The P&W originally used diesels under the wire for their traffic that originated or was delivered to industries along the NE Corridor, but the new management preferred to only run motors under the wire. So after the original order of electro-diesels had spent a few years running a batch of locomotives for the P&W were ordered soon after the D&H’s AC/DC order.

ILW’s eco-654fe model has a pair of slightly more powerful diesels (Cummins QSK60s) powering it instead of the Cat 3512s that the DP1s used. AC/DC units, too, so they could be used for runthroughs from the NE Corridor, onto the CV, and up into Canada under PV&T wires.

In the late 2010s, TdM engineers looked at the sizes of the QSK78 and thought that if you can fit two QSK60s into an eco-p carbody you should be able to fit a (smaller) QSK78 into the same compartments as the originals. In 2021, one of the original DP2s was taken out of service at a scheduled overhaul to have the new prime movers (and some additional ventilation) installed.

ILW, being very interested in this bit of remanufacturing that came out of the shops across the road, then decided to build 4 new prototypes to test the locomotive market waters.

When the DP2B’s were built, the cooling system was rearranged to properly cool these slightly hotter prime movers, which then meant that all of the other components needed to be moved around to keep the engine balanced on its wheels. So what finally came off ILW’s construction floor were engines that if you were looking at them in very dim light and it was smokey you might mistake for a DL1.

The LT&L was happy to have these units doing their testing on LT&L rails, and after they had the bugs worked out and went out as demonstrators (other railroads were interested in the power they could produce, but would only place orders for hood units) purchased the 3 remaining prototypes (one had been wrecked during the demonstration tour.)

All of these units are now assigned to intermodal service on the LT&L/B&Q/CPR/OSW international route between St Johns & Chicago.