Actually, best forum would be The Ready Track, since it pertains to no railroad in particular. This forum here is best for talking with RR employees and hearing their stories.
I always thought the Alcoswere a pile of junk. I do believe they put a scoop of gravel in the crankcase each morning. I ran a lot of Santa Fe 2300's on the old Harbor Belt Line and they were a pain in the neck. The engines ran so rough that it would jiggle the throttle open if you didn't watch it.