Railroad Forums 

  • PA rebuild on FCP

  • Discussion of products from the American Locomotive Company. A web site with current Alco 251 information can be found here: Fairbanks-Morse/Alco 251.
Discussion of products from the American Locomotive Company. A web site with current Alco 251 information can be found here: Fairbanks-Morse/Alco 251.

Moderator: Alcoman

 #639467  by ljeppson
 
In the Pentrex Mexican videos is documented the complete rebuilding of one of the D&H Alco PA's in Southern Pacific daylight colors in the mid-1990's. Is this unit one of McCormick's units?
 #639472  by Allen Hazen
 
When the two units (one to be rebuilt by McCormick for operation, the other supposedly to be cosmetically restored by the Smithsonian(?) were brought back from Mexico, they were in sorry shape. I believe that one in better shape has been saved in a Mexican railroad museum, and my bet is that the one redone in SP colors would be that one. But I'm sure someone else KNOWS.
 #639477  by FCP503
 
The PA that Doyle Mc Cormick is restoring was DH18, origionally ATSF 62L.

DH17 and DH19 are in preserved in Mexico. These units were in operating condition when they went to the museum. The people at Emplame shops would say they were stolen. When the DH19 went to the museum the Empalme shops forces were very unhappy, and that led to the restoration of DH17 in the Daylight paint scheme to make up for the loss of DH19. This unit too was taken to the museum.

Empalme shop then painted the former FCP 501, an RS11, into a unique green and white paint sheme. They pretty much kept this unit locked up in the shop for fear that it too would be taken south to the museum. This unit was unfortunately scrapped when no buyer could be found for it.

The people at Empalme loved their old Alcos, and the PA's were locos that they took a great amount of pride in being able to operate. Everyone at Empalme knew that the PA's were the last of their kind, and quietly DH18 was in the initial stages of being restored to operating condition, This unit was in a fully stripped down state, when The FNM was broken up into privately operated concessions, and at that time Empalme shops were closed.

DH16 was involved in a very bad wreck. It rolled down an embankment, and has signifigant body damage.

Empalme shop was also working on an Alco RS1 when it was closed down. They were sent the former NdeM 5654. This unit had been repowered by NdeM with 12-567 engine, and Alex replaced the EMD engine with a 6 cyl 251 engine from a retired S6. This unit was almost completed when the shop was closed and now resides at a railroad museum Merida, Yucatan. When you first look at this engine it takes a second to catch on that the stack is on the wrong end. Empalme people were serious about their Alcos!!!
 #639696  by tj48
 
Pictures of DH17 and DH19 on display in Mexico:
http://gareth1494.fotopic.net/p33703371.html
Some information on the 2 that made it home. It's a bit dated but info none the less:
http://shastaroute.railfan.net/PA.html
Doyle's unit:
http://www.nkp190.com/
She's come a long way....
http://www.nkp190.com/progress/images/190pa016.jpg
 #1333854  by RussNelson
 
FCP503 wrote:Empalme shop was also working on an Alco RS1 when it was closed down. They were sent the former NdeM 5654. This unit had been repowered by NdeM with 12-567 engine, and Alex replaced the EMD engine with a 6 cyl 251 engine from a retired S6. This unit was almost completed when the shop was closed and now resides at a railroad museum Merida, Yucatan. When you first look at this engine it takes a second to catch on that the stack is on the wrong end. Empalme people were serious about their Alcos!!!
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