Show Me Your ALCO's

I have no ALCos, ATSF or otherwise.  Probably should, but I don't.  If I can find some good Warbonnett ones I will get them, but not until

There's an MTH DL109 and Lionel PA in there.

 

 

C630's

RSD 12

RS-1

RS-3

The RS-1 is Atlas, All other models pictured are Weaver.  All have TMCC Command systems.

 

I know you asked specifically for ALCO Santa Fe PAs, but here's what's pulling my Super Chief at the moment, until I can get the broken Lionel scale Santa Fe F3 fixed.

 

This set is a pair of Williams FA-1s, connected by a Lionel F3B unit.  A "mixed power" lashup, but it does the job well.

I have an MTH PS-1 NYC Alco PA's (A-A set), but that's it.

Here are our modern Lionel Warbonnetts. The B is a D&H unit that I will eventually add a red stripe to cover the blue one.

 

We also have the Alco 109/110 in the Warbonnett as well.  Hope to add a FA set sometime too...

here are some of mine...

 

In re-reading the OP's request I think he is looking for the PA's specifically and the Warbonnetts in particular..

 

Here is an ABA set of the Lionel No's 2000 from the late 1990s. Still look good today!

 

Also ran occasionally as an ABBA for a spectacular 8000HP locomotive!

I have the A-B-A of this both a's are powered #2000 units so I have to renumber one somehow .

 

this is a cool Pic

Hello Santa Fe Jim • No Santa Fe Alco • Have AnnArbor RS-1
Please see chart below from Wekipedia  - Alco Four Axle Road Switcher

I have also attached a photo of a RailKing, Alco Road Switcher, RS-1 from my layout.

Click on Photo to enlarge & get description.

 I love that paint scheme!

Thanks to all that responded.  Great pictures and there are some really sweet layouts out there.  

 

Now, for the second part of this post and here the road name does not matter.  

 

This applies only to the guys that bought either Lionel or MTH product.  It has to do with YOUR likes and dislikes.  Can you name 2-3 things that you really like about your Alco PA and 2-3 that you would change, or that you feel would have improved your model.  

 

There are no RIGHT or WRONG answers, just looking for YOUR opinion.

 

Thank You.

Thanks Jim.  I've had several different company's PAs over the years and have a few favorites and a big 'bug' about one!

If I remember corectly, R.O.W. may have been the first company to announce the handsome PA's in brass with sound. The others followed suit but I think Williams was the first on the market with several beautiful paint schemes. (I could be mistaken on who hit first). To me, the Williams models were a big dissapointment due to the very undersized fuel tanks which gave them an ungainly 'high water' look. A big part of the ALco PA was its brutish and massive presence that appeared to be hunkered down on the rails. The Williams model completely lost this.

MTH and Lionel gave us some very nice models with minor differences although some of them were both made by Samhongsa in Korea who Mike had contracted with. Lionel's Denver & Rio Grande were originally Mike's design I believe.

The real champion of the PA's to me personally was the R.O.W.s brass models complete with advanced lighting, windshield wipers, and brake hoses on the pilots. The main concern was the price of these - a whopping $1395 back in the early 1990s. Not bad for a 3 piece brass model but way out for traditional 3 rail.  Lionel's scale Hudson was less than this at the time!

 

These have lots of lights - note the one in center (with No 18 in it) over the windshield. The finish on these and the Warbonnett was a special plating to simulate stainless steel which came across well. You can easily see a contrast with the silver trucks. All other companies painted their cabs the same silver as the their trucks.

 

The side number boards were lighted as was the rear of the A units. Don't think anyone had windshield wipers in the 1990s

 

Although the D&H didn't have any B units, many sets (R.O.W, included) came with the B.

 

Here is a factory photo from back then of the R.O.W.s in several liveries.

 

 

 Compare Williams with the diminutive fuel tanks - an other wise very pretty set

Hello Santa Fe Jim

 

Mr. Jim, You have a very cool motto.

 

"Baseball, Hot Dogs, Apple Pie and Santa Fe"

 

Cheers from Michigan

 

 

 

 

Hello Mr. Santa Fe Jim

 

I have a photo of a Lionel®, Santa Fe Engine from the 80's.

It is not an Alco, but you are the Santa Fe Man, I hope it is OK

to share this engine with you & the OGR Members.

 

If you can share any information about this Lionel Engine I would be 

pleased to hear from you

 

See Photo Below, Click to enlarge.

 

I am an Alco-haulic but a Santa Fe Hater.  Here is my Erie PA in the most beautiful paint scheme I ever saw  Oh yeah those ugly blue and yellow things behind it aren't mine

 

 

Hi Bluelinec4

     Great photos and your story about the Alco Erie's. 

I think you are confusing hatred with envy, Ben.  It's okay.  

 

However, I do agree that Erie PA1's, especially in the black and yellow, are quite pleasant to look at, very railroady.  The Erie was my favorite northeastern railroad, too.  And, by the way it was a friendly connecting road with the Santa Fe.

Here is a B&O RS-1 heading a work train. B&O didn't buy them new but inherited them from the C&O

 

 

 

 

 

A Canadian National Montreal Locomotive Works RS-3 not an Alco, but it should still count, Eh!

 

 

 

Here is a Rutland RR RS-3 I custom painted.

 

A present from Santa December 2012.........

 

 

 

Peter

This is the only ALCO I own. 

 

GM&O, Santa Fe,  New Haven, and PRR 

 

 

 

Can't help it. I like RS-1's!

A couple of months ago I purchased a set the MTH A-B-A Alco PA's, product #20-20311-1. In addition, I picked up a second dummy B unit, product #20-20311-3. I am now in the process of improving the looks, performance and sound of this lashup.

 

I started by removing the 8 plastic blind wheelsets and replacing each of those axles with O scale sets from NorthWest Short Line.  I am re-routing the ugly and awkward thick black control cable that runs from the lead A unit to the trailing A unit.  This will run through the doors and be completely out of sight thanks to the diaphrams.  Adding Kadee couplers will draw the units much closer together.  I am installing a speaker to carry the sound to the second B unit.  This will more evenly distribute the sound among the the four units. This is simple.  Just run a 2-conductor plug in parallel from the speaker in the lead unit. This can also be run through the doors.  I have also "reversed" the cable in this unit so that it can run "backwards" in the lashup which is more prototypical. 

 

All the truck mounted ladders that look so silly and hang down in mid air (not to mention that they swing out away from the body on curves) have been removed.  I am sure that I can body mount these back on to the ends of each unit with out too much effort.  I will post the results when finished.

I love ALCo's!!  Here are just a few from my current locomotive roster...

 

A three-pack of D&H ALCo's--two RS11's and one RS3, all from MTH and soon to be weathered--working as a M.U. consist pulling a unit coal train.  Click here to see and hear them in action in my post to this week's "Weekend at the Movies" thread.

 

Your missing a couple  LOL

 

Jim, I thought it was rather amusing that in your first post on this thread, you asked for photos and videos of Santa Fe PAs, but ended up getting photos of about every diesel ALCO ever made, regardless of road name. 

 

I guess I'm guilty as well, having submitted photos of my Santa Fe FAs, which never existed, prototypically.

 

But I'm a little curious about this ambitious project you are undertaking with a lashup of what is evidently going to be an ABBA set of Santa Fe PAs, correct? Did the Santa Fe ever run 4 PAs in a set? That would make a very long set of motive power, given the length of one PA. I've seen 1950s photos of Santa Fe ABA PAs, but nothing longer. You must have a huge, long layout to be able to accommodate a long lash up like this.

 

Just curious, thanks.

 

That's amazing, Jim. I did not know that. Thank you for the enlightenment and the photo, and good luck with the project.

Yellowstone Special -

 

Here is a link to the El Capitan thread that contains a lot of info about that train.  It is five pages but very good.  Take your time and enjoy.

 

https://ogrforum.com/t...gd-el-capitan?page=1

 

Also, here is a better picture of the SF Alco PA's ABBA.  Notice that the second B unit set up to run backwards.

 

 

 

I'll check that thread out. Thanks again, Jim.

Hi SantaFeJim,  I have an MTH A-B-A Alco PA and what's cool is with the units moving along and all 3 exhausts are smoking.

Guess I'm showing my ignorance here - but what constitutes a B unit running 'backwards'?

c.sam -

The rear of the ALCO B unit is where the large exhaust fan is.

You also see which way the Indian on the side is facing.  If the feathers are first it is going backwards.

 Good morning. Well I used to own PAs but they are long gone. But since you opened it to other Alco units. Here is my Alco power Weavers N&W C630, SCL C628, and SP C630 Back story: loved the look, all fit into my modeling era,  and all upgraded to PS2/PS3 The best thing is they are interchangeable with my freight consists N&W/ACL/Seaboard for East Coast. SP/ATSF/GN/Burlington for Midwest and West Coast. I am also including pics of my ATSF freight units. 

For my rail system I have 2 ALCO diesels (MTH PS2 CNJ RS-3 and Lionel Legacy C-420) and 1 ALCO Steamer (Lionel Legacy MILW 261)

Nice collection!

I have a set of WbB Alco PA's in ATSF but those have been shown.

I do have other Alco's.....

How about a western road competitor?

Very nice Weaver unit.