Chicago & Northwestern
RSD5 1667 and brothers smoke it up on the Plains at Vayland, SD on 9/6/75.
RSD5's were used on this line because the C-C trucks spread the weight
of the locomotives out over more wheels on this lightly built line, but gave
good pulling power at low speeds. They were doing about 20 mph when
this photo was taken, but had about 80 cars in tow. The leading engine
is a relatively late RSD5, with square carbody filters on the sides
of the long hood instead of vertical rows of small louvers. Note the
second engine is a "hammerhead" RSD5, with an extra-height short hood, usually
provided to house both a steam generator and dynamic brake.
CNW RS2 53 arrives at Tracy,
MN on 9/6/75. RS2's can be distinguished from RS1's by the round edges
of the cab, and from RS3's by the lack of a battery box on the walkway ahead
of the cab (batteries were placed between the trucks, while the standard
fuel tank was immediately under the cab).
Southern Ry. (sublettered
Central of Georgia) RS3 140 at Macon, GA on 6/29/73 (the other loco is an
F3!). Note the battery box ahead of the cab that distinguishes an RS3
from an RS2, and the fuel tank is now between the trucks. Note that
this is an early RS3, with vertical rows of louvers on the long.hood.
Spokane, Portland and Seattle
(BN) RS3 4056 at Albany, OR in 7/72. Another example of an early RS3
(most RS3's built had this carbody style). RS3's were built from 5/50
until 2/57, when production shifted to the RS11.
Toledo, Peoria and Western
RS2 205 in old colors at the shop at East Peoria, IL on 9/3/76. Note
the lack of battery box on the walkway, as well as the presence of a fuel
fill on the side of the cab, indicating that the fuel tank is directly under
the cab, both spotting features of the RS2. RS2's were built from 10/46
until 5/50, when Alco switched to RS3's.
TP&W RS2 206 in newer colors
at Chenoe, IL (crossing of TP&W and GM&O) on 9/7/71. The hoods
of RS2's were 1 foot narrower than RS3 hoods, and thus could not be easily upgraded
with 251 engines, either in the same carbody (as GBW did to produce RS3u's (RS20's)),
or with an RS11 carbody (see C&NW 1667 in the 251 RS/RSD's section).
Utah Railway RSD4 303 at
the shops at Martin, UT on 6/2073. As far as I know RSD4's and RSD5's
are identical (the RSD5 has a larger traction generator), but early RSD4's
had a different version of the Trimount truck, with the longer drop equalizer
having a shorter horizontal length between the wheels, due to a long diagonal
portion. Sometime during production, RSD4's switched to the truck design
that was used for the rest of the RSD4's and all RSD5's. This RSD4
has the later trucks, but some earlier UTAH RSD4's have the earlier truck..
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