Apparently Alcos also work well in some other non-railroad applications. NASA famously uses Alco prime movers for the giant rocket crawler/transporters from the Vehicle Assembly Building to the launch pads. Another situation where the engines would run at full-power (albeit at very, very slow speeds) for hours on end to go the three miles to the launch pads. So, what this discussion tells me is that the Achilles' heel of Alco engines is in running at constantly varying speeds, which is pretty much the definition of railroad application.

While they may still be popular on the rivers, They are being purged from harbor tugs like mad, the same can be said for an FM OP. I cant think of any tugs with Alco's in NY anymore. The last new Alco powered boat I can think of came out of the early 1990's.

Its not so much a matter of the engine - its having people that know them. The old adage of EMD, Every Mechanics Dream, is true. And even that now, is getting to change. Lots of operators are going with Cats these days for new builds.