RS3 0527

I know you NH guys can answer this one in two seconds. I found pics of Winchester and Western RS3 527 online and was wondering what ever became of it. Thanks

This was an AMTK unit when bought by W&W in 1985, when AMTK sold off all the RS-3s. The NH RS-3s (517-561) did not use the "0" in the numbers; the RS-3s did (0500-0516).

NH 527 was at Wilmington, DE when AMTK sold it, and was missing the fuel tank. W&W bought it primarily for the trucks, to use them under one of W&W's RS-11s. The W&W Master Mechanic (Porter Collins) was showing ther newbies at W&W the ancient 244 engine and telling them why they were considered maintenance headaches, when he realized 527 was actually in very good shape. After a 55-gallon drum of fuel was piped to the fuel pump, 527 was started and deemed to be worthy of some work to put it on the road hauling sand trains.

RMNE obtained the cab signal box from 527 about 1986 and restored it for use on NH 529 (now the only extant NH RS-3).

A few years later, about 1992, W&W contacted RMNE to ask if there was interest in W&W 527 as a donation-- it had broken the crankshaft and was now out of service. RMNE did tell W&W that there was serious interest in the donation of 527, but W&W decided to sell it for scrap a few weeks later.

Very sorry to hear this . It would have been nice to have 2 New Haven RS-3's .

554 was on the Lamoille Valley. IIRC when Amtrak purged the fleet the price of the engine was equal to the batteries alone and LVRC bought 2: 117 (PRR 5441) and 144 (NH 554). I visited the LVRC in August 1987 and they were very friendly and let my dad and I wander about. Sadly those 2 didn't make it either. I do not believe they ran in revenue service. The D and Hers were the pride.