Caption: When most people think of Alcos in Canada, they might think of Ontario Southland's collection, Cartier's fleet of big M's, VIA's passenger FPA4's, or the large fleets run by CN and CP, but a lot of secondhand Alcos migrated up from the states in the 60's-80's to Canadian shortlines, regionals and industrial operations.

Devco Railway of Glace Bay NS (formerly Sydney & Louisburg) acquired about a dozen secondhand Alco RS1 locomotives from Minneapolis & St. Louis and SOO Line in the early 60's, that served as their primary diesel power unit newer power (including GMD GP38-2's) sidelined most of them in the 80's. Here, Devco RS1 208 sits next to the coal tipple in Sydney Mines, NS in 1982. The two bay coal hoppers spotted nearby are lettered for DR and DRXX. The scalehouse and scale track are present in the foreground ahead of the unit (note the two sets of rails: one for cars being weighed, the other a scale bypass).

Devco RS1 208 began life as Minneapolis & St. Louis 946, built by Alco in August 1946, then renumbered 217, sold to S&L as their 208 in 1960, then becoming Devco 208. The unit was sold to Salem & Hillsborough in 1984 and became S&H 8208, but was lost in their arson fire in 1994.

Original photographer unknown, Dan Dell'Unto collection slide.