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The ALCO PA-1/PB-1 was a 2,000 horsepower diesel locomotives built to haul passenger trains. Built between September 1946 and June 1950 . The locomotives were built in Schenectady, New York, in the United States by a partnership of the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) and General Electric (GE) between June 1946 and December 1953. Designed by General Electric's Ray Patten (along with their ALCO FA cousins), they were of a cab unit design; both cab-equipped lead A unit PA and cabless booster B unit PB models were built. While externally the PB models were slightly shorter than the PA model, they shared many of the same characteristics, both aesthetically and mechanically. However, they were not as reliable as EMD E-units.  ALCO's designation of P indicates that they were geared for higher speeds and passenger use, whereas the F designation marks these locomotives as being geared primarily for freight use. However, beyond this their design was largely similar - aside from the PA/PB's both being larger A1A-A1A types with an even more striking nose - and many railroads used PA and FA locomotives for both freight and passenger service.

Horsepower Wheel Arrangement Gearing Weight Tractive Effort DRGW Class Builder
6000 (2000/unit) A1A-A1A 64:19 919980* 147792* DE A1A-A1A 49 ALCO
Weight & tractive effort for ABA set. Extra water capacity added to each unit, 10/1948.
Final
Road #
Original
Road #
Locomotive
Model
Builder # Purchased Retired Notes
6001 600A PA1 74648 1/1947 7/20/1967 Renumbered from 600A, 3/13/1950
To Precision Engineering Company, Mt. Vernon, IL, 7/20/1967, scrapped
253 600B PB1 74702 2/1947 8/16/1965 Renumbered 6002 from 600B, 3/31/1950
Converted to steam generator car #253, 10/1965
6003 600C PA1 74685 2/1947 7/20/1967 Renumbered from 600C, 3/13/1950
To Precision Engineering Company, Mt. Veron, IL, 7/20/1967, scrapped
6011 601A PA1 74686 4/1947 12/20/1967 Renumbered from 601A, 3/6/1950
Trade in to EMD on SD45, 12/20/1967
252 601B PB1 74703 4/1947 5/10/1965 Renumbered from 601B, 3/6/1950
Converted to steam generator car #252, 7/1965
6013 601C PA1 74687 4/1947 7/20/1967 Renumbered from 601C, 3/6/1950
To Precision Engineering Company, Mt. Vernon, IL, 7/20/1967, scrapped

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