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Most of the replies to this question are pretty close to the mark, the turbocharger lag is the main cause. BUT - don't forget the Model 539 engine, which was in MANY earlier Alco switchers, the RS-1, and the DL-109 road units. All would smoke heavily on acceleration - NOT all the time, as some implied. As an aside, the 539 engines were also used on a lot of Navy ships. I was Engineering Officer on one which had FOUR 539's for main propulsion (diesel-electric, just like a locomotive). Yes, they were high-maintenance engines, and when the captain said "full ahead", we always took a verbal beating about the smoke cloud! Often their exposed high-pressure fuel lines would become brittle from vibration and break at crucial times, spraying the entire engine room and crew with diesel oil. But those huge 12.5"X13" cylinders had some advantages - you could sit inside the crankcase and work on bearings, and the spare pistons made great card tables during in-port periods! <br />
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