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Diesel Locomotives

ALCO RS3, Phase III

 

 

Road#

 

 

Build

Date

 

 

 

Retirement
date

 

 

Comments

 

30

Nov. 1953

May 1974

Traded in to GE.  See note #1 and #2.

31

Nov. 1953

June 1976

Traded in to EMD.  See note #1 and #2.

32

Nov. 1953

June 1974

Traded in to GE.  See note #1 and #2.

33

Nov. 1953

Aug. 1976

Traded in to EMD.  See note #1 and #2.

34

Nov. 1953

Jan. 1974

Wrecked in Oct. 1973.  Traded in to EMD.  See note #1 and #2.

35

Nov. 1953

June 1976

Traded in to EMD.  See note #1 and #2.

36

Nov. 1953

June 1974

Traded in to GE.  See note #1 and #2.

37

Aug. 1952

Mar. 1970

Was the Alco demo unit #1607, painted in blue. Known as the blue goose to the Interstate crews testing her.  Sold to The Interstate in Nov. 1953.  Repainted in Interstate colors and given number 37.  Unit burned in Macon, Ga. in 1970.  Traded in to EMD.  See note #1 and #2.

38

Jan. 1956

Apr. 1974

Traded in to GE.  See note #1 and #3.

39

Jan. 1956

Apr. 1974

Traded in to GE.  See note #1 and #3.

  1. Repainted in late 1965 to Southern black scheme, but kept their original numbers and roadname.  Sometime in the early 1970's, they were re-lettered to Southern with the INT ownership markings on the cab sides.  The units kept their original number during their entire career.  I am not sure if number 37 was re-lettered to Southern, due to the fact of it's retirement in early 1970.

  2. Units #30 - #37 had a raised dynamic brake vent on the top of the short hood.

  3. Units #38 - #39 had a flat dynamic brake vent on the top of the long hood.


  All the Interstate locomotives were painted at the factory in the Orange-sicle paint scheme, except #37. See side bar on Demo #1607.  The roof and upper sides were a cream color.  The lower body, cab sides and cab roof were orange.  There was a gray stripe between the orange and the cream colors.  The lettering and the numbers were black. The numbers on the end in the gray band were not added until 1960.  The trucks and lower frame were silver. The pilots were black with yellow safety stripes.  The couplers and the coupler pockets were painted silver.

  All the RS-3's were build to MU together, but not with any other railroads units. This was due to the location of the MU connections.  The Interstate's hoses were half way up the handrails   After Southern bought the shortline, but before the takeover, they would borrow the units to work the Appalachia yard area.  They would be MU'ed together and a crew was assigned to them for the weekend.  The Southern crews would call them "Yellowjackets".   After the Southern takeover, the units were moved to the Atlanta shops for new paint.  They would spend the rest of their years working in Georgia and the Carolinas.  I don't believe they were ever reworked to MU with other units.


The information listed above was taken from book, "The Interstate Railroad" by Ed Wolfe. See reference section for more details.



Demo Units used on the Interstate

 

#1607......Alco RS3 Demonstrator.  Spring and summer of 1953.  The unit was dark blue with Alco and GE symbols on the cab side.  The Interstate crew called her the "Blue Goose", due to the sound of her horn.  This unit later became Interstate #37.  This unit was rebuild into a phase 3 at the Andover shops.  A new cab was fitted, along with  new wiring.  Dynamic brakes were added at this time. It was also wired for multi-unit use.

 

#991.........EMD SD7 Demonstrator.  Spring and summer of 1953.  This unit was maroon and red with gold stripes.  It had Electro-Motive on the long hood sides and the EMD symbol on the cab side.  The unit number was on the side of the short high hood. There was a winterization hatch on the first fan on the long hood.

 

#5584......Alco RSD5 C&O.  Spring and summer of 1953.  Alco borrowed this unit from C&O so the Interstate could try it out.  It was painted in the blue scheme with the yellow stripes.  The roadname was on the long hood, spelled out - Chesapeake & Ohio.