What did Milwaukee Road use their RSC-2s for? The railroad seemed to have quite a few of these early diesels compared to other railroads. Also what divisions were they used on?
The Milwaukee purchased 18 of them. 9 had S/G’s for passenger train heat. They were used to dieselize the Wisconsin Valley division(New Lisbon and North…). They also were used on the Northern division. They later wandered around the system and were used anywhere there was light rail/bridges. Some even were converted to B-B trucks. The RSC2’s, RSD5’s SD7’s, SD9’s, and the SDL39’s were used on the light rail branches. If the line had little traffic, the SW1’s many times were used. I have seen them on the IM&D(Iowa, Minnesota, & Dakota), The CV(Chippewa Valley), the Stillwater branch and the Cannon Falls branch over the years. There were even used for local service on the River Division main line(Wabasha Patrol & the Chemolite Patrol).
Several of them were sent back to Alco in the 60’s and got a re-power package and a ‘chop nose’. Most of these engines were off the roster by the end of the 1970’s. Many of the crews who used them said that the A-1-A trucks were rough riding…
Jim
As you might know at least one is preserved, at the Midcontinent Railroad Museum in North Freedom WI. I have not been there in a few years. I remember there was some controversy in the membership when they got it because it was not consistent with their goal of trying to look like it was 1920.
http://www.midcontinent.org/collectn/DIESEL/milw988.html
Dave Nelson
Thanks for the information. I keep on forgetting that the three-wheel truck was intended for better weight balance.
Worthwhile purchase by the museum in my opinion. Sure is a neat engine and in the original Milwaukee Road colors.
Too bad it’s got a cracked cylander. The owner wasn’t to happy with the museum when they did that.