• Alco Serial #s for 18-19?

  • Discussion about the M&E, RVRR and SIRR lines of New Jersey, and also the Maine Eastern operation in Maine. Official web site can be found here: www.merail.com.
Discussion about the M&E, RVRR and SIRR lines of New Jersey, and also the Maine Eastern operation in Maine. Official web site can be found here: www.merail.com.

Moderators: GOLDEN-ARM, cjl330, mikec

  by mandealco
 
Hi
I have 2 blank Alco Builders plates that I wish to have stamped with the serial numbers of M&E 18 & 19. I have the following data, but need to have it confirmed before I get the plates stamped:

Model: DL 640A
Built: 9-1964
Serial #: 3382-01 & 02.

Can someone confirm these for me? Also, is the date format 09-64 or 9-64?

These 2 awesome Alcos turn 50 in 2 years and these plates would look great on them for their 50th.

Rudy, do you have a photo of them with your finished airwork?

Cheers
Steve
  by Sandy Burton
 
Steve,

My records show the same builder numbers. However, I can't help you with the date format.

Sandy
  by mandealco
 
Thanks Sandy. I'll keep Googling plates till I see one built in the first 9 months of the year.

Keep September 2014 free, we may be back.

Thanks
Steve & Laura
  by therudycometh
 
18 and 19 are actually unique cases as far as builder's numbers. They were built as ALCO #3382-01 (18) and #3382-01 (19) in September of 1964. However, they were both totaled on the TP&W in a wreck in early 1965, and were sent back to ALCO for rebuilding. They were so badly destroyed that ALCO actually gave them NEW serial numbers in June of 1965, #8181-01 (18) and #8181-02 (19). So it really depends on what you're looking to use - if you want their original builder's numbers on the plates, just know that they only had those builders numbers for the first 9 months out of their 48-year career.

I never did the lettering on 18, so only 19 is done. Here's a photo though:

Image
  by mandealco
 
Thanks for the info Rudy, and the great photo. So, when would they celebrate their 50th? When do we come back? Are their original (2nd) plates still about?
Cheers
Steve
  by R36 Combine Coach
 
All rosters I've seen do give the build date of 9/64.
  by therudycometh
 
mandealco wrote:Thanks for the info Rudy, and the great photo. So, when would they celebrate their 50th? When do we come back? Are their original (2nd) plates still about?
Cheers
Steve
I've never seen a photo of either 18 or 19 with its builder's plate intact while on M&E property, dating back to when they were still in TP&W paint.

I guess their 50th would technically be September of 2014, since even though they got new serial numbers in 1965, they were BUILT in 9/64.