Steam & Excursion > Platypus On The Loose

Union Pacific has "The Living Legend."

The Virginia Museum of Transportation has "The Spirit of Roanoke."

This past weekend, the Monticello Railway Museum officially loosed a Platypus... former Chicago & Illinois Midland #31.  Lettered for C&IM successor Illinois & Midland, the RS1325 is one of only two of the model to be built.

Okay, I'm not one for nicknames such as referenced above.  However, I woke up the other morning and the platypus analogy was bouncing around in my mind in that half-asleep state.  And why not?  Isn't the legendary egg laying, bill sporting mammal a good mascot for what is the end result of cross-breeding an SW1200 and a GP18?  Just as long as there isn't a duck-billed decal under the cab window when the locomotive eventually gets a vintage C&IM paint job.

Anyway, let's welcome #31 to the ranks of preserved diesels with these three photos taken on Sunday during Monticello's Railroad Days.

Mary McPherson
Dongola, IL
Diverging Clear Productions

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A few more photos from this past weekend.  The passenger train was handled by Canadian National FPA4 #6789 on Saturday and by Wabash F9A #1189 on Sunday.

Mary McPherson
Dongola, IL
Diverging Clear Productions

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On Saturday, #31 handled the "mixed" train while Illinois Central GP11 #8733 handled a freight consist.  The two locomotives were turned after the close of the day's activities Saturday, and they swapped consists for Sunday.

Mary McPherson
Dongola, IL
Diverging Clear Productions

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One final view as #31 and the freight consist departs downtown Monticello for the museum grounds outside of town.

Good things are happening in Central Illinois!

Mary McPherson
Dongola, IL
Diverging Clear Productions

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Truly superior set!
Bob

Looks like a modelers attempt to re-create an NW-5 from available parts.

Why would they do that?

-LD

The model was apparently designed so that steam heating equipment could be installed for use as a passenger switcher.  Of course the only two built were purchased for freight service and didn't have this feature.

Go figure...

Mary McPherson
Dongola, IL
Diverging Clear Productions

Nice shots of some very classic power!  That fourth shot is an absolute beauty.  Great job!!

MaryMcPherson Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Union Pacific has "The Living Legend."
>
> The Virginia Museum of Transportation has "The
> Spirit of Roanoke."
>
> This past weekend, the Monticello Railway Museum
> officially loosed a Platypus... former Chicago &
> Illinois Midland #31.  Lettered for C&IM
> successor Illinois & Midland, the RS1325 is one of
> only two of the model to be built.
>
> Okay, I'm not one for nicknames such as referenced
> above.  However, I woke up the other morning and
> the platypus analogy was bouncing around in my
> mind in that half-asleep state.  And why not? 
> Isn't the legendary egg laying, bill sporting
> mammal a good mascot for what is the end result of
> cross-breeding an SW1200 and a GP18?  Just as
> long as there isn't a duck-billed decal under the
> cab window when the locomotive eventually gets a
> vintage C&IM paint job.
>
> Anyway, let's welcome #31 to the ranks of
> preserved diesels with these three photos taken on
> Sunday during Monticello's Railroad Days.

Pretty confident that’s me standing in the cab in photo 2. My son was riding in the other seat. I never thought about the RS1325’s having dual control stands until we got up in the cab. Our engineer (Jim?) called it a “jackrabbit” for being so responsive

Posted from iPhone



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/21/21 17:01 by Spoony81.

LarryDoyle Wrote:

> Why would they do that?

The RS1325 appears in some EMD ads in old issues of Trains Magazine.  The earliest, on page 12 of the September 1959 issue, introduces it as part of "The most significant development in motive power since 1945..." (when EMD brought out the F3). EMD was rolling out two new lines of locomotives: the turbocharged GP-20 and SD-24, and the non-turbocharged RS-1325, GP-18, and SD-18 (the ad used hyphens between the letters and numbers in all of the locomotive model designations).  The artist's rendition of the RS1325 shows it with a higher, squarer short hood than the one used on the two production units, complete with a steam generator stack against the cab.  The caption says, "RS-1325: Completely new model in the General Motors line.  Unit was specially designed with steam generator and "Flexi-coil" trucks for branch line, terminal, and suburban service.  12-cylinder 567D-1 engine provides 1325hp."

EMD trotted out the complete line again in small graphics at the bottom of an ad for the SD24 on page 15 of the November 1959 issue, using the same artist's rendition of the "RS-1325." They used the same graphics again at the bottom of a two-page ad on pages 6 and 7 of the January 1960 issue, which mainly touted the results of applying the "maintenance saving features" of the new line to a group of UP F9's, and in subsequent page 6-7 ads for the GP20 in the April 1960 issue, the GP18 in the June 1960 issue, "Locomotive replacement on the MoPac" in the August 1960 issue, and the GP20 again in the September 1960 issue.  The locomotive replacement ad can be seen here:

https://waidephoto.smugmug.com/Trains/Vintage-Railroad/i-nFSLgrH/A

The RS1325 and the SD18 never got their own ads in Trains.  "SD" still meant special duty in 1960, and the SD18 wasn't exactly a hot seller, but I can go along with the RS1325 as the platypus.  In terms of sales, it definitely laid an egg.

Nice pics!!