Delaware & Hudson’s rebuilt cab units were at one time considered the holy grail of northeast railfandom, and they put on quite a show during the mid-1970s. A pair of classic PA’s are in charge of Train 68, the Adirondack, as it glides through Red Rocks above Willsboro Bay in October, 1974. Photo by T.J. Donahue.
	A former PRR RS3 120 and ex-NY RS3 100 team up to hustle an eastbound ballast train against the current of traffic at Guilford, Connecticut on June 23, 1984. Today, the old New Haven Shore Line Route is electrified, and a third track has been added at this location to accommodate Shore Line East commuter trains. Photo by Scott A. Hartley.
	Central New York RS3 101 (ex-D&H 4088) works the feed mill at West Winfield, New York on the old Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Richfield Springs Branch on a cold and clear December 31, 1978. The crew is attempting to re-rail the former PRR covered hopper with re-railing gear and cable. Photo by Jim Shaughnessy.
	Its Hi-Adhesion trucks prominently displayed, Century 636 6787 poses at DeWitt Yard, Syracuse, New York in April 1979. Photo by Hugh Strobel.
	“‘Twas the day before Christmas, 1979,” in Rochester, New York. Conrail RS32 2031 and RS11 6704 are southbound on the former RW&O with the Extra State Street local, bringing coal to Rochester Gas & Electric’s BeeBee Station on a December day during a winter that was noted for its lack of snow. Western New York was the last holdout for Conrail’s small fleet of RS32’s and they spent most of their final years in local service such as this. Photo by Duncan Richards.
	Penn Central train CB2, a leftover New Haven symbol on the Maybrook-Boston route passes through Providence, Rhode Island in May, 1970. With the exception of the now recycled main station buildings, everything in this photo is now gone. The two FA’s in the photo are part of a small handful of venerable 1947-built Alco cab and booster units that survived into the Penn Central era. Photo by Jim Reddington.
	Veteran RS1 number 20 starting up at Lakeville, New York, September 6, 2002. Photo by Steve Carlson.

By Otto M. Vondrak
Originally published October 24, 2006.

Did you ever pick up a book and flip page after page saying “Wow!” to yourself in louder and louder tones? That is Alcos Northeast, the latest all-color compilation from the team of Mike Confalone and Joe Posik.

What is it about the products of American Locomotive that draws such a following in the railfan community? Is it their unique styling, the sounds they make under load, their dwindling numbers? While the Alco plant in Schenectady, New York, closed its doors forever in 1969, its products continue to survive and thrive all these years later. While Alcos continue to toil all around the country, their numbers are concentrated in the northeast- much to the delight of area railfans. Leading the way in bringing out an exciting new series of all-color books about Northeastern railroading, Confalone and Posik turn their talents to the tenacious Alco. Inspired by Scott Hartley’s New England Alcos in Twilight, this latest book from Railroad Explorer documents the last thirty-five years of Alco usage in the northeast. The 177 all-color pages of Alcos Northeast are jam-packed with quality photography spanning the years from 1969-2006.

Alcos Northeast is organized into three distinct sections: Class 1’s, Classic Era Shortlines, and Modern Shortlines and Regionals. The beautiful shot of matched Delaware & Hudson C628’s by Gardiner Cross on page 1 hooked me right away- and the photos only get better. The Class 1 section opens with an unlikely Alco owner- Amtrak. Their often-ignored fleet of black RS3’s is well documented, but then we get to the colorful Canadian Pacific and their fleet of MLW products. These fan favorites saw a brief resurgence in the 1990s. Then we make a brief visit to the Central Vermont and their flock of green-and-gold RS-11’s. The Delaware & Hudson section attracts its fair share of “ooh’s and ah’s” with their late model specials hammering the old Penn Division or polishing north country rails. A brief look back at vintage Erie Lackawanna is followed by a look at late Grand Trunk operations in Maine and back to a sampling of Jersey Central’s “Coast Guard” RS-3’s. The Lehigh Valley section contains an impressive selection of scenes, many through the experienced lens of Bob Wilt. Our alphabetical journey continues though the scrappy Lehigh & Hudson River and their long-hood C420s, and over to the Long Island’s fleet of high-hood C420’s and FA “power packs.” Maine Central is well represented in both “pine tree green” and “harvest gold” varieties. Bringing up the rear are fantastic images of late Reading operations with both RS-3’s and heavy C424’s, as well as a quick glimpse at VIA’s FPA4’s as they made their way across eastern Maine.

Caught your breath yet? Folks, we didn’t even get to the shortlines and regionals. The “Classic Era Shortlines” refers to those lines established and running through the 1970s and 1980s with second- or third-hand Alco power. And all of the old favorites are here- opening with the Genesee & Wyoming, back when operations centered around the salt mines of New York. Next is the often-overlooked Gettysburg Railway and their proud display of Civil War blue-and-gray. Following that are treats from the Batten Kill (including the Greenwich & Johnsonville), Green Mountain, and Lamoille Valley. White, orange and chocolate RS-3’s give way to M420’s on the early Providence & Worcester. David Patch and John Mech take us to Brooklyn for a surprise visit to the old New York Cross Harbor waterfront operations. Bright red RS-3’s bring up the markers is the Vermont Railway, which shut down its last Alco in 1983.

Don’t go yet, because we didn’t talk about the modern shortlines and regionals. The last twenty years saw many old names fade away, and many more come onto the scene. Good coverage is given to the Delaware-Otsego, from the maroon-and-gold RS-2’s of the 1970s, to the “yellowjacket” Centuries on the re-opened Susquehanna, to the recent acquisition of former Cartier M636’s. Guilford is well represented with their fleet of former D&H units earning their keep under a new flag. Coverage of Genesee Valley Transportation is generous, from their shortlines in New York to the growing Delaware-Lackawanna Railroad in Pennsylvania. Next, we visit the spit-and-polish fleet of the Livonia, Avon & Lakeville and it’s affiliated lines. We head back to New Jersey to visit an old friend, the Morristown & Erie, then it’s back up to northern New England to pay respects to the New Hampshire & Vermont. The book closes out with a few single shots from railroads that were not covered in their own distinct sections, such as the Octoraro, Mass Central, Adirondack, and the Grafton & Upton. Of special note is a photo of famed Alco expert, the late George W. Hockaday, who spent part of his storied career on the Ontario Lines in upstate New York.

Alcos Northeast contains the kind of quality photography we have come to expect from the Railroad Explorer team over the years. The majority of photos were taken on bright, sunny days, a handful are taken under less-than-perfect conditions. Given the subject matter, it’s understandable as railroading takes place in all kinds of weather. The majority of the photos has never been published before, and offers many unique perspectives on old favorites. What is refreshing is that many new names appear in the credits alongside the veteran photographers. The layout of the book is attractive and easy to read, with an introduction to each railroad’s operations and their history of motive power purchases. Some lines get more attention than others, which is bound to happen in any compilation. You could easily do a book on any one of the lines within, but the point is to cover as many lines as possible in a single volume- which is done very well. If I had one complaint about this book, it would be that some sections seem too crowded, with some photos literally right on top of one another. However, given the number of high-quality contributions that make up this book, it’s understandable that Confalone and Posik had their work cut out for them! Anyone who is a fan of Alco power will enjoy this book, and the diverse photogenic northeastern locations only enhance the photos even more. This book is a great compilation of Alco action in the northeast, and would be a welcome addition to the library.

Alcos Northeast: Beyond Schenectady: Smoke, Guts and Glory. 1969-2006 By Mike Confalone and Joe Posik $59.95 list price Hardbound, all-color, 176 pages. 11x8.5 http://www.alcosnortheast.com/