I had to google it to make sure if this was the same Alco C-415 that I had the misfortune of operating on the friendly SP? It is.

What a godawful engine. Rollin Roberts the LA Division Road Foreman of Engines who hired me came up with the idea. The threory was that like a PE electric, it would have a center cab, making it easier to switch in both directions.

What a mistake. First by choosing Alco to build this unit, they ensured that up high in the center cab, you would spend at least 50% of the time inhaling notorious alco smoke coming straight into your face. Each nose was just long enough not to be able to see around to take signals from your crew. It also had a console in the middle that took up most of the cab. And, carefully located, at shin level, were steps that stuck out and tried to break your legs, while trying transit the cab, especially when dark in a consist, at night.

The 415's were heavy but had only a bb truck, and when switching without air, you could not stop ten cars on a 1% grade with the independent. Given they were Alco's they were slow to load and useless for kicking cars, too. They were simply awful compared with SW 1500's and SD-7's which were a dream to operate as switchers.

Train fans loved them. Hogheads hated them. But, oh the memories of my misspent youth....