Was just viewing my Pentrex video. Following the passenger train. In the power consist there is the blue/yellow A unit, a black/yellow B, and another blue/yellow B unit, followed by the HEP car, and so forth. The black/yellow B unit has me wondering. It's riding on AAR Type B trucks instead of the original (Blomberg?) equipment. My question- Why the old trucks off an ALCo? Boxcab E50
Could be that the unit was built as a trade-in on an older Alco. The Western Pacific had a large number of GE U-Boats that rode on EMD trucks because the WP traded most of their old F-units into GE for the new power. Could also be that the B-unit was re-built from something else at one time, and the Alco trucks were the only trucks available. Alaska also had a number of ex-US Army GP-9's that road on Alco road trucks. Hope this helps. JDLX Elko, NV
The B unit in question was not rebuilt. It did get some trucks of another unit, maybe an RS-1. I will have to look up the facts in my Alaska book. The Gp-9's were delivered with the type B road trucks and they did not come from alco's. Alaska also ended up with several of D&RGW's F units, when D&RGW was purging them from their roster. Greg
Greg- What is the book you are using for reference? Sounds like something I must add to my ever lengthening wish list. Or is there more than one book out there? A history of Alaska railroad companies in general would even be interesting. Boxcab E50
Ken, There are two books that I have that I’ve used for reference. The first is good, but not the most accurate. It is “Alaska’s Wilderness Rails, from the Taiga to the Tundra.” Ken C Brovald is the author. The second one that has more history and steam shots is “Rails Across the Tundra, A Historical Album of the Alaska Railroad,” by Stan Cohen. There are other books out there, one a two album set. I have yet to actually see on of those, and another that is mostly reading but very interesting. The names of both escape me at the moment. Greg
