LSRC 469 issues

The photo captions tell the stories.
http://www.railpictures.net/showphotos. ... LSRC%20469
www.rrpicturearchives.net/locoPicture.aspx?id=71771
Go Red Sox

What's the history of this unit? (Sorry, if I were a REAL Alco fan I'd know.)

From the captions it was still operating in revenue service at over 50 years of age... which isn't bad for a diesel locomotive. Does it still have its original 244 engine?

The D&M RS-2s were heavily rebuilt by ALCO in the mid to late 1950s. The units retained an uprated 244 engine, new 510 water cooled turbochargers and a 1600 horsepower rating. Externally they looked more like RS-3s than RS-2s. See The American Locomotive Company A Centennial Remembrance p. 365 by Richard Steinbrenner.

So, the 469 is one of the original D&M units? If so, if the road number is original, it dates from 1946: so one of the oldest roadswitchers around. Even with the rebuild ("250" engine (?) etc), it's still a historic locomotive.

(Thinking about it as a potential museum exhibit... The long hood may look RS-3-ish, but it still has the narrower RS-2 short hood and doesn't have the RS-3 battery boxes: authentic enough for most!)

(Steinbrenner's book is great: I'm on the wrong continent to consult my copy right now, but it certainly has an amazing amount of detailed information as well as a coherent historical narraqtive to fit the details into!)

(Thanks for answering my stupid questions, SSW9389!)

Yes, the 469 was among the original RS2's purchased by the D&M in 1946.

It and the #466 are the only survivors of the lot, with #468 and #4610 being scrapped a few years ago in Alpena, MI. They had been heavily cannabalized for years prior to that.

#467 was scrapped in Port Gibson, MS in the mid-80's. I've been told that its prime mover and other parts still exist as part of a private collection in Arkansas.

#481 was scrapped by the D&M in the late 80's or early 90's.

#466 is currently dormant but in-tact in White Pigeon, MI. It was sold to the Tuscola and Saginaw Bay RR by the D&M before being sold to it's current owner, which I believe is the Michigan Southern (MSO).

It will be a shame if the LSRC gets rid of the #469. I wonder if the RS3M's are soon to follow with more GP40's arriving.

the 469 and 974 and maybe the 975 are being stored untill spring, when they are SUPPOSED to ship out to the DL&W. I've been told they all need wheel work first and the DL&W is supposed to send up a crew in the spring. NO idea how true this is. The Ex CN unit in that picture was scrapped last week.