Cotton Belt RS3 loco

Hi Guys,

I’m planning to buy an RS3 to build an Cotton Belt replica of, but i can’t find any good “real pictures” of an RS3 with attention to “cab side windows”. I noticed that there are models with 2 and 3 side windows on the RS3…

Any one know what is correct for Cotton Belt, or are both correct ?

Thanks!
Pete

Here you go Pete.

http://espee.railfan.net/sswrs-03.html

I bought a pair of SP RS-3s before I found out the SP didn’t own any, only Cotton Belt

Mel

Modeling the early to mid 1950s SP in HO scale since 1951

My Model Rai

Greate info page… thanks!

But it’s hard to see if it’s a 2 or 3 side-window version?
Or did i missed something…
And, was there a passenger/freight/yard difference, regarding the windows?

(i like the black widow paint on the RS3, looks perfect)

-Pete

It looks like the engineer side was two window and the fireman side was three window. The long hood is forward.

Cotton Belt had 17 RS-3s. Eleven of these were pure freight units, five were pure passenger units and another passenger unit had the steam lines, but no steam generator. These units were on the Cotton Belt roster from 1951 to 1969.

Could the 3-window side been installed to enable a better view for the fireman, to be able to “hang out” and see better in yard duty’s?

I’v seen CB models with 2 windows, so now its back for some more internet surfing then… with this new information :slight_smile:

[Y]

-Pete

Atlas released an RS3 lettered for Cotton Belt in 2003, it was in the “Black Widow” Scheme. I have this model, had a DCC decoder installed so I could run it on the club layout.

What do you know, learning all the time…

I have an RSD5 and it have 2 different windows, a 2 on the right, and a 3 on the left side. I thought there was different versions of the RS3 loco that had different windows.

Yep, i saw the Atlas CB RS3, but no one for sale right now. How is the new Athearn model, does it run better than the Atlas, the shell looks a little “crispier”…

(personly i’m a Atlas, Kato, Stewart, guy)

Great info, thanks!

-Pete

I believe this Atlas N scale model has the correct window configuration.

http://nscaleshop.com/store/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=196

Thanks, looks just like my RSD5 config.

[Y]
-Pete

Check the link for a photo of Cotton Belt fireman Harley Davis looking out the three window side of RS-3 #354 at Big Sandy, Texas. Davis was one of the founders of our Cotton Belt Symposium in Commerce, Texas.

http://faculty.tamuc.edu/jdavis/railroad/symposium/default.htm

Wow, thats a huge opening… 3 windows. Looks like they pushed all windows to the front of the cab, out of sight.

Nice, “i got the picture”, and what to look for at ebay.

Thanks,
-Pete