The Alco DL109- Alco's forgotten early road locomotive.

YouTube credits:
Always Trains HD:
SFBR 23 (alco S2) Switching With a Leslie s5t

Other credits
(Not sponsored)
DL-109 Video Footage:
(DVD) New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad Volume 1 - A & R Productions

Picture of Buffalo Creek HH660 #43

Picture of Midland NW2

[thomasmoje]

I remember seeing a lot of the old Alco and EMD switchers working the yard at Niagara Falls, N.Y. back in the 1960's when I used to sit at my spot watching trains. Brings back memories. A lot of the locomotives coming through the yard back then had New York Central markings.

[Dennis-vhtz]

The DL109 is one of my favourite locomotives, along with the Fairbanks Morse Erie Built and EMD's slant nose E units (E, E1, and E3 through E6)

[brandtbecker]

@2:48, I actually ran that switcher a few times during my time with the Midland RY (Baldwin City, KS). I believe it was originally owned by the C B & Q (if I'm mistaken, please correct me!!) The barely-seen nose of the other locomotive is ex-Rock Island E-8 number 652 having been restored to its original Rocket color scheme; previously it had acted as C R I & P's bicentennial locomotive "Independence" and worked the Chicago commuter service for many years. Don't know the history of the NW2. The 652 is now back on "home rails" at a RR museum in Manly, Iowa. Not sure if the NW2 is still in Baldwin City at the present time (2023) or not. I dearly wish steam had never been replaced - especially given OPEC's corruption.

[chuchuchip]

I had a pair of the Life Like DL109s I painted in my club's RR colors. I liked this uniqueness of it's look. I got sick of F units. The model was a great eunner.

[torquetrain]

The DL109 and the Baldwin BP20 Passenger Sharks for the PRR were some of the most exotic diesels ever built. Both had ginormous pistons from the 606sc and 539T 6 cylinder inline 4 stroke diesels.

[frankmarkovcijr]

The New Haven Alcoa deal 109 ran in service reliably for many years and we're looked upon as a candidate for conversion with third rail shoes in order to go into Grand Central Terminal but they were too heavy to go over the aqueduct before they got to the terminal. The reliability aspect of the DL 109 showed how much availability at diesel locomotive had that did not have to go to the shops as much as Steam did for regular maintenance but you didn't have to perform regular maintenance on a diesel locomotive for it to operate and function properly.

[SouRwyProductions]

I have always really liked ALCo diesels. The dl-109 is certainly an unusual looking locomotive. I live a few minutes away from a railroad museum that actually owns a few s-1s, rs-1s, and rs-3s. It’s a shame that none of the dl-109s were preserved. with the modification to have one or two 251 prime movers, it could have been a good locomotive.

[Trains-With-Shane]

I picked up an N scale DL-109 at a train show earlier this year. I think the required widening of the car body gives the locomotive a very cool look. Not the first time that has happened. Originally the British Morris Minor car was to be slimmer. But when they decided to mount a transverse engine and front wheel drive drivetrain in it the whole car had to be widened a few inches. Like the Alco they did this simply by cutting the body down the middle and adding a strip. Which, in my opinion, ended up with a good looking style line as a result.

[frankmarkovcijr]

One thing you have to remember in the diesel locomotive Wars is that General Motors would Finance your purchase of an EMD diesel General Electric would Finance the purchase of a general electric diesel locomotive. When you went to Alco you had to have cash money in hand as well as for Baldwin and Fairbanks Morse. There were many railroads that could not afford to replace steam but were financed by Standard Oil so they would use diesel fuel provided by Standard Oil. In Steam days you would use outdated engines for branch line and then switching use when the Diesels came you put a brand new diesel locomotive on a branch line and that Branch line became a money loser where is with the old steam engine it made money. These were used as excuses to shut down many Branch lines. The railroads also wanted to use the Diesels to go to one man operated trains like on mass transit and electric trains. A fireman was Superfluous on a diesel locomotive but the Union force them to continue to have one anyways. There was one of the financial advantages of having a diesel locomotive. Generally diesel switchers were used in cities that had anti-smoke ordinances. When New York created its own anti-smoke ordinance that was when Baldwin started to make diesel locomotives to serve that need. Any locomotive steam electric or diesel if you maintain it and take care of it properly they last damn near forever.

[michaeldickson]

The LIRR got many years out of their old S1 and RS1 units. In fact, the original S1 still does excursions on the Catskill Mountain Railway I believe.

[JungleYT]

*LOVE the Alco DL109, because of that strange center window and the trucks on it... Very unique! Q: So only a limited number were built with the center window?* *That shop model dates back to the 1970s! - **18:06* *The Santa Fe also ran the DL109*

[logskidder]

Definitely not forgotten by SOU fans. I have DL107/108 and DL109/110 SOU HO and N plastic and brass models pulling several Tennessean passenger consists.

[leehuff]

Love that Penn Central unit with Buffalo Central Terminal in the background!

[frankmarkovcijr]

The 531 engine was sufficient for a switcher you could not make it bigger or add more cylinders to it that's why they designed the 244 engine the 244 had horsepower limitations so then they came up with the 251. The ALCO DL 109 were famous for having almost 97% availability rate especially for the New Haven that ran passenger trains with them during the daytime and then filled them up and put freight trains on them so they would be basically running day and night and they were the only non-switcher engine at Alcoa was allowed to build during the war production board restrictions during World War II because it was cataloged as a dual service engine. Now you have to remember at this point in time all of the diesel manufacturers were in brand new territory and did not have any experience with diesels because there weren't any previously. They learned when you pushed it into too hard what problems it developed or if you made it too long and the crankshaft broke people made a big thing about the crankshaft breaking in the Alcoa PA but when they were breaking into 20 cylinder sd45 nobody said his thing so there is Prejudice from one company to the other just like in the car industry.

[officialpennsyjoe]

I would love to see Walthers do a B-unit DL-110 in the next run they ever plan to do.

[Socoolds]

A few notes, there was indeed a ALCO 538T it powered the HH1000. EMC actually had a reasonably successful line of switchers in the 1930's selling about 150 units across all models. The SW/SC and NW/NC, rated at 600 and 900HP, used the Winton 201-A. The SW-1 and NW-2 were simply the first models to use the 567.

[kenmunozatmmrrailroad]

Currently engrossed in an issue of Railfan & Railroad and it’s all about the Alcos💪🏽

[patrickwines]

All 2 cycle diesels require some form of boost to function, Roots style blowers were common method. They did not increase horsepower but fulfil the missing intake and exhaust strokes. As the piston moves down, it uncovers ports that have compressed air that forces the exhaust gasses out the opposite side.

[MLWQC]

Great video and historical references. Your NH DL109 look and sound great.

[rottenroads]

I have got to say, the Look of the Alco DL-109 is unique amongst other Cab Units. It has a rounded nose similar to its competitor, however, the nose itself is Lower and Longer than the Competitor, which gives it a more unique profile.