Railfan & Railroad Magazine October 2023

The Annual Alco Issue brings you to Virginia's Shenandoah Valley Railroad to follow the career of an unlikely Alco road switcher making its homecoming appearance. Vic Lines takes us across South America and Asia to explore the career of export Alco units today. Associate Editor Justin Franz recalls teenage trips to eastern Quebec to photograph Alco-powered iron ore railroads. All this and more in the October issue of Railfan & Railroad!

FEATURES:

• Alcos, Ore, and More - by Justin Franz — Join Associate Editor Justin Franz on a tour of eastern Quebec in the late 1990s and early 2000s for a look at Alco and MLWpowered railroads like Quebec Cartier and Chaleur Bay Railway, plus VIA Rail passenger trains on the scenic branch to Gaspé.
• Bridge Line Alcos - by Otto M. Vondrak — When Delaware & Hudson first made the jump to diesel power in 1944, it turned to the Alco plant conveniently located on its main line in Schenectady, N.Y. To mark the 200th anniversary of the founding of D&H, we look back at its diverse Alco diesel fleet.
• Shenandoah Valley - by John Leopard — An ex-Norfolk & Western RS-11 was an unlikely candidate for a Virginia short line previously dependent on EMD power. Join John Leopard for a look at how this well-traveled Alco road switcher made it from Virginia to New England and back.
• Export Alcos Today - by Vic Lines — Alco-designed locomotives can still be found at work around the world, but for how much longer? Vic Lines takes us to South America and Asia for a look at these international survivors. While some might not look like Alcos, they certainly sound like them.