Favorite 1st generation Diesel Loco.

[BentnoseWillie]

MLW RS18. Ooooooh baby...

[Anonymous]

Hands down the RS3 is my favorite. But the VO1000 is a close second.

[Anonymous]

Anything ALCO will do.

[Anonymous]

I love the sound of those 567's, so its a toss up between the Geeps and the F's. The N&W yard was full of GP-9's and the Southern's was full of F's. I remember when the Winston Salem Southbound ran their first GP-9 down the mainline, everyone turned out to see the NEW diesels. Some of the comments were, no more of those old smelly steamers! Little did we know........

Gene

[Anonymous]

After speending the past seven years working on the ALCO's,GE's, and of course the EMD's the one thing that I can say is they all present much the same challanges ,but when it comes to pure noise and the sound of tamed power I would go with the ALCO's in any loco or engine configuration.
I have most recently had the pleasure of tackling the new GE 6,000hp 7HDL engine on some component change out work and load testing ,and I don't even think thoes big bangers sound as good as the ALCO engines.

[Anonymous]

ALCO DL-109

[ironhorseman]

I'm not exactly sure what "1st Generation" means exactly, but gathering the era related to all of the above mentioned locomotives, I would place my vote, based on raw data and asthetics, on the Alco RS-2. I also like the RSD-15 low nose version and the C-628. I don't know if these qualify as 1st generation.

[Trainnut484]

My favs is between Santa Fe's F3, F7, E8, and Alco PA[^]

[eolafan]

I would also vote for any of the "bulldog" nosed EMD E and F units, but most notably the FL-9. While waiting for my MU car train to take me into Manhattan in the early 1970's I couldn't wait until an express from up North of White Plains, NY would come through my then home town of Tuckahoe with an express at 50 mph plus, wow was I impressed and this caused me to become a confirmed FOAMER for the rest of my life.

[JoeKoh]

QUOTE: Originally posted by TARGUBRIGHT

I have a question for the Alco fans out there. If Alco's were so good, Why did the Company go out of business???
TIM A

Tim
They started good but then there engines (later models) didn't perform and were very high maintence costs.Thats why ge and gm surpassed them.
stay safe[:0]
joe

[Anonymous]

Nothing can beat a bulldog nose!

My favourite first generation diesels are EMD's E and F models.
Elegant body styling plus superb engine sound - that's why!

GM all the way - any day!
Offsetman

[Anonymous]

I have a question for the Alco fans out there. If Alco's were so good, Why did the Company go out of business???
TIM A

[Anonymous]

sorry, i suppose it was south bound

[Anonymous]

One day in 1973, I was trackside in Blue Island, Ill watching Rock Island trains, a westbond freight pulled out of the yards with three E-8s. This was incredible to me having grown up on the more financially secure chicago and northwestern. Always loved The E-8 and it has my vote

[Anonymous]

I would say that the E-7 and E-9's were the most beautiful and remarkable engines of
they're time.The styling is timeless and there was hardly ANY paint scheme that didn't
look good on it.

[Anonymous]

ALCO RS-2.

LC

[Anonymous]

I'm with you Ed. SW-1 and SW-8 are my favorite. Put dynamics on the 8's and you got one sweet locomotive. Heck even 44 and 45 tonner have style. Seeing switcher lug bottle cars around is a sight to behold. The RS-1325 is a real nice engine too.

[Anonymous]

I've allways been partial to the ALCo RSD4/5's. Just kinda liked the carbody shape
marty,Ca

[bfsfabs]

Within the narrow context of SP's San Francisco "Commute" service in the '50s. I cannot dig out a single favorite, it is a dead heat between the SD-9s and FM H-24-66 Train masters. Both in Black Widow livery, washed regularly if you can believe it, with with the big barrel Mars lights up on the hood top. The SD-9s for thier "look" and the FMs for thier "burbling", there is no other word, exhaust running flat out between station stops. Sorry guys, I can't choose only ONE in this view. Also some do not consider a TM as 1st generation. Also in this view were GS and MT steamers which must be discounted in this thread.
All really good rides to and from TV repair school in "The City".

Lowell

[Anonymous]

I always liked the Fairbanks Morse C-Liner. I'm partial to cab units, and the Consolidation Liner was about the last line of freight cabs to come on line. It's design was unusual but still had clean lines, and the "C's" really looked great in Milwaukee Road orange and maroon.

John Baie, author, www.xlibris.com/TwoTrackMain.html

[edblysard]

Now, when I first read the original post, I bet my wife the GP7 and GP9 would be the hands down favorite. Not because it was and still is such a good machine, but because it received so much press, and still does, and is viewed with a romantic twist, sort like the 57 Chevy Belaire.
Not knocking the GPs, they did exactly what they were designed for, and did it beyond everybodys expectations.
But, yard dog that I am, you can give me the old SW9s and SW6s. Yup, their small, not very good looking, and have none of the macho appeal of a road unit, they dont go anywhere but back and forth on a switching lead, but MU a few together, and you can pull just about anything you need to. Any what seems to escape most folks is it all starts in the yard, if the trains are not built and ready to go, the geeps sit idle, waiting.
And they are tough, really really tough. Go look at the few left switching industries, and take a good gander at the pilots, these things get hammered every day, and keep coming back for more.
They lack the glamor and grace of the geeps, but, in their own way, their form does follow their function, they look exactly like what you would expect them too, stubby little bulldogs, dragging things around.
I even like the UPs kitbashed SW10s, and the idea behing them, it can still be used, so why throw it away, and those beasties do have a "charm" all their own.
Stay Frosty,
Ed

[eolafan]

First generation? Well, mine would be the F-9, E-9, SD-9 or GP-9. Close second would be the same units in their "7" configuration (except the E which would be an "8"). I like the F-9 and E-9 a little better than the "8" due to the lines (in particular the headlight casing) being a little more pleasing to the eye.

[cabforward]

i like switchers & road freights from '50s &'60s..

at the age of 10 ('57), i sat next to the engineer of a kcs freight, no idea of the engine type.. rang the bell, blew the horn.. the conductor was a family friend.. he swung me a ride on a short run and back again (52mi.).. i had lunch with the crew.. on the return, we waited on a siding for another freight to pass.. he told me to get down and pushed me out-of-sight.. i didn't know then the ride was not co. policy..

i get thrills thinking about that one day, even now.. i couldn't believe people got paid to do this work..

now, i can't believe what people put up with to do this work..

[GDRMCo]

Alco PAs rock!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I loved the SP units. Alco PAs and PBs kick but!!!!!!!!!!

[Anonymous]

i would also have to agree that the ALCo RS series was a very interesting loco. i never really liked them until recently when i saw a couple of them in action. but...my favorite wold have to be the E units. i really like the E-9's and the E-6's ae starting to grow on me with their sloped nose and all. you just cant beat a set of E units blasting down the main at 90 or so MPH. but, alas, i am too young to have been there to see these in their heyday, but i have seen the UP executive E-9's flying down the tracks.

[Anonymous]

I'm with you Richard on the D&H PA-4s. They were great looking and rode well. The B&M had RS-2s and RS-3s and they were the only diesel I ever rode that could bounce 3 ways at once but they sure could pull.

[Anonymous]

Richard, you made me laugh. I am glad you have noticed the forum has a bias toward the EMD product too. Your picks of the ALCO's are great! Where I came from, we had only the Rs-11's and I was too young to remember anything about them except that they were different. I personally love all kinds of locomotives and was sort of surprised that not too many people mentioned the ALCO's.

[muscoot]

GAWD!! Was this forum "sponsored by EMD"? Best ever Diesel is unquestionably the ALCo PA-series, especially the D&H PA-4s. The ALCo RS-3 is a close second, especially when pulling hard, all "chuffing" and smoking with all those hood doors rattling and shaking. High speed in an RS-3 was a "trip" to remember. Or is this all just an east-coast mentality?

[Anonymous]

I'd have to say the SD-7/9. I've just always liked six axle power. Plus, they are the forerunners of the current crop of SD-60's, 70's, 90's etc.Ron.

[Anonymous]

Can't decide between the Alco PA which is the most imposing front end I've ever seen or the BL2 for its freakishness. Never seen either in real life which perhaps makes me imagine them to be better than they were.