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Who's here is an ALCOholic ?

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  • Member since
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  • 1,037 posts
Who's here is an ALCOholic ?
Posted by dragonriversteel on Monday, February 19, 2018 10:15 AM

Do you love Alco's/MLW locomotives ? Do you run nothing but Alco's on your layout ? Mostly Alco's ?

Currently working on a T6 for my scrap yard. Gotta firgure out how to post photos to the forum.

Please Post your Alco/MLW photos & builds with the rest of us ALCOholics.

 

Fear an Ignorant Man more than a Lion- Turkish proverb

Modeling an ficticious HO scale intergrated Scrap Yard & Steel Mill Melt Shop.

Southland Industrial Railway or S.I.R for short. Enterchanging with Norfolk Southern.

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  • From: North Dakota
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Posted by BroadwayLion on Monday, February 19, 2018 10:17 AM

Alco made some really nice locomotives. LIRR was a big Alco customer.

but... They don't make subway cars so they are scarce on the layout of LION.

ROAR

The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.

Here there be cats.                                LIONS with CAMERAS

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Posted by dragonriversteel on Monday, February 19, 2018 10:28 AM

BroadwayLion

Alco made some really nice locomotives. LIRR was a big Alco customer.

but... They don't make subway cars so they are scarce on the layout of LION.

ROAR

 

 

 Gonna have to reasearch their old roster. Yeah,those smoky behemoths wouldn't fair well in subways nor would crew & passengers or the rats for that matter.

 

Fear an Ignorant Man more than a Lion- Turkish proverb

Modeling an ficticious HO scale intergrated Scrap Yard & Steel Mill Melt Shop.

Southland Industrial Railway or S.I.R for short. Enterchanging with Norfolk Southern.

  • Member since
    May 2004
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Posted by 7j43k on Monday, February 19, 2018 10:52 AM

If you model SP&S, you'll have Alcos on your layout, whether you love them or not.

I do.  And I do.

 

Ed

  • Member since
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  • From: Southern Florida Gulf Coast
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Posted by SeeYou190 on Monday, February 19, 2018 10:56 AM

The only Alco units I have are me PA/PB set. This is only because I think they are more attractive than the EMD E Units.

.

I might add an RS1, 2, or 3 at some point.

.

My diesel roster is 80% EMD. 80% of the EMD locomotives are F units.

.

-Kevin

.

Living the dream.

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Posted by mlehman on Monday, February 19, 2018 11:02 AM

I like Alcos from standard....

to narrowgauge.

Mike Lehman

Urbana, IL

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  • From: Boise, Idaho
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Posted by E-L man tom on Monday, February 19, 2018 11:39 AM

Out of the some 35 locomotives that I own, I have one Alco S2, one RS3 and a an A-B-A set of PA's-PB. Although I am partial to EMD equipment, I own several GE 2nd generation diesels as well.

Tom Modeling the free-lanced Toledo Erie Central switching layout.
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Posted by RobertSchuknecht on Monday, February 19, 2018 3:44 PM

My Detroit Southern has several Century 430s on the roster. Here are a pair on an eastbound ready to depart Chicago Yard. Click on the image for a non squished view.

Image may contain: outdoor

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Posted by thomas81z on Monday, February 19, 2018 5:32 PM

CoolBig boys  Cool

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Posted by Bayfield Transfer Railway on Monday, February 19, 2018 5:39 PM

Yeah, the Big Boys are Alco's finest.

Also, dieselwise, the Green Bay and Western was all-Alco, which is one of the reasons they're awesome.

 

Disclaimer:  This post may contain humor, sarcasm, and/or flatulence.

Michael Mornard

Bringing the North Woods to South Dakota!

Moderator
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Posted by tstage on Monday, February 19, 2018 5:49 PM

I have a few Alco (HH660s, S1, S3, RS3s) but also some Baldwin (VO-660, VO-1000), EMD (SW1s, SW7, NW2, FTs, F3s), and FM (H10-44s, H16-44, H20-44) diesels.  Of all the early diesels, I do think I enjoy the Alcos the most.

Tom

https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling

Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.

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Posted by gmpullman on Monday, February 19, 2018 6:02 PM

Although not exclusively, I have plenty of Alcos on my roster.

 RS3_Crew by Edmund, on Flickr

Old, new, big or small.

 IMG_6081 by Edmund, on Flickr

Even a demonstrator or two...

 IMG_5491_fix by Edmund, on Flickr

Thank You, Ed

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Posted by 7j43k on Monday, February 19, 2018 6:23 PM

SeeYou190

The only Alco units I have are me PA/PB set. This is only because I think they are more attractive than the EMD E Units. 

 

I never could decide whether I found PA's or E's more attractive.  I gave up trying, and love them both.

 

 

Ed

  • Member since
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  • From: Reading, PA
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Posted by rrinker on Monday, February 19, 2018 7:04 PM

 I have more RS-3's than any other model loco, as did the prototype. ANd some S-1's and S-2's, and a couple of FA-FB sets. But I don't have ALL Alcos. 

                                         --Randy

 


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

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Posted by NWP SWP on Monday, February 19, 2018 7:32 PM

I wish the Espee painted some PAs up in the Black Widow scheme...

I might do that someday...

Steve

If everything seems under control, you're not going fast enough!

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  • From: Bedford, MA, USA
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Posted by MisterBeasley on Monday, February 19, 2018 8:31 PM

Alco RSC-3, Milwaukee Road #972

I was looking for a matching GP-9 when I came across this engine, and I had to have it.  It's a Proto 1000.  It ended up with a Soundtraxx decoder, I think.  It was my first sound installation, and still one of my favorites.

The RSC-3 has six axles to spread the load.  It was bought for branch line service over lighter-duty rail.

It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse. 

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Posted by ricktrains4824 on Monday, February 19, 2018 8:41 PM

2 C430's, and 3 C425's.

Also a FA A-B-A set.

And yes, I love Alco's.

Ricky W.

HO scale Proto-freelancer.

My Railroad rules:

1: It's my railroad, my rules.

2: It's for having fun and enjoyment.

3: Any objections, consult above rules.

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Posted by NVSRR on Monday, February 19, 2018 8:52 PM

I love the c415. And the sound is so unique.    but i have none on the layout.  I do have an s2, (2) RS1. (2)RS3. (2) RSD 15.  RS4/5.  RS27  bunch of EMDs as well

A pessimist sees a dark tunnel

An optimist sees the light at the end of the tunnel

A realist sees a frieght train

An engineer sees three idiots standing on the tracks stairing blankly in space

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Posted by SeeYou190 on Monday, February 19, 2018 8:55 PM

Since your freelanced road includes the Souther Pacific, why not?

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I believe a Black Widow PA-1 would be very handsome.

.

-Kevin

.

Living the dream.

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  • From: Ontario
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Posted by dieselsmoke on Monday, February 19, 2018 9:22 PM

BroadwayLion

Alco made some really nice locomotives. LIRR was a big Alco customer.

but... They don't make subway cars so they are scarce on the layout of LION.

ROAR

 

Ahh --- Mr. Lion, MLW made 36 subway cars for TTC. [Toronto Transit Commission]

Jim

  • Member since
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Posted by G Paine on Monday, February 19, 2018 10:30 PM

I have mostly EMDs because that is what MEC and B&M had.  I have a few GEs and a couple RS-11s, an S-2, and an RS-2. No ALCO steam

George In Midcoast Maine, 'bout halfway up the Rockland branch 

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Posted by Southgate on Tuesday, February 20, 2018 2:47 AM

SeeYou190

The only Alco units I have are me PA/PB set. This is only because I think they are more attractive than the EMD E Units.

I wish SP had run Alco FA and FB units, as I think they are such a good looking engine for a covered wagon. In my opinion, better looking than EMD F-7 and that series. I know SP had PAs -PBs, but I don't model passenger service. 

Alco is well represented on my layout. Dan

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Posted by joe323 on Tuesday, February 20, 2018 8:32 AM

Growing up half a block from the LIRR in Queens I do remember seeing Alcos

Joe Staten Island West 

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Posted by SouthPenn on Tuesday, February 20, 2018 9:43 AM

My Alcos consist of a pair of Alligators, a pair of DL-109s, And a few RS-2 and RS-3s. Somehow I missed the PAs and PFs. 

South Penn
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Posted by E-L man tom on Tuesday, February 20, 2018 10:05 AM

Oh yeah, that jogs my memory, I also own a pair of C424's, one in Erie and one in the post-merger Erie Lackawanna paint scheme, both Atlas Classic.

Tom Modeling the free-lanced Toledo Erie Central switching layout.
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Posted by Mheetu on Tuesday, February 20, 2018 2:52 PM

NYC 4-8-4 Niagara and a UP PA and PB

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Posted by SeeYou190 on Wednesday, February 21, 2018 12:54 PM

SeeYou190
The only Alco units I have are me PA/PB set.

.

I just remembered I also have a pair of Walthers Trainline FAs to use as spares.

.

Maybe 15-20% of my final diesel fleet will be Alco.

.

-Kevin

.

Living the dream.

  • Member since
    February 2015
  • 869 posts
Posted by NHTX on Thursday, February 22, 2018 1:08 AM

    Two HH-660s, six S-1, two S-2, one RS-1, one RS-2, ten RS-3, three RS-11, three C-425, four FA-1, four FB-1, one FB-2 and three PA-1.  My first cab ride was on an S-1 that snorted and rattled like it was trying to revert to kit status.  Most memorable Alco experience.  Cab ride on two PA-1s on New Haven train 187, Boston to New Haven.  Alco encounter furthest from home-DL-535s on Korean National Railways, 1968.  Wildest non-Alco, Alco experience.  Prepping to go to work early one morning, instead of the first DMU (diesel multiple unit) commuter train of the day, I heard the rumble of something much heavier that suddenly exploded into a very familiar snarling bark that froze my blood.  I had heard that sound many times watching New Haven 1405, an RS-11 kicking cars in the south end of Readville yard.  Reality told me I was still in the town of Saxmundham, a bit more than midway up British Rail's single track Ipswich-Lowestoft line, along England's east coast.  Saxmundham is the only passing "loop" (siding) between Melton and Lowestoft and is where the DMUs exchange block occupancy "tokens" and, the remaining portion of the old Aldeburg branch splits off to serve Leiston/Sizewell.  Since the line was passenger service-only, as far as I had seen, anything other that the grind of DMUs passing about 40 yards from our back door, was cause for investigation.  Before I could get out the door, the grind of the first scheduled service to Ipswich went by, so, I walked over to the track and saw a red marker light on what was definitely NOT a DMU coming toward me from the northbound track.  A brake van (caboose) and five freight cars being pushed by a typical, double end cabbed British diesel.  Just as he went past, the unit did its finest imitation of an Alco 251 I have ever heard.  The number on that hound dog looking beast was 37219, and I waited for him to come back on the southbound track because I would NEVER get enough of that Alco snarl.  As construction at the Sizewell power station progressed, 37138, 37216 and 37219 replaced my alarm clock, providing freight service, and what the local railfans called "thrash" (sound) and "clag" (smoke).  With eyes closed, it was 1963 in Readville again.  Search "British Rail Class 37 locomotives" on Youtube and see what you think of these 60 year old almost-Alcos..  Yeah.  I'm an Alcohaulic!!

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Posted by ATSFGuy on Thursday, February 22, 2018 4:04 PM

I have one Atlas RS-3 DCC equipped lettered for SSW (Cotton Belt) in the Espee's Black Widow Scheme.

 

Might model a short passenger train with it at some point.

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Posted by caldreamer on Thursday, February 22, 2018 4:50 PM

I have 3 RSD15's painted in the  ATSF pinstripe paint scheme, 2 C430's painted in BNSF orange and black, one of which was rebuilt with a GE safety cab after a wreck.  Waiting their turn to go into the paint shop are one RS2, one RS3, one C424 and an RS11 which will be painted in BN green and black scheme.  There is a C420 sitting around.  I will have to discuss with higher managemnet as to whether we will spend the resources to repair and repaint it, use it for parts or scrap it.

 

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