Got back into my father’s photographs last night and had to scan this one, even though the image is a little soft. It is one of Southern’s DL107s or DL109 leading train #45 The Tennesean at Bistrol VA.
http://knox.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1008307
Does anyone know if the engine can be identified? I know the DL107s were delivered with the fancier paint scheme, but after WWII they were probably repainted to this one. I also, don’t know what paint scheme the DL109 came in.
Good news and bad news. The good news is, the SR did have preWWII Alcos that they bought specifically for the west end of the Tennessean route. They were delilvered in a scheme similar to the EMD Es W/ the green fading down in a curve so that the rear oif the unit was silver (or white) to match the trailing cars. The bad news is that they were run as AB sets (the only other B was Santa Fe’s lone Alco DL=110). Being such a rare bird it’s iunlikely to be produced
Hopefully a Southern fan can jump in with an absolute answer for you. Nice picture by the way.The Dl109’s and 107’s are from my remembering of the type virtually identical externally, internally different hp rating of the engine,please if anyone has a better answer jump in.One would have to go by the engine number to dtermine which type it is. Any SRR fans around to give this a crack [?]
Rob
Erie…
Not only am I a Southern Fan, but I was born in Raised in Bristol, Va! My dad still lives there. Southern bought 3 DL109/DL109 sets in 1941/42. The DL109 is an A-unit, the 110, a B-unit. The first two sets were number 6400a/b, 6401 a/b and were assigned to the CNO&TP. The third set, 2904A/B was actually purchased in 1942 and was Southern Proper. All were Retired/Scrapped in 1954. As delivered, they were painted in the early SRR passenger scheme as used on the EMD E-6 units. It’s hard to say when they were repainted, but they certainly ended their career in the later passenger scheme. Beautiful locos, though, apparantly Southern was not that happy with them.
I have a set (Brass) made by Overland in the earlier scheme which I will use to pull my Tennessean consist.
BTW…the Bristol Depot has just gone through a major renevation and is looking wonderful! If you have any more questions, I’ll do my best to answer.
Steve