Hey, number 1508 is alive and well on the Adirondack Scenic Railroad in Utica, New York! Kevin Kwiat's picture shows it is still displaying its colors as of 8/26/98.

The most recent issue of the Adirondack Railway Preservation Society says, "Locomotive 1508 joined the Adirondack Scenic Railroad in August of 1998 for service between Utica and Thendara. It was built by EMD in December 1953 for the Alaska Railroad. In the 1980's they sold it and eventually it made its way to Palmer, Massachusetts where it spent the last few years switching freight cars at the Palmer International Facility on the Massachusetts Central Railroad. Locomotive 1508 produces 1750 horse power with a 16 cylinder engine. It is a two stroke cycle engine with a bore and stroke of 8 1/2 inches X 10 inches, compression ratio, 16 to 1 with a max. speed of 800 RPMs. This locomotive is representative of early first generation diesel-electric locomotives that replaced steam power in the 1940s and 1950s. Commonly called F units or covered wagons, most were traded in or scrapped by the 1980s. Locomotive 1508 is a survivor that brings back an earlier time in American railroading. It is owned by TC Rail LLC and leased to ADCX."

[12/15/01] Bill Kaufman at MITEL adds, "For some news on our other power, we are repainting the ex-Alaska 1508 and ex-TP&W 1500 this winter. All I will say is they will appear in the spring with matching paint schemes. The 1508 is also in the process of receiving a 26NL brake upgrade. To keep the unit as historic as possible, we are leaving the EMD "can type" controller in place and just replacing the brake valves. (The 1500 was already upgraded by the TP&W. It received an EMD pre-Dash 2 style AAR control stand in the process.)"

Here are two more photos of #1508 on the Adironack Scenic Railroad: Photo #1 and Photo #2