Planning Ahead

DERS-2c (RS-3) 529 with a circus train in New Britain c1954. K. Cochrane.

I think this is during the summer of '54 when the Highland Line was single-tracked.

I've been working a lot of extra hours lately, we're getting ready for vacation, and I'm still working on rebuilding the main website, among other things. Plus it's mid-year so it seemed a good time to take a step back to refocus my efforts. Usually I would be doing this about this time after the NE Prototype Meet.

I do want to finish those flat car models, and paint more, but the primary focus needs to be getting the layout fully operational for ops sessions. A lot of time will be spent on the layout and basement.

Another thing I need to work on locomotives. There's a good chance that I'll have a friend do the decoders, not because I can't do it, but it's time consuming and I'll be putting that time into other projects. I'll still need to detail them as well. 

For now, the focus will be solely on diesels, since they will be easiest to get running. That narrows the focus to 1949-1954, but the reality is that the line was single-tracked in the summer of '54, so if I'm sticking with November, I'm really modeling through 1953.

The goal is to be able to start some sort of Operating Sessions in September.

1953

This is the obvious starting point since it's only the 44-tonners and RDCs, and priority No. 1. I'll plan on one major locomotive project per month, and I should be able to complete this in August.

• 44-tonners (3)
• Repair/replace the gears.
• Install decoders/speakers/weight.
• Paint and letter.
• By completing all three, one can be leased to Stanley.
• RDCs

• Decide whether to apply the Fight Cancer decals.
• Weathering.

1952

The other years require quite a few more locomotives. This is probably the easiest in terms of the amount of work to be done to get them ready. I'd like to get these done by the end of the year to be able to add a more complex session. 

• FA-1/FB-1/FB-2
• Two Maybrook freights. This is late enough that they can be the factory painted Proto 2000 FA-1/FB-1, plus the Rapido FB-2. These will need a look for final details, then weathering.
• Two RS-3s.
• I'll be detailing three total, at least to start. These will need some work, particularly the pilots. 
• RS-2 0503
• Already done.
• DL-109 
• The brass one, since it would be rebuilt by then. It will be the first brass locomotive running on the layout.
• Paint, letter, and weather.
• DCC.

1951

There are two locomotive projects, a bit more involved:

• RS-1
• Since I've decided to go ahead and make modifications to the shells, these will take some time. 
• Acquire one more.
• Modify the shells
• Paint (hopefully just touchup) and renumber at least two of them.
• DCC if I get one with DC only.
• Weathering.
• S-1
• I'll need two different road numbers, one for 1949, and the other for 1950-1.

• Get KV Models to produce the correct fan grates (the P2k model is wrong).
• There will be other modifications, but not too many.
• Build the cabs.
• DCC
• Paint, letter, and weather.

1949

Only one additional locomotive project.

• DL-109
• If I haven't completed it with the other DL-109
• Complete roof and other shell modifications
• Touch up paint, letter and weather.
• DCC

1950

This will be last simply because I'll need to custom paint and get custom decals made for the Comet. Other than that, all the other locomotives needed will already be completed.

To model operations for any year other than 1953 will require cabooses and passenger cars as well. I'll work my way through those lists in another post or two.

Roster - Locomotives - DERS-2c (RS-3) Locomotives

DERS-2c (RS-3) 529 in New Britain Yard with circus train c1953/4. Kent Cochrane photo.

Since I've started detailing and putting decoders into locomotives, plus narrowing my operating hours, I've started revisiting my research to verify what I'll need.

The DERS-2c (Alco RS-3) locomotives were delivered in 3 groups, 517-536 from August-September 1950; 537-546 in October-November 1951, and 547-561 in January-February 1952. 

Based on my notes from the past, I was planning on building at least six RS-3s, maybe as many as eight. Here's the info I've had on my site for years:

DERS-2c Assignments 4/27/52

526 - NY-2, YA-1

530 - NY-2, YN-1

531 - AY-1, YN-1

537 - 463

545 - 444

546 - 157, 421, 446, 472

DERS-2c Models

520

526

530

531

545

546

My initial choice for road numbers was based in part on the fact that I have four of Athearn 520. The Athearn is the most accurate option, although the cab windows are better in other models. But I have so many of this one because it's the only one released in the delivery scheme with the air-cooled stack. I selected four road numbers for the 1950 delivery, and two for the 1951 delivery since I have two undecorated models.

However, looking at the September 1952 assignments, there have been some changes:

 

523 - 444

532 - NY-2/YN-1

533 - NY-2/YN-1

538 - 467

555 - 446/443/458 (probably a typo and should be 448)

556 - 150/157

557 - 472

558 - 458/463

Now we're up to eight. But once I start looking at my schedule, that eliminates 448/458/467 along with NY-2/YN-1, eliminating 523, 533, and 538.

But digging a little deeper, the RS-3s were only in service on many of these trains until the Budd RDCs were delivered. So by November 443/446/458/460/463 were all handled by a new RDC-2.

That leaves only two RS-3s, 523 for train 444, and 556 for 150/157. So I went from 6-8 to only 2 RS-3s to model, one in each of the delivery schemes.

I'm still lacking engine assignments for 1951 (except steam, I wish I knew who copied that part so we could get the rest...).  In 1950, all passenger trains on the Highland were handled by RS-1s. It has been mentioned in several articles that they lacked the acceleration needed to maintain their schedules and were replaced "within weeks" but the engine assignments indicate they served the Highland Line passenger trains for at least 3 years, through 1950. In April '52 almost all of them are in yard service, after all of the RS-3s had been delivered.

The primary purpose of the RS-3s was to complete the dieselization of the NH (along with the C-Liners). By November '51, had the RS-3s bumped the RS-1s off of Highland passenger service? I'm going to guess that yes, some of them had been replaced already, since they were being serviced in April 1952 with locomotives delivered in 1951; 537, 545, 546. 

So that gives me a roster of 5 RS-3s:

523 - 1952

537 - 1951 - delivered 10-19-51

545 - 1951 - delivered 11-9-51

546 - 1951 - delivered 11-8-51

556 - 1952

While I haven't set a specific date for operations, I know I'm thinking early November, and a Monday. If I set that to the first Monday in November, then in 1952 that's November 5. Which leaves me with a roster of 3 RS-3s: 523, 537, and 556.

I like that not only because it reduces the number of locomotives needed, but it also puts the layout in the middle of a transition. An RS-3 is running on passenger service, but so is an RS-1. In 1950, train 157 is a DERS-3 (H16-44) and 131/136 is running with a DER-1 (DL-109), so each train has different motive power if I carry those forward.

Only one is from the 1950 group, but if I can get a good match for the Pullman Green used on the Athearn model it won't be hard to mask to paint the hood top