Nostalgia & History > Big Blue Monday, Alco RS-3's

Mix of early Conrail Alco RS3's (and one RS2) in various locations.

1.  Former Lehigh Valley RS2 214 at the old CNJ Elizabethport yard, July 18, 1976

2.  1564 was a former Reading unit the CNJ bought in 1974.  E'Port shops, November 1976.

3.  One of the CNJ's freight only RS-3's (1700-1709) sits in the former Reading yard at Port Reading, NJ.  August 1, 1976.
 

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4.  Re-engined and classified as a RS-3m, 9939 sits at the E'Port shops, January 30, 1980.

5.  A few years later these units would become scrap fodder.  A long line sits at the Rutherford, PA yard.

6.  A string of EMD switchers runs past the sad line at Rutherford.  The re-engining experiment didn't work out so well.  Rutherford yard was eventually cleared out and replaced by a new Intermodal facility.  These two photos from May 12, 1985.

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Neat stuff! As a little kid in the early-mid 1960s I can remember seeing engines "shaped like that' somewhere in East St Louis on family visits to Aunt/Uncle/Cousins in Cahokia. I don't recall knowing what RR (Mop??) it was. I just remember them being a funny shape compared to what the UP & Rock Island ran through my home town of Manhattan, KS...

Lance/199

Those E'port shots bring back lots of memories. Thanks for posting!

Repowered RS-3's known as DeWitt or Altoona Geeps, 9900's or RS-3m's were gutless wonders.

CR 9939 pictured was ex CNJ 1542. Rebuilt in February 1979.

CR 9923 pictured was ex CNJ 1555.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 11/28/22 09:43 by train1275.

Thanks for posting these RS-3 pics.  I love seeing shots of these stylish workhorses.  I lived on them in all classes of service.

Great catch and shots on all the RS3 units.
Gary

I recall seeing quite a few of these units at Rutherford years ago. The one day I was there, CR had one of their ex Pennsy U30C's in the line also. 6537 I believe was the unit. Got a shot of it somewhere. Ben