Newbuild ALCOs

[alconut]

I think especially with the amount of work and money that would go into said projects I'd have no problem and would encourage ways to make things more feasible. I'd much rather have a project come to fruition with welded trucks instead of casted if that meant that the project would actually happen for instance. The sad reality is we can't go back and just transport much of this stuff to the present time so I think we just do the best we can. And in ALCO's case anything that helps bring ALCO's legacy to future generations is a huge win to me.

[Allen Hazen]

In the past, welded truck frames seem not to have been as durable as cast. (When Victorian Railways in Australia got its first A-7 locomotives -- this is basically a slightly elongated F-7 on what are roughly SD trucks -- cast truck frames were initially unobtainable, so EMD's Australian licensee provided welded trucks, with a warning that they would have to be replaced after a few years: they were, in fact, replaced with cast trucks later.) But perhaps this is less of an issue now: welding (and weld inspection) technology have surely advanced in the past half century! (Usual disclaimer: I'm not an engineer, just a rail fan. If someone who actually KNOWS about these things disagrees with my speculations… please let me know!)
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Mind you, if the "extinct species" you wanted to revive was the FM/GE "Erie Built" instead of the Dl-109, welded trucks might be authentic: some Eries had cast trucks similar enough to those of an Alco PA's to be used under Doyle McCormick's restored PA, but others had a GE designed welded-fram truck that… looks like nothing else, but seems to have been, mechanically, similar to an inside-out version of EMD's E-unit truck!

[mtuandrew]

Ooh, an Erie-built would be cool to have, and you could build it with a dual-fuel 9-38D8⅛ (FM doesn't make the 10 cylinder anymore) engine to meet emissions. I know it'd be a small price to pay for a new Erie-Built, but the welded trucks are kind of hideous, haha.

As for welded trucks, the Gennies have them, but you'll recall that they also had issues with cracks a few years back. Probably an Amtrak issue more than a GE/Vossloh (supplier) issue though. I've only done a little welding and only know a bit more, but suffice to say that welding and heat treatment have come a long way since the 1950s.