Bill Langford photos |
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Bill Langford photos |
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The Texas State Railroad is an operating steam locomotive powered tourist excursion train ride in Rusk, Texas. What you will find of interest is that, in addition to steam locomotives, they also have two vintage ALCO locomotives. The TSR has a 1947 RS2 (no. 7) and a 1953 ALCo-GE RSX-4 (MRS-1) No. 7 is currently in Brookville, PA at Brookville Mining & Equipment Co. being totally rebuilt. When it is complete it will be like a brand new 1947 engine (with a few modern concessions).
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No. 7 is disassembled at Brookville Mining &
Equipment Co. Brookville Mining and Equipment Co. photo |
Bill Langford reports:
Engine number 7 is one of the oldest diesel locomotives operated on the
Texas State Railroad. This engine was built in 1947 for the Point Comfort
& Northern Railroad of Lolita, Texas. The Point Comfort & Northern
was owned and operated by Alcoa (Aluminum Company of America) and served
their aluminum manufacturing plant at Point Comfort, Texas. Finally, when
the hardworking road switcher seemed to be heading toward the scrap heap,
its career took an unexpected turn. In 1975 the fledgling Texas State
Railroad State Historical Park was looking for a diesel engine to provide
backup service to its' steam locomotives. The officials at Alcoa decided
to donate the hardworking engine number 7 to the Texas State Railroad.
This diesel is still at the Texas State Railroad to this day; pulling work
trains, carloads of ballast, and occasionally bringing train loads of
passengers back to the station after a mechanical failure of a steam
locomotive.
Engine No. 7 is currently stripped down to its bare frame. Every part that
can be taken off has been taken off and is being scrutinized and
evaluated. Any part that doesn't meet stringent standards will either be
rebuilt or replaced. For reliability reasons the locomotives' aging 244
diesel engine is being replaced with a brand-new 1500 HP Caterpillar 3512
engine. The traction motors will be completely rebuilt and requalified.
The end result is that when the vintage locomotive rolls out of the
Pennsylvania shop it will be an even better diesel locomotive than when it
was built by the American Locomotive Company in 1947. The ALCO RS2 is at
the Brookville Mining and Equipment Company's state-of-the-art
manufacturing facility. Located on 15+ acres in Brookville, Pennsylvania,
the company produces and rebuilds rail mounted haulage equipment. Their
machines are used in underground mining, tunnel construction, industrial
and switching applications worldwide. The Company has maintained an
outstanding reputation for manufacturing and rebuilding quality machines
for more than 80 years.
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Texas State Railroad no. 8 (RSX-4) Bill Langford photo |
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Last update 20.05.03