RE: (erielack) May calendar photo

["Tupaczewski, Paul R \(Paul\)" <paultup_@_alcatel-lucent.com>]

> I find it interesting that EL hung on to the PA's much longer 
> than other roads.  There was no attempt to retrofit them with 
> EMD prime movers.

They were designed as passenger units, and their use in freight service
was really a stop-gap measure until newer road power would be delivered.

> I never heard of many comments about 
> ground-faults occuring on EL with the PA's or other Alcos as 
> was reported on other roads.  Did EL have a better 
> maintenance plan for their locos, no matter who made them?  

Not sure if EL had a better maintenance plan (especially towards the
end, where I hear maintenance was on an "as needed" basis due to the
bankruptcy), but I think the men of the Marion shops knew their Alcos
quite well. I assume that the nose-mounted louvers they were retrofitted
with to keep the traction motors cool probably helped quite a bit, too.
But the PAs were pretty cantankerous and fussy, and I think the only
reason the EL kept running them was for reasons of - what else? - money.


> On the Alco note, I'm wondering if the high point of their 
> diesel manufacturing was with the RS-2?  Things appear to 
> have gone downhill from that time.

Yeah, the RS2/3 seemed to be the end of their "strong years." The
troubles with the 244 prime mover soured many railroads to Alco, and
even though their 251 prime mover was a solid product (look how many of
EL's former C425s are still running today), the previous experience with
the 244 made most roads a little skeptical (not to mention Alco's
financial position was weakening, making roads afraid of being stuck
with something they couldn't get support for if Alco went under)

	- Paul

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