ALCO DL-109's engines

[staffhog]

What kind of engines were in the DL-109? Also, what type turbo charger did they have. I remember the Gulf Coast Rebel always had this engine when leaving St.Louis Union Station in the 1950s. I will never forget the sound. I was a youngster then but can vividly remember that thing chugging and whistling as it went under the 16th stret overpass. What a sound. It is ashamed no one saw fit to preserve this, my favorite, engine.

[txbritt]

They came with twin Alco 538's ( later changing to the newer 539) with the swiss designed Buchi turbocharger.

Britt

[staffhog]

Thanks for the info. This is kinda crazy but I have a daughter-in-law named Britt who resides Houston.

[SSW9389]

Negatory txbritt. Only the very first DL103 was built with twin inline 6 538Ts. The remaining DL105, DL107, DL108, DL109, and DL110 were built with the inline 6 539T engines. There is only a brackets and oilpans worth of difference between the 538 and 539 anyway.

The DL103 was built by ALCO in December 1939 and was sold to the Rock Island as their #624. Diesel data from Richard Steinbrenner's ALCO A Centennial Remembrance.

Ed

They came with twin Alco 538's ( later changing to the newer 539) with the swiss designed Buchi turbocharger.

Britt

[SSW9389]

The GM&O owned two DL105s #270-271 built in September 1940 and one DL109 #272. My question would be how did GM&O get War Production Board Authority to purchase the #272 without classifying it as a freight unit. The #272 was built in February 1943.

Ed

[Allen Hazen]

I have no DIRECT evidence as to how GM&O got permission to get a DL-109 in February 1943, but....

The GM&O's Dl-105 and Dl-109 units had the same 80mph gearing as the New Haven's (and-- cf the "Dl-109 Traction Motors" string for evidence and references-- PROBABLY the same, relatively heavy-duty, 726 traction motors). (All other Dl-100-series locomotives were apparently BUILT with 120mph gearing and 730 traction motors, though some were regeared and may have been remotored later.) From its construction number (69991) and Works order (S-1866-12), it looks as if it was built as an add-on to the New Haven's second order (cn. 69980-69889, w.o. s-1866-1/10), delivered between 7.42 and 1.43.*

The New Haven's units were classified as dual-service. The GM&O's units would seem to have been physically as capable of dual-service application as the New Haven's. So my SPECULATYIVE GUESS is that "it's really for dual service" may have been part of the GM&O's sob story to the War Production Board.

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* Anomaly: the Southern's unit DP2904 -- despite having been built earlier (shipping date 6.42) and having the high-speed gear ratio -- is also in this block: c.n. 69990, w.o. S-1866-11. Your guess is as good as mine.

[staffhog]

Does anyone know if there is audio of the DL-109s available? Or for that matter, the PAs. I have the Green Frog audio of the NKP PAs.