Hammerhead Alco RS3 211

[NorfolkSouthernSean]

The current issue of TRP, October-December 2007, has a bunch of photos of this unit. It shows it all the way from when it was new up until it was rebuilt as an RS3m by Conrail.

[charlie6017]

That is on display at the New York Museum of Transportation in Rush, NY! My son and I climbed on it and looked around.

<-----------Not to mention that it is my current avatar!

[CRHauf]

Charlie,

Just a quick correction. The 211 is owned by and on display at the Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum which is a project of the Rochester Chapter National Railway Historical Society. The NYMT and the R&GVRRM are actually two separate museums with two separate charters, Boards of Directors, etc. at either end of a shared railroad. We do operate for the public together so it is an easy mistake to make as NYMT is our front door thus the more visible name.

Speaking of 211, the R&GVRRM was the recipient of a 2007 NRHS National Railway Heritage grant in the amount of $1800.00 to help purchase a new set of starting batteries for #211. This is a matching grant so the NRHS money will only cover the cost of 4 of the 8 batteries we need. To help raise the rest of the money, we have setup our R&GVRRM Locomotive Preservation Fund where people can donate online via PayPal or send in a check to the address provided. We welcome any and all help to keep #211 on the road.

And for those looking for more historic pictures of #211, we have our own gallery on our website.

Thanks for the interest.

Regards,
Chris Hauf
Manager, Railroad Equipment
R&GV Railroad Museum

[charlie6017]

Thanks for the correction, Mr. Hauf!

[BlockLine_4111]

This Alco is indeed a classic.

[GOLDEN-ARM]

And, unfortunately, now an EMD................

[scottychaos]

And, unfortunately, now an EMD................

I dont know..that kind of thing is debatable..

If you put a Chevy engine under the hood of a Ford Mustang, is the car itself still a Ford or is it now a Chevy? I think it would obviously still be considered a Ford Mustang.."Ford mustang with a chevy engine..but still a Ford Mustang." I dont think anyone would say "that car should now be called a Chevy, not a Ford"..the engine change alone is not enough to change the identity of the entire car..

In the same way, IMO its not accurate to say 211 is "not an Alco" just because it has an EMD engine under the hood. yes, its not a 100% complete Alco, with 100% Alco parts, but so what?

Its an "Alco RS3m with an EMD engine"...but still an Alco.

Scot

[CAR_FLOATER]

Scot -

Very well said.....And now the debate begins......

CF

[GOLDEN-ARM]

Close your eyes, while trackside, and identify the passing locos by the sounds of their beating hearts. What do you think the 211 evokes, in your mind, while it goes by, chanting loudly? I know what a 244 sounds like, and she aint makin' that sound. Just my thought. BTW, dragsters in the NHRA are called chryslers, when they are running Hemi engines between the rails, even though it's a Ford or Chevy team racing them. Just a thought. BTW, a lot more than just the 244 was replaced, in the act of adding an "M" to the model designation.......

[scottychaos]

Close your eyes, while trackside, and identify the passing locos by the sounds of their beating hearts. What do you think the 211 evokes, in your mind, while it goes by, chanting loudly? .

unfortunately I have no ability to identify passing locos by the sound of their beating hearts. I grew up trackside with Conrail in the 80's..no Alcos. and I have been around operating Alcos a fair amount, Adirondack and LAL and such..but honestly I have never noticed any different sound..If I was blindfolded, I couldnt tell the difference between a LAL Alco Century, a Conrail SD40-2 or a CSX ES44AC...never gave sound much thought before..

so from my perspective, what "makes an Alco" is purely external..the way it looks on the outside..

Maybe thats why im much more likely to consider LV 211 a "real Alco" than GA is! very diferent perspectives on what "makes an Alco"..
interesting...

thanks,
Scot

[GRSJr]

OK. LV211 is worth your support as is the fine preservatio group.

I live in North Carolina and am too old for trips to NY state, so I'll never see her in person, but I can suppoer her and just did.

Now it's your turn ! ! ! ! ! ! !

Ray Stilwell

[FarmallBob]

so from my perspective, what "makes an Alco" is purely external..the way it looks on the outside..

Maybe thats why im much more likely to consider LV 211 a "real Alco" than GA is! very diferent perspectives on what "makes an Alco"..
interesting...

thanks,
Scot

Interesting indeed Scot!

As a kid growing up nearly trackside to the PRR and B&O, and within earshot of the LV and the Erie, early on I learned to associate locomotive sounds with their maufacturers. (I was in fact fortunate to see/hear occasional FMs and Baldwins in addition to the “usual” EMDs and Alcos…)

Anyway seeing/hearing LV 211 run today is conflicting experience for me: No way an RS3 should sound like a GP9!

OTOH, even if LV 211 were to now have a Briggs & Stratton engine under her hood, this would preferable to the alternative of the 211's demise by scrapper’s torch!

----

Below is the 211 on static display at the RGVRR "Diesel Days" last August. Notice the buckets over the twin (arghhh...!!) exhaust stacks!

...FB

[Otto Vondrak]

LV 211 does indeed operate. We sidelined her that day for whatever reason, but she made it up there on her own power. We corrected some issues, and she ran like a champ for the rest of the season, as recently as Sep 9 (if not since)....

and if memory serves those are museum volunteers Mr. Campbell, Mr. Kane, Mr. Harschbarger, and Mr. Nugent all staring very intently at 211's coupler!

-otot-

[jrs363]

Otto is quite correct, 211 went to the transfer point and back under its on power for Diesel days.

In addition to the battery project we also shipped brake valves to Pittsburgh for testing/repair this year. not only is it costly to have them worked on, it is costly to get them there.

All part of what "they" have to do to keep old equipment running.

PS. THANK YOU RAY!

[TB Diamond]

Ex-Lehigh Valley 211 is simply a hybrid locomotive.

After remembering the stuttering hiss of a Alco PA-1 pulling out of a station or the howl of a FM Trainmaster under load, I can say that yes, locomotives can be identified by sound alone.