I probably don't need to rehash the complete history of the RS3m rebuilds started by Penn Central and continued by Conrail between 1972 and 1978, where Alco RS3 locos were rebuilt using EMD 567B prime movers removed from retired NYC E8 locomotives. Other roads such as MKT and C&NW engaged in similar rebuilds.

Some fifty years later, the very last RS3m in commercial service is running out its final miles/days--Maryland & Delaware 1203, with sisters 1201 and 1202 already sidelined. The three MDDE locos are owned by the State of Maryland, were used as part of designated operator use on the MDDE lines, Carload Express/Delmarva Central is due to take over operation at the end of the month.

I can hunt down three PC/CR RS3m's ostensibly preserved: United Railway Historical Society's ex-West Jersey & Seashore 92, Conrail 9929, PRR 8481; ex-PRR "Hammerhead" 8445 as "LV 211" at Rochester & Genessee Valley Museum; and Danbury's ex-CDOT 605. In addition, the Housatonic has ex-CR 9935 sidelined, and some Alco 251-re-engined ones still exist. In a different realm, MKT 142 (Geep long hood) is apparently part of the long-term plan to restore excursions to the Ottawa Northern (former Midland Railway) in Kansas.

Does anyone else perceive a desire/need to save one of the last holdouts of this unique rebuild?

Are you telling me that DeWitt Geeps are almost extinct???

They might be one of the most significant historical rebuild programs after the CF7s and GP10s. It only helps that they are somewhat more 'maintainable' with the EMD engines and parts than a 244-engined RS2 or RS3 would be...

The broader picture we have to take, as curators, is "Are rebuild programs of any significance in rail preservation? Or do only geeks like us care?"

In thinking broadly, my thought is that representative examples would be worthy additions to museums or static display at or near the towns that produced them--Cleburne, Texas for the ATSF CF7's and Syracuse and Altoona for the RS3m's under PC/CR (R&GV's "LV 211" seems close enough, and maybe Altoona should hold out for an Altoona-assembled big loco instead). A broader interpretive museum such as the National Railway Museum or IRM Union may find an RS3m fitting the overall "history of diesels," although GB&W 308 (rebuilt with a 251 and increased HP) went to Monticello in 2005 and still runs there........

According to RR picture archives http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/locoList.aspx?id=MDDE these three units are all ex-Lackawanna. Other than these I believe only one other DL&W diesel survives, a GP7 that had to be rescued by EMD from Luria Bros. as I recall. So yes, definitely worth preserving in my opinion. I would also back-date them by replacing the 567s with 244s, but that is the subject for another day, if they survive.

Here is a photo of MDDE 1201 as DL&W 1049.

There's two surviving Lackawanna diesels in Scranton. A high hood Alco and one of EMC's first switchers, Lackawanna #426. And of course there's the Alco/GE Boxcab at IRM.

I suspect a EMD switcher or two also survives.

[quote="PMC"] I would also back-date them by replacing the 567s with 244s, but that is the subject for another day, if they survive. [/quote]

In the vernacular: "Alls ya gotta do..."

Rebuilds were a significant part of the 1960's, with ALCOs, Baldwins, and FM's regularly getting 567's. Plenty of non-existent roads had 'em. The general public doesn't know one Diesel from another, but the the historical significance is absolutely there for researchers. I say, preserve any which are operational and use them. They do tell a story about railroading before the mega-mergers.

Odd ducks and those that have an interesting story deserve to be preserved otherwise they turn into shoulda-woulda-couldas and are gone. As mentioned above, they tell the story of railroading. ORHS' main loco has been through 2 major rebuildings. The only thing that's original GP7 above the sill is most of the long hood. It's a one-off with a story going back to the MEC. The RSD1 actually served on the Trans-Iranian Railway before it came back to the US to finish its military career. I think they're both worthy of preservation - one as an odd duck, the other for its historical significance.

Every piece of preserved railroad equipment has a story to tell. Some good, some bad. The story of the how or why one piece was prserved versus another getting scrapped is always interesting. As long as one example is still extant, either in operation or being preserved, at waht point do we say we should save more of the same? Keep in mind, this is the thinking that has left us with 16 PRR GG1's in various states of "preservation" across the country. There are already some examples of the RS3m preserved, both in its oddball configuration, like the Ex-PRR Hammerhead, the Altoona conversions, or the Dewitt conversions.

Spot on. Or, why do we need 13 out of 47 DDA40X units preserved. I think at least one DeWitt Geep, plus one backup, is enough. Same with Paducah Geeps, there are several preserved, unless the core of one of them is from a road that isn't represented in preservation I don't think we need any more, even though they were ubiquitous when I was growing up in central Illinois in the 1970s and 1980s (or, because they were ubiquitous and we were sick of them). I am only interested in these three units because they are former DL&W road units, a rare bird.

Data from CR Historical Society roster:

Alco C/N 79668 Mar-52 DLW 912 EL 1050 (CR 5266) Reblt Dec-79 Juniata CR 9905 ret'd 12/31/1982; To MNCR 605 after retirement, and preserved at Danbury RY Museum

78578 Apr-51 DLW 910 EL 1048 (CR 5264) Mar-79 Juniata CR 9935 4/9/1979 To HRRC mid 1980s; owned by Berkshire Ry Museum

79938 Jun-52 PRR 8481 PRR 5581 PC 5581 PC 5365 May-79 Juniata CR 9929 4/9/1985 To LTK Management Services and leased as WJSL 92 until 1988, then to CMSL 8481

80580 Dec-53 PRR 8445 PRR 5569 PC 5569 LV 211:2 CR 5487 Aug-79 Juniata CR 9920 4/9/1985 High short hood due to dynamic brakes and steam boiler, to NRHS-Rochester and displayed at Rochester & Genessee Valley RR Museum

79667 Mar-52 DLW 911 EL 1049 (CR 5265) Sep-78 Juniata CR 9999 4/9/1985 To DCL 1201, then MDDE 1201

78077 Aug-50 DLW 902 EL 1040 CR 5256 Jun-79 Juniata CR 9926 4/9/1985 To DCL 1202, then MDDE 1202

79670 Mar-52 DLW 914 EL 1052 CR 5268 Jan-79 Juniata CR 9942 4/9/1985 To DCL 1203, then MDDE 1203


So, just as trivia, all the preserved examples AND the MDDE/Maryland examples are either ex-DLW or PRR, AND all came out of Juniata and not DeWitt (even the one in NY State). There were a couple anomalies--one done in Hornell, NY, one at Wilmington Shops, and one started at Wilmington but finished at DeWitt. BUT it looks like it's too late to save any DeWitt example unless one lurks behind a grain elevator somewhere or something........

A couple were apparently cobbled together for Amtrak by Amtrak and not DeWitt or Juniata; at least one of those, Amtrak 106/NYC 8263, was stashed as of a few months ago at Belington, WV on the Durbin & Greenbrier Valley as "BDLX 106," part of "Big Dog's" eclectic collection?

Another possible prospect:
80234 Mar-53 CNJ 1548 CR 5378 Mar-79 Juniata CR 9937 4/9/1985 To LTK Management Services and leased as WJSL 91 until 1988, later sold to private owner, last reported at Winslow Junction, NJ?

If anyone--ANYONE--is ever going to pursue such a re-refit project, you'd think it'd be Delaware-Lackawanna.................. and if they're not doing that (yet)..................

I believe you are right, as I recall, there were discussions considering the below unit, ex-CNJ 1549, being possibly the last DeWitt Geep and worth saving, but I believe it ultimately was scrapped at LaHarpe IL around 4 years ago, after Pioneer was taken over by a private investment group. Shane Gillam photo: http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/locoPi ... x?id=79740

Didn't they sell a big slice of their RS3 fleet a few months back?

They obviously have a soft spot for Lackawanna power though and operate at least one EMD SW9. So it wouldn't shock me if one or more of these found their way there.

Ended up in Cardinal, Ont. working for Canada Starch, scrapped 2008 (note the backdating mentioned in the post, Alex Pallo Jr. photo): https://railroad.net/srnj-1548-rs3m-que ... 60430.html