Alco DL Series

(Please note that the images presented here are not that of the Alco DL series but other Alco models.)

The American Locomotive Company's first true production diesel locomotive was the DL series (the "DL" stood for diesel locomotive), a streamlined end-cab design similar to then-EMC's (the Electro-Motive Corporation, before it became a division of General Motors) EA model of 1937. The series would come in four different models but it proved to be a ungraceful and problematic design that was not one of Alco's better diesel locomotives and just a few were ultimately sold by the time production ended in 1945. While the DL series is often recognized as Alco's first, true diesel line the company actually used it to describe a number of different models over the years (usually as a secondary description) and especially used the designation for its foreign/export designs. Unfortunately, today, there are no known original Alco DL series units preserved.

This left Alco somewhat scrambling to unveil their own, early main line diesel locomotive. While the company proved that it could manufacture a reliable, rugged, and efficient diesel switcher their main line design could simply never match what their competitor EMC was producing. The very first model was designated the DL-103b (it would later go on to be sold to the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific and given #624) and used the company's 539T prime mover, which was a four-stroke diesel that produced 2,000 horsepower. Eventually Alco would produce four different models, which varied slightly. Aside from the DL-103 they included the DL-105, DL-107, and DL-109. Alco also produced two models of cabless "B" units the DL-108 and DL-110 that only saw four total sales.

In any event, as with most early diesel locomotive designs (EMC employed a similar tactic with its early E and F models), each successive small change to the general model saw Alco give it a slightly different name. For instance, the DL-105 design saw three units sold; one to the Rock Island as #622 and two others to the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio as #270 and #271. Additionally, the DL-107 model saw eight units sold: Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe #50; Chicago & North Western #5007A; Milwaukee Road #14A-#14B; Rock Island #621, #623; and Cincinnati New Orleans & Texas Pacific (Southern Railway) #6400-#6401. The DL-107 also included its booster cousin (the DL-108) with three units going to the Santa Fe (#50A) and Southern #6400B-#6401B.

The final model was, of course, the DL-109 built between 1942 and 1945; nearly all of which went to the New York, New Haven & Hartford who purchased 60 units, #0700-#0759. Additionally, the GM&O purchased one (#272) as did the Southern (#2904). There was also one DL-110 sold to Southern, #2954. Overall, the Alco DL series were virtually identical; they were 74 feet, 6 inches long, included turbo-charging, and featured an A1A-A1A truck setup (meaning the two outside axles were powered with an unpowered center axle).

In all the DL series was unsuccessful selling only 78 A and B units total, and was a microcosm of Alco's problems with main line passenger and freight diesel locomotives. Railroads often found the company's prime movers, particularly the 539 (which the DL-100 series was powered with), 241, and 244 models unreliable, troublesome, and rather complicated to maintain. Even in later years when Alco developed a more reliable prime mover, the model 251 it appears the damage was already done amongst railroads. Below is a table highlighting the Alco DL series by model and their total sales numbers. To learn more about the Alco DL series please click here.

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Alco DL Series

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