Historic Photo! New York Central Railroad Alco model FA-2 cab unit diesel locomotive. Detroit Michigan USA circa mid 1960's. From the internet.

I spotted this historic 1960's era railroad photograph while surfing the internet recently.

The American Locomotive Company of Scenectedy New York also known as Alco, originally built steam locomotives for America's railroads. Alco was also one of the first companys to introduce diesel electric locomotives begining during the 1930's.

After World War Two had ended in 1945, many of North America's railroads were in a hurry to modernize their operating locomotive fleets, and steam locomotives were definately on the way out.

Alco introduced the FA series of freight service cab unit diesels during the mid 1940's. Although successful at first, the FA's eventually were prone to any number of mechanical difficulties. The New York central operated this early replacer of steam locomotives until the merger with the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1968, wich had created the Penn central Railroad. The Penn central didn't want the Alco FA's inherited through merger and retired them pronto.

This locomotive is viewed at a servicing facility in Detroit Michigan during it's final years of service with the New York Central Railroad.

The American Locomotive Company went out of business in 1969.