 1970’s . The firm is now known as Bombardiar.
Basicly they were THE makers and masters of steam. After the switch to diesel they were simply outdone in the primemover department by EMD. Finally Alco got that together, but then the superior switchgear Alco used from GE went away as GE started their own loco manufacturing. So it was to little to late in an environment where there wasn’t enough room for three manufactures.
Adrianspeeder
Alco’s main diesel achievement was the pre-WWII RS-1 road-switcher which was so successful that the Army requisitioned nearly all for service in Iraq. It was not until about nine years later that EMD came out with their successful GP-7, and a few years trying to sell the BL:-2. The New Haven like their DL-109, which was Alco’s competition for the E-6, with stronger (GE) electricals that permitted the New Haven to run them through the war on passenger trains during the day and freight trains at night. In part it was GE’s developing their own diesels for road service and heavy duty switching (they had a long history in the light switcher market) that put Alco out of business.
Just a few miscellaneous comments – there are others out there far more knowledgeable than I!
The Alcos with the 251 engine and the associated GE electrics were excellent – and still are, provided only that they are properly maintained. The 244 engine did had a weak bottom end, but was soon phased out. The 251s (the engine, incidentally, is still made for marine use, and is very well regarded) loaded quickly, and could sustain full load almost indefinetly. They did smoke while loading… they were turbocharged, and the smoke comes from turbo lag (there have been a lot of threads on this one). I have heard, though I have no first-hand knowledge, that the ride quality left something to be desired.
I tend to agree with Dave on at least part of the reason for the demise of Alco: they used GE electrics, and when GE decided to go do its own thing, Alco had a tough time replacing that.
Alco and GE were competitors in the export market for a long time, even before GE introduced the Universal line in 1955. It was pretty much a symbiotic relationship for a while as many of the GE shovel-nose exports had 244 engines in them while the Alco exports had GE electricals.