Calling all scholars![bow] I’m trolling the internet looking for a new loco for my roster (Canadian National - green & yellow livery). I find the RS-10 and the RS-18 (see pictures). Besides the road number, what’s the difference between them? I can’t see the difference.
RS-10
RS-18
Thanks for your help gang,
Trevor[:)]
I’d have to look it up in an Alco book (which I don’t keep at work[;)]), but this could be a case of the differences being under the hood. My guess is that the RS-18 is an updated, more powerful evolution of the RS-10. That was a fairly common Alco design practice.
The only visual difference that I can see is the grills above the roadname. The RS-10 has 4 while the RS-18 has 5.
The Southern Serves the South!
I couldn’t find any HP references online, but here are how many and when they were produced:
RS-10: 128 built between 12/1954 and 02/1957
RS-18: 351 built between 12/1956 and 12/1968
I suspect that translates to a HP upgrade on the 18. Both of these models may have been exclusive to Canada, via Montreal Locomotive Works.
The Diesel Spotters Guide says “RS-18’s are indistinguishable from RS-10’s”. RS-10’s are 1600hp, 12cylinder 244 engined, RS-18’s are 1800hp, 12 cyl, 251B engined. Both came from MLW.
Just to add to the previous comments, yes, the main difference between the two locomotives was largely internal, i.e. engine and horsepower.
The external differences are fairly subtle. The two square carbody intakes closest to the cab (for the dynamic brake) are set right next to each other on the RS10, forming the one large intake visible above the roadname in the RS10 photo. On the RS18 the two carbody intakes for the dynamic brake are in an equally spaced row with the engine air intakes, as visible in the row of 5 intakes in the RS18 photo. Now, if the unit didn’t have dynamic braking then this spotting clue is nullified.
On CN, the RS18s were much longer lived than the RS10s, so that may be a factor in your choice of engine. The RS10s with the troublesome 244 engine were all gone by 1970, The RS18s lasted into the early 1990s. CN also had far more RS18s than RS10s, but not all had the specific configuration of the Life Like Canada model. As I recall CN ran both the RS10s and RS18s long hood forward.
I trust this helps,
Mike
If you cannot tell the difference, why the question? Just pick either one.
Bob Boudreau
This is exactly why I hate diesels, to my blurry eyes, they look exactly the same…[;)]
That’s the thing Bob, if there were distinguishable differences I could pick one over the other, but if it’s all internal and comes down to mostly Horse Power, (which you can’t see on a model) it makes no difference. I just wanted to know if there was something I was missing.
That all said, in the long run I’ll probably end up buying both of them[8D]
Thanks to those of you who contributed information.
Trevor [:)]
Not to beat a dead horse, but from the June 1983 issue of Trains magazine, page 42, “Although it is often mistaken for the similar-looking and newer RS18 (the Canadian counterpart of the RS11), the RS10 is really just an RS3 with different hoods.”