New Haven Alco PAs

New haven used PA's in both freight and passenger trains.

It's called the Alpert scheme, named after McGinnis's successor.  The last of at least four paint schemes the PA's wore.

Rusty

Love that Alco diesel sound!

Peter

They certainly look like PA’s, Arnold, but in any event, the (as yet unnamed) paint scheme matches the passenger cars perfectly.

One thing the New Haven was consistent on in painting their locomotives was their inconsistency.  This scheme was also used on FAs used in freight service.

Here is a prototype photo of this paint scheme after it was sold to the D&H for parts to keep the four former ATSF PA's running.

Hi Arnold,

Yes, those are Railking sized PAs. Alco PAs were intended as fast passenger locomotives. This was their use for their first decade on the New Haven (1948 - 58 or so), where they typically ran New Haven - Boston and New Haven - Springfield. After the arrival of the second set of FL9s in 1960, and the reduction in passenger service across the New Haven, many were used as single units on secondary passenger trains (i.e. Boston-Providence local service) or reassigned to freight use. The NHRHTA had a great article on them a few years ago, including several photos of 4 MU'd together hauling freight on the Maybrook line.

As Rusty noted, the paint scheme your models are wearing is called the 'Alpert' scheme, after George Alpert, who took over the railroad after Patrick McGinnis left in 1956 until bankruptcy in 1961. The scheme was adopted ~1960, as a cost cutting measure. The Alpert scheme was cheaper to apply and easier to keep clean than the McGinnis scheme by eliminating all the large white areas. This would be the fifth and last paint scheme applied to the PAs - the others being (1) hunter green and warm orange with silver pinstripes, (2) pullman green and gold stripes, (3) original McGinnis scheme (white band on bottom), and (4) reverse McGinnis scheme (red band on bottom).

~Chris

Those are definitely Alco PAs. I have the same Railking set in the classic McGinnis scheme. By the sounds I would think that yours have Protosounds 3.0, the diesel chug is nicer than my PS2 units. In any case, they are great running locomotives! I've been very happy with my set, it's reliable and tracks well.

Hi Arnie, Growing up on the Springfield line, I witnessed PA's on both freight and passenger service. This was during the 50's and early 60's.  In passenger service, it was common to see old heavy weights, stainless steel and other passenger equipment all randomly mixed together.