What if....

Yes, I totally agree with you there. I was just trying to suppose a "best case scenario" type thing for a solo ALCO in response to the initial question. In reality though, I think you hit the nail on the head.
One thing I found rather ironic while working on the Cartier ALCO/MLWs for NYSW: while ALCO Spring provided us with replacement truck springs for the units, they had to be custom made to OUR specs... they didn't even have prints for their old springs!

S-W had a business plan to market and ultimately manufacture Alco-design locomotives in the US after the Schenectady facility wound down.
The only manifestation of this were (5) M420's for the P&W.

Do you know where they planned to manufacture the post- Schenectady units, would they have been built in Canada by MLW as the P&W units were or or by a third party within the US? (Did they have a set location in their planning?)

MK in Boise would have assembled the units with engines from Auburn, electric transmissions from GE Erie, etc.

SS

Smart idea. Probably why M-K ended up with the C636 demonstrators...
Were there ever any marketing efforts?