Review

 This smooth-running model from Life-Like's Proto 1000 series nicely captures the distinctive looks of Alco's prewar DL-109 passenger diesel. The real DL-109, introduced in 1941, was Alco's answer to Electro-Motive's successful line of E units. Alco built just 69 of the 2,000-hp locomotives for seven railroads, but although the real DL-109s weren't popular, they have gained a strong following among railfans and modelers.

This ready-to-run model continues the Proto 1000 tradition, featuring molded-on (instead of separate) details but high-quality decorations and drive. The injection-molded styrene shell has most details cast in place, including handrails, grab irons, exhaust stacks, and grilles. Life-Like's Proto 2000 automatic knuckle couplers are mounted to the frame at each end.

The excellent paint and lettering quality rival Proto 2000 models, with sharply defined paint separations and nice detail in the Southern logo on our sample. The small CNO&TP lettering (for the Southern's Cincinnati, New Orleans & Texas Pacific subsidiary) on the side of our model is sharp and legible.

The model runs well, too. All 12 wheels are used for electrical pickup, and all six axles are powered. An enclosed five-pole, skew-wound motor with dual turned brass flywheels turns universal joints which drive gear towers above each truck. The model runs quietly, and speed control is quite smooth from a slow crawl through full speed. The heavy cast frame gives the model a lot of pulling power.

All wiring passes through a circuit board atop the frame, so although there's no provision for a plug-in DCC decoder, adding one wouldn't be difficult.

Life-Like's model scales out well compared to drawings published in the "Model Railroader Cyclopedia - Vol. 2, Diesel Locomotives." The overall dimensions check out, and the nose contours look good. The major external difference among the real locomotives was the headlight's appearance. The nose details on each railroad's DL-109s varied slightly, and some had double headlights while others had a single. The model is available only with the single headlight, and with contour lines running down the nose it most closely resembles that of the prototype Santa Fe DL-109. Short of making seven different versions of the model, there wasn't much Life-Like could do about this.

The model is a scale 75 feet long, but it will still go around curves as tight as an 18-inch radius. The model will look (and operate) much better on broader curves.

Road names on the model match the prototype railroads that purchased real DL-109s and road numbers match too.

This is a solid, smooth-running model with good painting and lettering.and is an excellent addition to the Proto 1000 line.