| Posted by Sid Vaught on February 10, 2026 | |
FM might have done better if they had put some better stacks on their units. These things were gassy. Don’t get me wrong. I do love the smell of diesel smoke in the morning.
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| Posted by Konrad Weiss on February 11, 2026 | |
They received little or no maintenance because they were such a small group. Most of the prime movers ended up on tug boat plying the Mississippi, and Illinois rivers. If FM had used an electrically assisted turbo charger they would have out performed any machine out there. As it was they lasted over 20 years with little shop time. FM was handicapped by the Navy department's insistence that all OP engines be built to navy specs just in case of emergency. This required a lot of unneeded ancillary equipment locomotives did not need. My father was a engineer for FM and developed the multiple engine controls shared by FM, ALCO, LHB. Interesting fact is ALCO and FM prime movers are now built in the same factory in Beloit WI the home of FM. Last irony is GE is now owned by Westinghouse successor and GM is out of the locomotive business.
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