To the chagrin of EMD and its followers, that title was bestowed on the ALCO PA passenger diesel by admiring railfans back in 1968. That popularity was largely attributed to the handsome but brutish front-end styling that set those locomotives apart from all other “covered wagon” units that emerged from diesel-builders in the late 1940s.

Of the two historic “steam builders” of the 1940s that entered the diesel-electric market – Baldwin and American Locomotive Works – ALCO clearly outpaced its historic rival in terms of the variety and quality of diesel designs it fielded. ALCO partnered with General Electric and that proved to be a key factor in the longevity they enjoyed with the production of diesel-electric locomotives. The heart of the PA was the development of a new power plant, the Model 244 diesel engine. Designers went to work in 1944 and by 1945 the PA design had been completed. The prototype, built in January 1946, displayed the classic styling designed by Ray Patten of General Electric (a feature the PA shared with their ALCO FA freight cousins).

ALCO management bypassed extensive testing since they were keenly aware they were going head-to-head with the successful EMD E-7 – a proven design that was positioned to be the number one choice in the post-war surge to dieselize passenger trains across the US. In January, 1946, the first 16-cylinder 244 engines were being tested and, delayed by a strike, the first two PA units were finally released for road tests in June, 1946 for testing for one month on the Lehigh Valley Railroad. After these first tests were completed, the locomotives returned to the factory for refurbishment and engine replacement.

The consistently image conscious and performance-driven Santa Fe expressed an early interest in the PA design. In September, 1946, the first production units, an A-B-A set of PA1s, dressed in the classic Santa Fe  war bonnet livery, were released from the factory and sent to New York’s Waldorf-Astoria, which had a private railroad siding, for exhibition before being entering road service. That set was numbered #51L, 51A and 51B. The display location – in the heart of our Nation’s center for commerce – captivated the attention of New York Central management, headquartered nearby.  The New York Central was an eastern railroad that matched Santa Fe in terms of image and delivering outstanding passenger service and soon placed orders for PA and PB locomotives.

The fastest way to get the Pennsylvania Railroad to move on any topic was to hint that their rival the NYC was actively contemplating new technology and the PRR placed orders for PA units as well. PRR purchases of diesels was less strategic since they lagged behind many railroads in accepting diesel-electric technology. The PRR diesel-buying spree from 1946-1949 reflected panic buying to test anything on the market in the quest to adopt permanent parameters for PRR motive power policy.

Other railroads gave the PA and PB units a fair chance within their diesel-electric purchases in face of competitive pressure from EMD. The basic PA design was so appealing, most agree it looked memorable in any of the colors of carriers that purchased them. That colorful list includes the Southern Pacific, Rio Grande, Missouri Pacific, NKP and Erie-Lackawanna.

ALCO kept active with continuing improvements that resulted in two models of PAs: the 2,000 horsepower (1,500 kW) PA-1/PB-1, which were built between September 1946 and June 1950, and the 2,250 horsepower (1,680 kW) PA-2/PB-2, which were built between April, 1950 and December, 1953. A total of 297 PA1, PB1, PA2 and PB2 locomotives were built between June 1946 and December 1953.  Alas, some problems with the 244 diesel engine design could not be conquered. Santa Fe moved early and repowered their first trio in August, 1954 with EMD 16-567C engines rated at 1,750 hp (1,300 kW). This EMD repowering of the PAs was economically unfeasible, and the remaining Santa Fe Pa units remained in service, as built.

The last chapter of the PA units occurred when four PA-1s previously operated by the Santa Fe were sold to Delaware & Hudson in 1967. In 1974-1975, they were rebuilt for the D&H as PA-4s by Morrison-Knudsen and equipped with ALCO’s 251 V-12 engines. Under D&H ownership, they were used by Amtrak for the Adirondack. When accelerating, until the turbocharger came up to speed, thick clouds of black smoke would pour from the exhaust stacks due to turbo-lag – a characteristic that also nominated the ALCO PA units as Honorary Steam Locomotives.

That record is a fitting introduction to Rapido’s all-new HO scale model that will be the first mass-produced plastic HO scale model of the PA series to feature completely accurate contours and road-specific details. Carbody contours have been generated using a 3-D laser scan of a unit that has been preserved. Both PA-1/PB-1 and PA-2/PB-2 variants will be offered. Specifics about the model are:

• Correct nose and roof profiles 3D-scanned from the prototype
• Loads of roadname-specific details
• A units and A-B sets available
• Dynamic or non-dynamic brake versions, where appropriate
• Full underbody piping and conduit
• Separate grab irons and handrails installed at the factory
• Etched-metal grilles, where appropriate
• Lit number boards, headlights and green and white class lights
• Full cab interior
• Includes pre-decorated etched side number panels for Rio Grande (non-illuminated)
• Operating Gyralite or red Mars light, where appropriate
• Rapido’s proven drive system adapted from the FA-2
• DC/Silent (21-pin DCC Ready) or DC/DCC/Sound options

MTS will offer the newest Rapido releases, competitively priced and available for preorder or fast delivery. Please take time to review the various options of Rapido PA and PB units listed on our website and relive a classic of American rails!

Frank Wrabel

modeltrainstuff.com