This is the largest snowplow I’ve seen on a locomotive, an old KB&S Alco RS-11. I suppose using a large plow to remove snow from the tracks is cheaper than employing a rotary snowplow, especially for a shortline like Kankakee, Beaverville & Southern.
WOW, immagin a grade crossing acident with that, ouch!!!
Wow, interesting. Was the unit originally with out a cab, or did the shop workers convert it to what it now looks like. That is a stab in the heart for me though, because I am a diehard ALCo fan. Seeing that almost made me cry[:(][:(][B)]
It is just the hulk of what was a RS11.
http://alcoworld.railfan.net/kbs.htm
They got rid of their ALCo roster?!?! What were they thinking?
402 was converted to a snowplow in 1979. It was one of 3 high hood RS11’s on TP&W .
Sold to KB&S 11-83. Glad to see it finally got a coat of fresh paint after sitting at Beaverville forever.
Its sister unit, former TP&W RS-11 400, is preserved at the Illinois Railway Museum.
http://www.irm.org/cgi-bin/rsearch.cgi?diesel=Toledo+Peoria+&+Western=400
YIKES ! ! Clear the track ! here comes the biggest freakin’ snowplow ever ! What a monster, what a great idea, is it empty inside? motors gone? diesel gone? Maybe it’s filled with gravel , any answers??
Now there’s an interesting piece of equipment.
You don’t see many ALCos anymore, (or at least I don’t.) Although I am disappointed that it was gutted, I’m glad to see that it is still in use and serving a purpose.
Another interesting concept…A cabless ALCo.[:D] Were they produced?
The Devco Railway in Canada did something similar with an RS-1, only they left on the cab and kept it operational, and put a snowplow at each end - the world’s largest double-ended self-powered snow plow, perhaps?
Jim
Ottawa
Look at the picture carefully, isn’t that a windshield, even with the lower headlight? What are the rungs for? In there possibly a hatch on the top of the nose, possibly an entrance to the cab?
I believe one of the 3 double diesels the UP bought was cabless right out the gate.
BC Rail bought 8 cabless M420B locomotives from MLW
http://alcoworld.railfan.net/bcr-m420.htm
That is where the number board went.