LIRR #200 C420 with new unit arrival banner (HELLO! I AM THE FIRST OF 21 DIESELS COMING YOUR WAY!) eastbound at Pinelawn Station view W 12/11/1963
This is one of only two eastbound trains on the main line that still carried baggage at that time: #246 which terminated at Ronkonkoma and #204 which terminated at Greenport.
In the last years of baggage handling, they only carried newspapers. (Dave Keller archive and data)

LIRR train #606 (right) has L-1 #213 and train #623 has L-1 #211 meet at W. Pulaski Rd., Huntington Station  8/17/70 Photo: Richard F. Makse

 
C420 #226 short hood  Photo/Archive: Joe Tischner

LIRR #200 as delivered (note: fuel tanks) at Mineola eastbound passing under Mineola Blvd.
View NE 12/11/1963  Photo: Robert B. Dunnet Archive: John Scala

 
Overhead shot of an RS1 #464 and the new Alco C420 #213, 216, 220 engines in Morris Park 5/1965 Note the paint scheme on the C420s has the orange stripe extending up to the radiator fan  Photo: Vincent Alvino Archive: Arthur Erdman   Note: C420 roof horn locations and smoke deflectors added. Info: Al Castelli
 

LIRR Road No.	Qty	ALCO Builder No.	Build Date
200-203	4	84722-84725	12/63
204	1	84726	1/64
205-207	3	84727-84729	2/64
208	1	84779	2/64
209, 210	2	84780, 84781	3/64
211-214	4	84782-84785	4/64
215-220	6	84786-84791	5/64
221	1	3384-01	7/64
222-229	8	6006-01/-08	8/68

#200-204 were delivered without the smoke deflectors (and #200-203 delivered with the smaller 900/1100 fuel/water capacity tanks). The deflectors were added by the LIRR on these units, and the rest were delivered with them. I'm not sure if they were the same design on the L1s & L2s. I've never seen detail shots of those on the L1s, but it would make sense as Alco used the same design. (The tanks were also modified by the LIRR to the larger capacity ones with the familiar bulge on the initial units.) Photos/Info: Al Castelli

LIRR #222 Farmingdale 08/31/85
 

LIRR C420 #200 Chemical Bank Trust Stencil on the fuel tank (as delivered), 
Morris Park shop 03/14/64 (Votava-Keller)

'Diesels of the Sunrise Trail' Author : John Scala page 44.
"... #200 12/1963.....modified by Morris Park... #207 (built 2/1964) "...the 207 has the deflectors at the top of the long hood to keep smoke away from the cab.." Photo: 11/01/1967 John Scala text..."

Folks: Based on all the above:
1. Smoke deflectors 
2. Added by Morris Shops
3. Not a standard Alco option
4. Not employed by other railroads
5. Perhaps, didn't work that well, thus no further use by LIRR or any other railroad in USA
6. Due to LHF (long hood forward), a stop gap that perhaps failed... Steven Lynch

First thing, my understanding is that running the locomotives LHF was a company preference, not a safety decision. According to copies of documents from ALCO that I have, the short hood of the Century (Cxxx) and Road Switcher (RSx) series was touted as being equally protective in a head-end collision. I am not sure I completely buy into this, so it is possible that the LIRR did not either, but I was under the impression that the influx of steam-era guys in management and engine service influenced the decision to have the C420 set-up for LHF operation.

                            LIRR #203 Ronkonkoma Photo: Steve Hoskins

Second, I am 90% sure that the LIRR added the smoke deflectors. ALCO did not intend these to be used as commuter engines; the smoke kicking up at the start of a freight run was not a huge inconvenience, but when the engine would be revved up dozens of times from a dead stop on just one run on the LIRR, it became unbearable in the cab. To paraphrase what a former employee told me, the LIRR saw the deflectors as the quickest solution to the smoke problem. It wasn't a huge help at start-up because of the reasons Al states, but it was enough to lift a fair amount of smoke up and over the cab and make the situation manageable. Info: Kyle Mullins 

1) Throttle-idle position
2) Dynamic Brake handle-locked out not used
3) Automatic Brake valve-train brake
4) Independent Brake valve-full applied position
5) Head Light switch-rear
6) Head Light switch-front
7) Bell valve
8) Console Light
9) Manual sander valve
10) Console Light
11) Emergency fuel cut off switch
12)  Switches-Control-battery-generator field-fuel pump
13) Reverser
14) Air brake gauge-Main Res/Equalizing res
15) Air Brake gauge-Brake pipe/Brake cylinder
16) Air Brake gauge-Supression air
17) Air Brake gauge-Timing Air
18) Amp gauge-Traction
19) Two Horn chains encased in rubber hose-city/country⁽¹⁾
20) Brake pipe regulating valve
21) ABVCOC (Automatic Brake Valve Cut-Out Cock)
22) Independent brake regulating valve
23) MU2a valve-multiple unit/lead-dead

ALCO C420 control stand c.1968 (Jay Bendersky-Robert Anderson)

C420 #200 Alco Industries builder photo as delivered 900/1100 fuel/water capacity tanks.

 
C420 #200 new banner - Ronkonkoma
12/1963 Archive: Dave Morrison

#200 Oyster Bay 1972
Photo/Archive: Richard Glueck

C420 #200 Morris Park Shops 3/14/64 Photo/Archive: Ralph A. Shelhamer

The 1951 Nathan catalog M3R1
Click for recording courtesy of 
Ed Kaspriske's Horns Inc.

Here you see the Morris Park Shop modifications on #201 and #202: The larger 1,100 gal. fuel tank, black numbers on a white marker board, and the added smoke deflectors.

C420 #203 as delivered 900/1100 fuel/water capacity Dunton Tower, Morris Park 1964

LIRR C420 pair #221 #206 Montauk "Run around Move" 07/1971 Trainman still wearing old gray uniform.
Info/Photo: Dave Keller archive

C420 #224 Morris Park 1976

C420 #224 new repaint - Oyster Bay 1976 Archive: Dave Morrison

 
C420 #227, #229 Smithtown

#228 Greenvale 10/22/1979
Photo/Archive: Paul DeLuca

Editor’s note: The following is part 2 of a two part series. We ran part 1 in the last edition of the RPO. Both parts of this story were originally run in the Sep/Oct. and the Nov/Dec. editions of the RPO in 1996. Please note that the whereabouts of the former LIRR C-420’s listed in this article were factual in 1996 but may not be factual today.  

When the LIRR brought the L-1’s to the island, it spelled the end of the Fairbanks-Morse era on the railroad. What goes around comes around, because in 1976, the LIRR started to take delivery of EMD GP 38-2’s. This was the beginning of the end for the C420’s. In 1977, EMD MP-15AC’s and SW -1001’s arrived on the property and that was the final nail in the coffin for the L-1’s. The L-2’s miraculously survived into the late 1980' s.

The C420’s as a group wore different paint schemes over the years. From grey and orange, to blue and yellow, to the blue and white wave scheme to match the GP 38’s to the handsome bicentennial wave scheme of the famous LIRR President Francis Gabreski era.

I must admit that I had an unhealthy appreciation for these hulking Alcos. There was always something that increased the adrenaline flow when I saw a C420 rumble by. The earth trembled, black smoke belched forth, it was something I will always remember. On a quiet night, I could hear the C420’s idling in the Ronkonkoma yards. Even the sound of an Alco 251 engine, was like music to my ears. I was so attached to these engines, I could tell the difference in the sound of these engines from the rest of the fleet.

As the lease on the L-1's were about to expire, the LIRR felt that to continue to lease the engines was too costly a proposition, so they were removed from the property, and replaced by a fleet of aging GP-7’s and 9’s, from Precision National and Bangor & Aroostook Railroad.

In September of 1989, I was lucky enough to ride, photograph and video the last trip in passenger service of the C420’s. The Morris Park forces had the 225 and 229 looking great for the fan trip that day. The highlight of the trip came at the Clinton Avenue grade crossing for a final photo run by. The engineer was given the OK and he loaded the engines up to send plumes of glorious Alco smoke into the sky.

They are all gone now, just a memory. Besides working on Long Island, the engines did, but briefly leave the island. In 1964, units 207 and 208 were loaned briefly to the New Haven Railroad. The Delaware & Hudson leased many different C420’s over the years. The 223 was leased to Metro-North for work train service. Metro-North even thought about acquiring the L-2 fleet, but the units were too high to work the tunnels of Park Avenue.

You may ask whatever happened to the C420’s. Some survived the scrapper's torch and are still in operation, one in New York State.

When the lease on the Alcos expired, 200-209 were shipped to the Delaware and Hudson’s Colonie Shops. Number 208 was sent to Morrison-Knudsen in Boise, Idaho. Numbers 210-221 went to the Morristown & Erie. Soon afterward the final fate was sealed and the engines were sold off all over North America.  200 was sent to Delaware and now operates on the Livonia, Avon & Lakeville RR.  201 & 202 were Sold to M-K and used on the Vermont Northern RR.  203, 205  & 207 went to Trans Action Lines and were used on the Erie-Western RR (205: 09/26/77 first run). 204, 210 & 221 were sold to DMV, and leased to Virginia & Maryland. 206, 210-216, 218 & 219 were sold to the Roberval & Saguenay RR in Canada.  208 was sold to M-K then later used on the Detroit & Mackinac.  217 & 220 were sold to Naporano Iron & Metal in Newark, New Jersey.

The L2’s lasted until the late 1980’s. As I mentioned before, 225 and 229 ran a fan trip in 1989. After that trip, the L2’s were seen in work train service, most notably on the Port Jefferson branch. Shortly after that, one of the engines developed severe trouble with either the trucks, wheels or traction motors, and the decision was not to incur the expense of repairing the problem. Also, Alco parts were getting very hard to come by. I have been told that 222-229 were all sold to Naporano Iron & Metal of Newark New Jersey.  Naporano resold the engines to a South American country.

The units which went to the Roberval & Saguenay RR in Quebec are all still in operation. Several of them have had their high short hoods chopped down, others have not received this disfigurement. Hopefully they will not. Hi-Ball productions of New Hampshire has a video on the Roberval & Saguenay, and I recommend this tape if you would like to see these ex-LIRR units in action.

The Arkansas & Missouri run almost exclusively C420’s. None to my knowledge are of LIRR heritage. The Livonia, Avon & Lakeville RR in upstate New York is running ex-LIRR #200. The policy of LA&L is to number the engine according to the model. Hence, it has been renumbered 420. They also have a C425, and its number is, you guessed it...425.

Ex-LIRR 221 eventually made it from the Virginia & Maryland to the New York, Susquehanna & Western. The NYS&W renumbered her 2002 and 230. Rumor has it this engine is somewhere in or around Buffalo, and is owned by a private owner. {Editor's Note: As of press time, it has been learned this locomotive has been purchased by Buffalo Southern #2010}

After retirement on the LIRR, the C420's saw service on the railroads named above. However, some units went on to live even fuller lives.

 The 201, 204, 217 and 220 worked on the Mexican Railway system. The 207 went from the Erie Western to become 101 on the Little Rock & Western. The 201,202 and 204 were used by Morrison-Knudsen on the Vermont Northern. Number 202 was later resold to P. V. Commodity Ltd. in Calgary, Canada. The 207 worked the Green Bay yards on the Green Bay & Western.

In 1976, a new person in charge of the fleet came from the Milwaukee Road, which sported an all-EMD fleet. Besides at this time ALCO had ceased to exist since 1969. LIRR/MTA management switched to GP 38-2’s, MP-15AC’s, and SW-1001’s as the ALCO fleet was aging. The 252 was the only GP 38-2 to be delivered in bicentennial colors, and was almost exactly the same as the bicentennial engines of the Milwaukee Road. 

The question arises as to the C420 plows, as delivered or added later, and the provider: ALCO, OEM after market, or built by the LIRR Morris Shops:

C420 L-1 #200-209 delivered without plows. Info: Richard Glueck

C420 L-1 #210-221 and L-2 #222-229 equipped with plows as delivered by ALCO. Info: "Diesels of the Sunrise Trail" by John Scala

With the exception of #226 they appeared to be permanent and never removed.  #226 has numerous photos in the MTA delivered scheme, red strip scheme, and the blue/white wave with and without the plow. Research: Al Castelli
  
Note: C420 ALCO #211 builder photo with the plow. (see left column) 
ALCO #225 has an ALCO builders photo with the plow. (unconfirmed)

Question: Why plows on RS-3's and not heavier C420's?

Answer #1: The heavier an engine is, the less it needs a plow to get thru the snow buildup. Example: Our GE center cabs are dead meat in winter if not run thru snow as it falls to clear tracks; our GP9's will shove thru anything we've had in 25 years without a plow. We have a plow on one end of one GP9, and one end of one GE center cab 44-tonner. But we keep the RR open by running patrol trains when it snows, so really don't count on the plows for much beyond clearing the berms piled up by the hiway plows at crossings. 

Answer #2: Greenport trains of 1 or 2 cars usually drew an RS3, not a 420. Greenport trip had many places with deep snow piles (cuts). So, why not put a plow on a few RS3s to protect the Main Line service which didn't see 420s much??

No proof for any of this, just pure speculation guided by experience digging out engines in the snow (just GE's, never big EMD's or Alcos!). Info: Art Single

Question: When you ran on LI, in the winter snows, did it make much difference whether you had an engine equipped with a plow, or not?" 

Answer: "Never had much thought on plow on loco's. Basically same as you about grade crossings. I did run many MU's on snow patrol to keep third rail clear. One most remembered is West Hempstead Branch. After making about seven round trips from WH to Valley Stream (4.7 miles) if sleet or snow was forecast you had to pick a 12 car train in yard and make three more trips until morning trains ran. This was manual block track so you had to get running orders as an extra train for this plus flag about three grade crossings as watchmen were done after last ran. Patrol trains were ran in third rail areas also." Info: Mark Smith

We have a plow on one end of one GP9, and one end of one GE center cab 44-tonner. But we keep the RR open by running patrol trains when it snows, so really don't count on the plows for much beyond clearing the berms piled up by the hi-way plows at crossings. 

SO not much reliance on plows for the most part, apparently; except at grade crossings to ease the crunch going over to the other side. Patrol trains take care of removing the snow while it's still powdery or at least not yet set up into one solid block of ice. Not much has changed in 50 years! Info: Art Single

In early 1976 through 1977, the Delaware and Hudson found itself with an ever increasing need for extra motive power.  This was due to the newly aquired trackage rights that was brought on by the formation of Conrail. 

In March of 1976 and then later in September of that year - the D&H Shops at Colonie, NY were used to store several High Hood ALCO C-420's that were being returned back to their original owner, the Railway Traction Company - as their leases had expired from the Long Island Railroad.  Seizing the opportunity to gain more ALCO Motive Power, the D&H leased several of these units for their own use in 1977.  All of the locomotives were quickly pressed into service - still wearing their MTA paint scheme, and keeping their original 200-series road numbers - while only receiving a small D&H Shield on the sides of the cab to signify their new operator.  As these locomotives did not have dynamic brakes, they were mostly used in the northern divisions of the railroad, where the terrain was not quite so mountainous.  And their tenure on the Delaware and Hudson was indeed a short one, as by the end of 1977 - all the units were either sold off or leased to other railroads. LIRR 200-209 received 1/1977 and sold/returned 12/1977. Research: The Bridge Line Historical Society

Units ex-LIRR #200-221 owned by Rail Traction Corp and on lease to D&H 1976-1977. A number of units later sold and were not sequentially re-numbered into the R&S roster as follows: 

206 40 Sold to Benoit Girard Metal Co Scrapped
209 33 Sold to Benoit Girard Metal Co Scrapped
211 41 In Scranton, PA as a parts source for the Delaware Lackawanna
212 37 Scrapped by Roberval & Saugernay (R&S)
214 34 Scrapped by R&S
215 35 Scrapped by R&S
216 36 Sold to Benoit Girard Metal Co Scrapped
217 Mexico with the 201, 204, and the 220
218 38 Scrapped by R&S
219 39 Scrapped by R&S

200 is now (LA&L) Livonia, Avon & Lakeville #420, Lakeville, NY, operational  in service 1995
Photo: Lakeville Yard Bulk Transfer Facility
Lakeville, NY 3/09/2023T
Photo/Archive: Tim Darnell

As this was shot in October, 1976, it was off Long Island and probably in transit to McCormack Sand & Gravel.  Dave Keller
Lineage: LI #211,  VLIX #41,  DL #41,  DH #211

ex-LIRR #211  VLIX #41 at Delaware Lackawanna shops, Scranton, PA. It may have been heavily vandalized,  now owned by Delaware Lackawanna.
Paul Strubeck 7/2008

Delaware Lackawanna #41 at Scranton, PA shops as part of Genesee Valley Transportation Company (GVT Rail) 11/12/2016  Photo/Archive: Tim Darnell

213 Dakota Southern RR  #213, operational, needs wheel work. 213 was supposed to have a truck swap with an EMD, which would lower it to the standard 70 mph. I assume they did or planned to do this to take advantage of the famous Alco acceleration capability. Info from Nicholas Todd.

North American Car Corp., ex-Dakota Southern, ex-LIRR C420 #213  Photo: c.1986+

D&H ex-LIRR  #219, RS3M  #1976 Oneonta Hump 08/01/1977 Archive: Randy Kotuby

D&H ex-LIRR  #219, RS3M  #1976 08/01/1977 Archive: Randy Kotuby

D&H (two ex-LIRR) C420 #219 and unknown, two D&H C628, two D&H-U33C units Photo: 4/1977
LIRR #219 to R&S #39 (Roberval & Saguenay)  1978, 1988 wrecked, scrapped 1992 Research: Tim Darnell

ex-LIRR #221 - Buffalo Southern #2010  Gowanda, NY  7/07/2001 Photo:  Scot Lawrence 

C420 #222, the first of the second batch of C420s was withdrawn from service 1/21/88.
 

200 is now (LA&L) Livonia, Avon & Lakeville #420, Lakeville, NY, operational in service 2019 Photo: Lakeville Yard Bulk Transfer Facility  Info: Tim Darnell
201 D&H ex-LIRR #201 unknown
202 scrapped
203 scrapped
204 scrapped 220 in Mexico, going to museum, scrapped 204 parts to go for 220 08/2008
205 scrapped
206  #40 scrapped Benoit Girard Metal Co
207 scrapped, used for parts. 1989 Photo: William S. Smith, Sr. C420 #207 LR&W #101 is scrapped, used for parts.
208 scrapped
209 #33 scrapped Benoit Girard Metal Co
210 scrapped Went to the Virginia & Maryland RR with 221, 210 sunk on a carfloat & was scrapped. Info: Tim Darnell
211 #41 In Scranton, PA as a parts source for the Delaware Lackawanna
212 #37 scrapped by Roberval & Saugernay (R&S)
213 Dakota Southern RR #213, stored, needs wheel work and a traction motor
214 #34 scrapped by R&S
215 #35 scrapped by R&S
216 #36 scrapped Benoit Girard Metal Co
217 Mexico with the 201, 204, and the 220
218 #38 scrapped by R&S
219 #39 scrapped by R&S
220 Mexican museum, scrapped 204 parts to go for 220
221 NYS&W #260 Buffalo 6/1987 Went to the Virginia & Maryland RR with 210. Buffalo Southern #2010 Gowanda, NY 7/07/2001