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A Decade of D&H Alco PAs

Delaware & Hudson PA-4 18 awaits its next assignment at Colonie, N.Y., on April 4, 1976. Originally built as Santa Fe PA-1 67L in 1948, it was acquired by Delaware & Hudson in 1967, and rebuilt by Morrison-Knudsen to PA-4 specs in August 1975. Acquired by Doyle McCormack in 2000 and transformed into a replica of Nickel Plate Road 190, this unit was purchased by Genesee Valley Transportation in 2023. —WRP Collection

A Decade of D&H Alco PAs

May 2023by Otto M. Vondrak/photos as noted

The main line of the Delaware & Hudson Railway stretched from Scranton, Pa., north through Binghamton, N.Y., skirting the western edge of the Catskill Mountains to Albany, and then north through the Champlain Valley to Montreal. While the foundation of the D&H was built on anthracite traffic, the railroad later developed its reputation as a bridge line hauler, connecting Canada and New England with New York and Pennsylvania.

Frederick “Buck” Dumaine became president of D&H in 1967. With the Expo67 World’s Fair in Montreal quickly approaching, D&H decided to upgrade its modest passenger service between Albany and Montreal. At the time, the daytime Laurentian and the overnight Montreal Limited were equipped with a mix of older heavyweight and lightweight cars hauled by Alco road switchers. Dumaine sent Chief Mechanical Officer Walter Travis west to Denver to inspect some Pullman-Standard streamlined equipment that Denver & Rio Grande Western had made available with its discontinuance of the Prospector and Royal Gorge.

Delaware & Hudson Alco PA

ABOVE: Leased D&H 18 leads a morning commuter run out of Boston South Station on October 18, 1977. —Jim Boyd photo, WRP Collection 

In October 1967, a deal was struck for five coaches, two diner-lounges, a buffet-lounge, three baggage cars, and a baggage-mail car. Cycled through the D&H shops at Colonie, N.Y., the cars quickly emerged in a beautiful Champlain Blue with yellow stripes. While they were striking paired with the similarly attired Alco RS-2s, Dumaine wanted something better for his pocket streamliner.

In December 1967, D&H purchased four Alco PA-1s from Santa Fe. A fifth unit was purchased from New Haven to use as a parts source. Wasting no time, the first PA out of the paint shop was D&H 18 (ex-Santa Fe 62), which made its debut the day after Christmas. D&H 19 (ex-AT&SF 66) was the second unit to enter service, at the end of December. The streamliner era had finally arrived on the D&H — about 30 years after it started for other railroads!

The Albany–Montreal route was not included in the initial Amtrak system, and so the Laurentian and Montreal Limited made their last runs in April 1971, and the PAs were stored. By this time, D&H and Erie Lackawanna were under common ownership of Dereco, a Norfolk & Western holding company. A set of PAs was sent to EL in Hoboken to test out in commuter service, but the set made only one trip before being returned to Colonie. Excursion operator Steam Tours Inc. of Akron, Ohio, leased 16 and 18, while 17 and 19 were sent to General Electric in Erie, Pa., to be used as trade-in credits on the next order of road diesels.

Delaware & Hudson Alco PA

ABOVE: Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority leased the four D&H Alco PAs in 1977 to cope with a motive power shortage. D&H 19 prepares to depart Boston South Station with a Framingham Line train on October 19, 1977.Jim Boyd photo, WRP Collection

During the era of Dereco control, D&H and EL shared joint management. Following the devastation of Hurricane Agnes in June 1972, control of the railroad returned to Albany and general counsel Carl Bruce Sterzing Jr. was sent to be president in July. A month after his arrival, all four Alco PAs were recalled to Colonie. With the company’s 150th anniversary coming up in 1973, Sterzing was prepared to operate a series of public excursions to tour the system and promote goodwill. Following the success of the Susquehanna Valley Special, more trips followed with the PAs leading the way. These runs quickly became a source of pride among employees…


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This article was posted on: April 19, 2023