CLASSIC DIESEL LOCOS

The classic streamlined diesel locos of the 1950s are among the most beautiful machines ever created by mankind. The soulful sound of their mournful harmonic horns echoing in the distance, as they raced through the night, was a music that evoked thoughts and dreams of adventure and far away places. Photographed at RAILFAIR at the Danbury (CT) Railway Museum in 1998 and 2000, the pictures on these pages portray EMD and ALCO locomotives that inspired the imaginations of a generation of rail enthusiasts. Some of their hardy successors, road switchers such as the ALCO RS1 and EMD GP10, are also shown here as a part of the evolution of rail engines. The sleek AMD 103 'Genesis' locos represent the current era's re-invention of streamlining with a space-age influence. Who knows what the future holds, as we look back upon one of the grandest eras of magnificent machines.

**click photos for full size**
	Oh the glorious sound New Haven F7

The US Army Reserve's 'Ironhorse' 1205th Transportation Railway Operating Battalion is located in Middletown CT, USA. Its history dates back to the 1920s. During World War II, as the 729th Engineering Battalion, it landed on the beaches of France ten days after D-Day; rebuilding the freight yards of Cherbourg and operating the Antwerp freight terminal, it provided troop, passenger and freight transport following the Allied Invasion. As the 1205th, the unit supported Operation Desert Shield during the Persian Gulf war. Futher info is avialable from their weblink below.

This ALCO RS1, built in May 1948 in Schenectady, New York, was one of the first dual purpose road switchers designed for freight or passenger operations. The short end hood section houses a steam generator to provide heat for passenger cars.

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