Trains on this day in the past:

[Charlie B]

Looks like a purge of Alcos. :cry:

Wayne

Sadly they were at the end of their life. by 1981 they had dwindled down to a precious few. I met one of the head mechanics for Conrail (Conway) in 1992 when we were getting the LBCV going. He said they were one of the easiest locomotives to work on in his opinion. I also was lucky enough to meet George Hockaday and his friend and assistant that had been the chief mechanical officer at Collingwood. I can't remember his last name but his first name was Harold, and he told me they could rebuild 6 ALCo S1's in a days time at those shops. I really think they would have survived a lot longer had it not been for the rush to get all new locomotives.
Perhaps the way NS is building new locomotives from old would have added life to these old friends.