MILW Milwaukee Road RS-2

Can anyone tell me when the Milwaukee converted certain RSC-2's into RS-2's? I have found a roster but some RS-2's have been re-numbered more than once and pictures are hard (if not impossible) to find on the web. The only one I have found is an RS-2 that was changed over to blunt trucks from an S-2.

 

In 1954 three RSC2 (976,981 and 990) trucks were traded with 4 axle RS-2s (993,994 and 995). In 1959 the former 6 axle RSC2s were renumbered 490,491,492 . the rest of the RSC2s were numbered 580-594 and the RS-2s were renumbered 595-597 and the 996 became the 493. The ones that were left in 1969 were renumbered again to make room for the new SDL-39s 581-590. There were only 4 RS2s to begin with and only one of them got blunt switcher trucks, the 462-468-455-493-996 (renumbered 5 times) . The 996-462-468-455-493 was the only one that didn't get changed to a 6 axle engine.

 

Yes , some were traded to EMD, some to GE for U boats, some were just scrapped at Precision National. , The ALCo rebuilt ones (2) were rebuilt into RSC2.5 and lasted a long time.

 

Ok, I am confused. When the RS-2's were renumbered in 1969, what were the new numbers?

 

Yes it is confusing. There were 4 original RS2s. The 996 was the only original one left after the trucks were swapped making the other three into RSC2s. 996 was renumbered 493 in 1966, 455 in 1969, 462 in 1975, scrapped in 1976. The other 3 original RS2s became RSC2s and were numbered 595,596,597 and went through the renumbering process with the other RSC2s. Of the 3 converted RSC2s they were renumbered into the RS2s numbers. 976 became the 490,981 became the 491 and 990 became the 492. The three were renumbered again in 1965-66. 976-490-585 (changed back to a six axle locomotive) traded to GE in 1968. 981-491-457 GE trade in 1969. 990-492-463 EMD trade 1969.

 

Ok, I guess to get this straight in my mind, even though 3 of the original RS-2's were converted to RSC-2's, weren't RSC-2's converted to RS-2's (something to do with needing steam generators)? Did any RS-2's (converted or otherwise) survive past 1969 (beside 996) and if so, what were the numbers?

 

For some reason my new computer (this old XP machine works fine ) will not let me start a new paragraph confusing the situation even further. To summarize:

The 996 was the only original RS-2 left into the 70s. It was numbered 462 when it was scrapped in 1976.

976 was a converted RS2m (RSC2) and was renumbered 490 . Later the original trucks were re-installed and the locomotive was renumbered 585 before it was traded to GE in 1968.

981 (a converted RSC2) became the 491 became the 457 when it it traded to GE in 1969

990 (a converted RSC2) became the 492 and was renumbered 463 before it was traded to EMD in 1969.

SO the only RS2 of either group to survive after 1969 was the 996-493-455-462.

Randy

 

Ok, I think it get it now. Basically the only RS-2 (original or converted) that survived past 1969 was the blunt trucked RS-2.