Rebuilt RS-3's

What were the differences between the original RS-3's and the ones that were sent out for rebuilding around 1959? I thought I read somewhere that they were updated with a 24L brakeline to be compatible with the 1956 road switchers.
C.J.V.
(edited from "major differences" to "differences")

And that was a major difference.

Didn't the rebuilts also have a twin sealed headlight instead of the single headlight ?

I thought that they got 26L brakes, or at least some did. I have been told that they had mu equipment to either mu with the unrebuilt sisters or the 1200, 1400, and 1600 classes. Some of the FA/FB units were rebuilt and could mu with the 1956 roadswitchers. Noel Weaver will likely be able to add to this.

The New Haven RS-3's that were sent back to Alco were pretty much re-manufactured and upgraded with 26L brake equipment. Some of them had rebuilt steam generators as well but the later bunch that went back to Alco came back to the railroad with a concrete block in place of the steam generator. The 26L brake equipment plus a 21 and a 27 point jumper connection would allow the rebuilt units to MU with either the original RS-3's or the other rebuilt RS-3's as well as the newer road switchers as long as the controlling engine had a transition lever. For some reason the New Haven specified that the transition on the rebuilt units remain manually controlled. They could not be operated from a controlling unit that did not have a transition lever and that meant that they couldn't MU with the FL-9's unless they were in the lead (controlling unit). Schenectady did an excellent job on these units and when they came back to the railroad they gave a long period of relatively trouble free operation. I had them many different times on different trains and they were good to work on. They could go just about anywhere on the railroad and they did a good job no matter where they went and no matter whether it was a local freight or BO-1 or anything between.
Noel Weaver

gawlikfj wrote:Didn't the rebuilts also have a twin sealed headlight instead of the single headlight ?

Many did get twin sealed headlights.

There were three groups of rebuilds. The second and third groups got the sealed beams.

If you have or can locate NHRHTA Shoreliner Vol 17 #4 (1986) there's a very good article that will tell you all about this

Noel:

I can understand the requirement for manual transition control.

With an Alco RS-3, it is possible to do brain surgery with a manual transition equipped RS-3.

The difference between Alco and EMD transition is very interesting.

With EMD automatic transition, it is virtually impossible to "short shift" or "wind out the mill" and achieve some operational efficiency (given the tendencies of the engineer - AKA pedal to the metal).

On the road - EMDs & Alcos would behave somewhat similar (OK - ALCOS will get down on their knees & won't regurgitate their traction motors), but the Alcos had it switching.

The New Haven was one of the few railroads which got the potential out of Alco Power. They had the staff and knowledge to extract maximum performance from a 244 mill.

The last post raises a good point. I have heard of different railroads having bad experiences with their Alcos especially the ones with the 244 engines YET the New Haven, New York Central, Delaware and Hudson and the Erie Lackawanna got excellent results from these fine locomotives. The D & H used them in every class of service from heavy coal trains, local freights to the Laurentian with its round end observation car. One engine in the warm weather but two engines for the steam capacity in cold weather and they gave the D & H yeoman service for quite a few years. In the south the Seaboard was a big user of Alcos and apparently they had good results with them as well as there were a lot of them well into the SCL period all over Central Florida. On the New Haven there wasn't much that an RS-3 couldn't do and do well, switch at Oak Point, passenger trains to Pittsfield, through freight all over the place and locals too. They might have been Alco's best product. I am very glad that one of the New Haven's RS-3's got a well deserved home at Thomaston.
Noel Weaver

That was a good point about the good service of the RS3. Many of my senior brothers on the D&H still talk about how good they were. Several are still in active service on shortlines such as Batten Kill and Delaware Lackawanna. D&H also had the advantage of having its main shop a few miles from Alco. When Alco closed, some of its employees came to our mechanical department. The D&H was about the last class one using them, up to the 1980s.