Description
Canadian National originally purchased a total of 225 RS-18s, making it their second-most-numerous diesel road-switchers. But in the 1970s, CN was looking for a solution for providing replacement motive power to their underpowered and aging fleet of RSC-13s, with the challenge being the lightweight rail of many branchlines throughout the Atlantic Canadian provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.
The solution was to retruck 38 RS-18s with A-1-A trucks salvaged from the outgoing fleet of RSC-13s, which was performed by CN’s Moncton Shops in 1975 and 1976. These refitted RS-18s were classed as RSC-14s (owing to the their 251B prime movers being down-rated from 1800 to 1400 h.p.) and subsequently assigned to Charlottetown, Moncton and Halifax. A traffic slump in the spring of 1989 left fewer than 15 units in service. These were restricted to yard or transfer work following CNs decision to not equip any RS-18s with new safety features required on mainline locomotives in Canada. CN retired the last of its RSC-14s in 1993.
Today only two units remain in Canada - CN 1754 is preserved at the Salem & Hillsborough Railroad in New Brunswick, and CN 1762 is parked at the former train station in Kensington, Prince Edward Island. While the bulk of the fleet ended up being scrapped, three units were sold to the Cape Breton & Central Nova Scotia Railway for parts use, a couple units found their way to Cuba, and one ended up working in Jamaica.
The Rapido Trains HO scale CN RSC–14 locomotive features:
- Accurately designed using our 3D scan of a real RS–18 and accurate measurements of real A-1-A trucks
- Completely redesigned chassis and shell for easier access and disassembly
- Operating headlights, rear lights, bi-colour class lights and illuminated cab control stand
- Roadnumber-specific intercooler detail
- Rapido’s innovative dead straight metal side handrails with plastic stanchions, installed at the factory
- Unparalleled underframe detail including traction motor cables and other piping, re–railer and a ridiculous number of separately–applied parts
- Highly detailed cab interior with control stand, operators seats and back wall panels
- All-new, improved drive system for 100% reliable running in DC and DCC
- DC(Silent) (21–pin DCC Ready) or DC/DCC/Sound (ESU LokSound) options
- Accurate sounds recorded from a real Alco 251B prime mover