RS-1, RS-2, RS-3

[b&m 1566]

Were any of RS-1's, 2's or 3's ever built short hood forward, or were they all long hood forward?

[tgibson]

I know that the last order of Southern Pacific RSD5s were built to run short hood forward, but I don't know of any RS3s so arranged.

[AVR Mark]

It appears that all the ATSF Alcos including the RS-2 (2099), all the RSD-4s, RSD-5s and RSD-7s were built to operate short hood forward.

Mark

[tgibson]

Hi,

Yep, you are correct. Not sure if the 2099 was built short hood forward, since it is ex Alco demo 1600 and then TP&W. But it was definitely so when in service with ATSF.

Turns out there at least one other RS unit built (or changed to) short hood forward operation.

NP: http://www.american-rails.com/images/In ... lls863.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[AVR Mark]

Looking at pictures of BNs (4081-4086) ex NP 1955 RS-3 order (857-862 made it to BN), it looks like all were built as or modified while still NP units to operate short hood forward. I think that it would be rather expensive to convert a unit after it was built, so the railroad would have to have a good reason to do so. A picture of Alco RSD-5 Demonstrator 1606, which became ATSF 2157, shows that it was built as short hood forward.

Mark

[b&m 1566]

Did any of these units come with duel controls?

[tgibson]

Hi,

A few that did:

N&W: http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/r ... ?2,1125068" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?2,357669" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
ATSF RS2: http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/r ... 11,3696297" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
CNJ: viewtopic.php?f=4&t=92714" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Engineer Spike]

I have a friend who was a B&M Connecticut River engineer. That line got most of the older power. He says that he hated the Alcos because of being long hood lead. At the same time, the contemporary EMD units were all ordered short hood lead. Who knows why the company would order one specification from one builder, and the opposite from the other.

Maybe EMD had short hood front standard, while Alco's standard was long hood. It may have been an extra cost option, which some companies may not have been willing to spend on.