Former-Monon RS-2s

[George Lortz]

Here is a rare photo of former-Monon RS-2 #25 and later #55 (sn 75394).  The railroad is Altos Hornos (AHMSA) in Mexico.  The photo was taken in Monterrey, MX in 1980.  I found the photo recently on eBay and had to clean it up a little.  I've only seen a few photos of this locomotive in AHMSA colors the past.

George L.

[Steve Dolzall]

Various copies of this photo have been around for many years. Yet as of today no one has ever been able to provide any concrete evidence that this was actually a former Monon RS-2. All available "official records" show that  ex-Monon 25/55 was traded to GE in 1972 by the L&N. GE in turn would have sold the RS-2 for it's scrap value. It is always possible that a scrap/used locomotive dealer sold parts or all of the ex Monon unit to a buyer in Mexico. I have had contact with an individual that actually saw the locomotive but he could not confirm it's orginal ownership. The paint sceme displayed in the photo is not actually a Monon paint scheme.

[Ron Marquardt]

Please see that attached photo from the MRHTS archives.  It shows George Hockaday standing on what appears to be the same AFMSA locomotive with the Monon lettering showing through the AFMSA paint job.  Information with the image says it is former Monon #55, so apparently George Hockaday, during one of his trips to Mexico when he worked for Alco, located the locomotive, and confirmed it's origin.  The other man in the photo is unidentified.  / Ron

PS, Tim, in case you're wondering, this photo has not been retouched or Photoshopped.

[Tim T Swan]

Yeah, I can see that.  Clearly ex-MONON.

THe only question I would have about this engine's exact ID is that it has a boiler stack.  And according to everything I've seen, #25 was one of only two MONON RS's that never had boilers (the other was #27).  Don't know why a boiler would have been added down in Mexico, where it seldom gets very cold.

[Ron Marquardt]

I can't answer that Tim.  I shared all the information I had with respect to the photo.  I do know though that some, perhaps all, of the steam generators were removed from the 20 class RS2's, and then later installed (or reinstalled) in them when they were rebuilt into the 50 class and they started using them in passenger service north of Lafayette.  / Ron

[Ron Marquardt]

Tim, I went back and looked through some old photos of RS2 #25 and RS2 #55, and found what I think are views that show them with steam generators.  I have noticed that the type of stacks on the steam generators vary somewhat from unit to unit.  Anyway, what shows on the #25 and #55 looks to me to be the same thing that shows on the AHMSA photo with Hockaday in it.  What do you think?  / Ron

PS, As information, I couldn't find any photos of the #27 or #57 which showed they ever had a steam generator stack on them.

[Joe Land]

#23, #26, and #27 were delivered without steam generators.

[Steve Dolzall]

Tim, Monon RS-2 #25 was built with a steam generator which it retained as #55. If you go to your Monon In Color Book on page 8, there is a photo of it in Chicago in passenger service after the C420's arrived dated 9/16/67

[Tim T Swan]

Okay, good to know.  Several years back sombody posted a list of the RS2's and it said #25/55 never had any steam.  Obviously wrong.  Now I gotta add a stack to my Lifelike #25--not that easy a task.

[Steve Dolzall]

Piece of cake Tim. All you need is Custom Finishing Detail #151. Sould take you about 10 minutes if you take your time.


http://www.customfinishingmodels.com/

[Ron Marquardt]

Yeah buddy, either that or just take the steam generator out of the darned thing.    LOL,  / Ron

[Gene Remaly]

What did the water tank look mlike and where was it located on the boiler equipped units ?

[Steve Dolzall]

On the Monon RS-2's with a steam generator, the tank under the frame between the trucks held 800 gallons of boiler water. On RS-2's without S/G the same tank held 800 gallons of fuel. Both versions had a tank under the cab floor that held 800 gallons of diesel fuel. On both cab sides, there was a fuel fill and a tank sight glass.

[George Lortz]

Here is another shot of AHMSA #143 in Mexico.  Looks like it's in the scrap line again!  Assuming it's the former-Monon unit, it looks like the headlight configuration was changed from a single light to a double, or did the monon make this change?

George L.

[Steve Dolzall]

 Obviously the headlight installation is different, the bearing journals are not the type installed/used by the Monon, and there is no cab roof firecracker radio antenna. Clearly any of those features could all have been altered in Mexico. At the time of the photos, the Alco builder's plates on both sides, which would have served to identify the locomotive are absent. So it's really just hard to say.