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MLW RSC-13's 1721, 1717, 1710 are westbound at Aldershot East. These unique 1000hp locos were built with 6-wheel trucks for light rail and later converted to 4-wheel. For some reason, around Hamilton, we called these locos "Tractors." The 1700's were all gone by the mid 70's but were a common site hauling freight on the Grimsby Sub.
Copyright Notice: This image ©Dave Burroughs all rights reserved.



Caption: MLW RSC-13's 1721, 1717, 1710 are westbound at Aldershot East. These unique 1000hp locos were built with 6-wheel trucks for light rail and later converted to 4-wheel. For some reason, around Hamilton, we called these locos "Tractors." The 1700's were all gone by the mid 70's but were a common site hauling freight on the Grimsby Sub.

Photographer:
Dave Burroughs [128] (more) (contact)
Date: 06/1968 (search)
Railway: Canadian National (search)
Reporting Marks: CN 1721 (search)
Train Symbol: Not Provided
Subdivision/SNS: Aldershot East - Oakville Sub (search)
City/Town: Hamilton (search)
Province: Ontario (search)
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Photo ID: 27047
Map courtesy of Open Street Map

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7 Comments
  1. crr200
    February 5, 2017 at 2:00 am

    Power is amazing.

  2. awmooney
    February 5, 2017 at 7:14 am

    Just listening to these things would assure the name “tractors” fits. A locomotive version of John Deere. :o )

  3. Dave Burroughs
    February 5, 2017 at 9:01 am

    Arnold, now that you mention it, John Deere might be the perfect description. They should have had the same sound as an RS-3 but the 1700′s just sounded a little different.

  4. Extra 1014
    February 5, 2017 at 1:19 pm

    The RS-2 & 3′s have the ALCO Model 244 engines, in the RSC-13 the McIntosh & Seymour Model 539 engines were used. In my experience, the 539 seemed to me to have a bigger bark in the exhaust. Giving it a good tractor type quality. :-)

  5. Dave Burroughs
    February 5, 2017 at 4:21 pm

    Ah, I forgot that they had 539′s in them. That would make the difference in sound.

  6. pierre fournier
    February 5, 2017 at 5:11 pm

    They had swapped their 3-axle trucks with downgraded MR-18,s trucks.

  7. Stephen C. Host
    February 6, 2017 at 11:52 am

    It’s so true.. I heard a McIntosh & Seymour powered RS-1 on the LAL this past summer and it definately has a tractor type sound to it. Very different..
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