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26-476: ALCO's designation of P indicates that they were geared for higher speeds and passenger use, whereas the F designation marks these locomotives as being geared primarily for freight use. However, beyond this, their design was largely similar - aside from the PA/PB's both being larger A1A-A1A types with an even more striking nose - and many railroads used PA and FA locomotives for both freight and passenger service. Although

52-551: A formidable advantage. Notable locomotives produced by Alco-GE were the RS-1 , the first road switcher locomotive , and UP 50, a prototype gas turbine-electric locomotive . Alco-GE attained a 26% share of the market for diesel locomotives as of 1946, mainly for switching and short-haul applications, but they could not crack EMD's dominant position in mainline locomotives. Alco's development of higher powered engines for such locomotives had not been satisfactory and EMD's introduction of

78-513: Is a family of B-B diesel locomotives designed to haul freight trains . The locomotives were built by a partnership of ALCO and General Electric in Schenectady, New York , between January 1946 and May 1959. Designed by General Electric's Ray Patten (along with their ALCO PA cousins), they were of a cab unit design; both cab-equipped lead ( A unit ) FA and cabless booster ( B unit ) FB models were built. A dual passenger-freight version,

104-525: The ALCO FAs , were born as a result of ALCO's development of a new diesel engine design, the Model 244. In early 1944, development started on the new design, and by November 1945 the first engines were beginning to undergo tests. This unusually-short testing sequence was brought about by the decision of ALCO's senior management that the engine and an associated line of road locomotives had to be introduced no later than

130-509: The FPA-2/FPB-2 variants) was built between October 1950 and June 1956. Finally, the 1,800 hp (1,300 kW) FPA-4/FPB-4 , powered by the 251 V-12 engine, was built between October 1958 and May 1959 by ALCO's Canadian subsidiary, Montreal Locomotive Works (MLW). The FAs, as well as their cousins, the ALCO PAs , were born as a result of ALCO's development of a new diesel engine design,

156-708: The FPA/FPB , was also offered. It was equipped with a steam generator for heating passenger cars . ALCO's designation of F marks these locomotives as being geared primarily for freight use, whereas the P designation of the PA sets indicates that they were geared for higher speeds and passenger use. However, beyond this their design was largely similar - aside from the PA/PB's both being larger A1A-A1A types with an even more striking nose - and many railroads used FA and PA locomotives for both freight and passenger service. Several examples of FAs and FBs have been preserved. While most are now in

182-454: The GP7 road-switcher in 1949 threatened Alco-GE's position in their most advantageous market. GE dissolved the partnership in 1953 to develop and build their own locomotives. Alco still received electrical gear from GE, but only as a customer and not a corporate partner. GE took over the gas turbine-electric venture in 1953 and during the early 1960s would replace Alco as EMD's strongest competitor in

208-716: The South Australian Railways (SAR) in 1955 as the 930 class . In 1957, the SAR received the first of an eventual 31 built to a two-cab design, the end with the second cab being flat-fronted. A few months later, the first of an up-rated version of the two-cab design arrived on the Department of Railways New South Wales as the 44 class , of which 100 were in service by 1968. Number Numbers Similar DL500 locomotives were also used in Greece, Pakistan, Peru, and Spain. In India

234-572: The Americas where ALCO-built cab units, such as All America Latina Logistica (ALL), still see daily usage in freight duty is Argentina. A total of 369 DL500 locomotives were built by ALCO, AE Goodwin , and MLW between May 1953 and December 1967. Variants of the ALCO "World Locomotive" saw service in Australia, where it was built under license by AE Goodwin , Sydney . Six single-cab locomotives were delivered to

260-745: The Baltimore and Ohio and the Erie. By this time, however, the cab unit had fallen out of favor due to the greater versatility of road switchers, and US production of the FA line ended in 1956, with Canadian production ending in 1959. From the 1970s until 1999, the Long Island Rail Road used 20 FA units converted into "power packs". The traction motors were removed, and original prime movers replaced with 600 horsepower (450 kW) engines/generators solely for supplying Head-end power (HEP). The engineer's control stand

286-622: The DL500 were introduced as the Indian locomotive class WDM-1 in 1957. They were in service until the early 2000s. Number 12. Craig, R. (2010, December 29). Alco DL500 World Locomotives . www.the diesel shop.us. Retrieved April 5, 2023, from http://thedieselshop.us/Alco_DL500.HTML Alco-GE Alco-GE was a partnership between the American Locomotive Company and General Electric that lasted from 1940 to 1953. Their main competitor

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312-407: The Model 244. In early 1944, development started on the new design, and by November 1945, the first engines were beginning to undergo tests. This unusually short testing sequence was brought about by the decision of ALCO's senior management that the engine and an associated line of road locomotives had to be introduced no later than the end of 1946. In preparation for this deadline, by January 1946,

338-680: The care of railroad museums, a few remain in operational status on such lines as the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad , Grand Canyon Railway and the Napa Valley Wine Train . Three different models were offered. The FA-1/FB-1 , which featured a 1,500 horsepower (1,100 kW) rating, was built from January 1946 to October 1950, with a 1,600 hp (1,200 kW) version produced between March and August 1950 (many early models were subsequently upgraded to 1,600 hp). The 1,600 hp (1,200 kW) FA-2/FB-2 (along with

364-556: The end of 1946. In preparation for this deadline, by January, 1946, the first 16-cylinder 244 engines were being tested, and, while a strike delayed work on the locomotives, the first two PA units were released for road tests in June, 1946 for testing for one month on the Lehigh Valley Railroad . After these first tests were completed, the locomotives returned to the factory for refurbishment and engine replacement. In September, 1946,

390-629: The equivalent of an FPA-2 riding on A1A trucks. ALCO's "World Locomotive", the DL500 (introduced in 1953), originated as a newly designed demonstrator based on the FA-2. The first 25 DL500s used the model 244 engine rated at 1,600 horsepower (1,200 kW). Later DL500s were like the FPA-4 and utilize the ALCO model 251B diesel engine as the prime mover and are rated at 1,800 horsepower (1,300 kW). All DL500s were built with C-C trucks, but B-B or paired A-1-A trucks were offered as an option. The only locale within

416-505: The fall of 1950, an upgraded model, the FA-2, was launched. This model featured an uprated Model 244 engine, with an output of 1,600 horsepower. Additionally, the carbody was lengthened, making possible the addition of a steam generator in the A unit to allow for use in passenger service. Models equipped as such were designated the FPA-2/FPB-2. The first FA-2s were delivered in October 1950 to

442-604: The first four locomotives with the 244 engines had been built. Two FA-1s and an FB-1 were painted in ALCO Demonstrator colors and were released for road tests for a month and a half on the Delaware and Hudson Railway . A strike at ALCO delayed production beyond the first four units and the three demonstrator units began working on the Gulf, Mobile, and Ohio Railroad in mid February 1946. The demonstrators were returned to Schenectady when

468-550: The first production units, an A-B-A set of PA1s in Santa Fe colors, numbered #51L, 51A and 51B, were released from the factory and sent to New York's Waldorf-Astoria Hotel , which had a private railroad siding, for exhibition before being launched into road service. This set was repowered in August, 1954 with EMD 16-567C engines rated at 1,750 hp (1,300 kW). This EMD repowering of the PAs

494-476: The majority of the PAs and PBs have been scrapped, six examples have survived. Five PAs are now preserved in railroad museums, while a converted PB still remains in service as a power car. There were two models of PAs: the 2,000 horsepower (1,500 kW) PA-1 / PB-1 , which was built between September 1946 and June 1950, and the 2,250 horsepower (1,680 kW) PA-2 / PB-2 , which was built between April, 1950 and December, 1953. The PAs, as well as their cousins,

520-568: The railroads whose service it replaced for its diesel roster, and never owned any PAs.) They were used by the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority in the late 1970s, then by Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México in 1978–81. Fans deemed the PA one of the most beautiful diesels and an "Honorary Steam Locomotive", as noted by Professor George W. Hilton in a book review in September, 1968 Trains Magazine . When accelerating, until

546-701: The remainder of the order began delivery in May 1946. The GM&O order was completed in April 1947 for a total of 80 units. Before the end of this production run, ALCO upgraded the generators and traction motors in the locomotives, with the first of these models entering service in February 1947 for the New York Central . In 1950, the Montreal Locomotive Works , an affiliate of ALCO, began production of FAs as well. In

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572-605: The turbocharger came up to speed, thick clouds of black smoke would pour from the exhaust stacks due to turbo lag . Photographing a moving PA while smoking became a prime objective of railfans . The PA-2 units sold to the 1,600 mm ( 5 ft 3 in ) broad gauge Companhia Paulista de Estradas de Ferro of São Paulo State in Brazil were equipped with a bar pilot and solid horizontal steel pilot beam. One of these locomotives survives. Five PA units and one converted PB unit survive. ALCO FA The ALCO FA

598-504: The various FP models with the largest quantity, 38% of the total production, sold to Canadian National Railway . Some 20 units of various designations exist today in a preserved state. Several excursion railways own operating examples which are in regular service, including MLW units received from Via Rail Canada . Locomotives not sold to tourist railroads have been sold to museums and other owners. Alco built 23 A1A-A1A trucked FCA-3s for Pakistan Railways in 1951 and 1953. These were

624-543: Was EMD . Alco produced locomotive bodies and prime movers while GE supplied the electrical gear. Alco had previously partnered with GE and Ingersoll-Rand to produce the first successful line of diesel-electric switch engines from 1924 to 1928. In forming the Alco-GE partnership, GE sought to expand the market for their electrical equipment after EMD started producing their own while Alco gained GE's support in terms of marketing and service infrastructure, areas in which EMD had

650-596: Was economically unfeasible, and the remaining Santa Fe PAs retained their 244 engines. Four PA-1s previously operated by the Santa Fe were sold to Delaware and Hudson Railway in 1967. In 1974-1975, they were rebuilt for the D&;H as PA-4s by Morrison Knudsen and equipped with ALCO's 251 V-12 engines. Under D&H ownership, they were used by Amtrak for the Adirondack . (Amtrak itself only purchased EMD E- and F-units from

676-638: Was left intact, allowing the engines to be used in push-pull service with other locomotives, which usually lacked HEP. By the late 1990s and early 2000s, the railroad began retiring the ALCOs in favor of new bi-level cab cars and locomotives with HEP installed. Almost 800 FA units were built by ALCO and MLW, with just over 15% of them sold to New York Central Railroad , and another 5% each to Union Pacific Railroad , Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad and Missouri Pacific Railroad . About half as many FB units were produced and sold in similar ratios. ALCO and MLW built 152 of

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