# RS1 or RS3?



## Randy Stone (Jan 2, 2008)

I own two Aristo Craft RS-3s and like them very much.

Yet I hear others begging for an RS-1 to be manufactured.

As much as I have looked at pictures of both, the only difference I see is the exhaust stack and the headlights.

So I wonder what am I over looking?

Modifying the exhaust and headlights should be easy stuff for most modelers.

This makes me wonder why there are no little companies making parts to modify these diesels into something they are not?

In the Model Car industry years ago, there were guys selling resin hoods and even complete bodys of cars that weren't being produced.

It seems to me there is enough interest in a RS-1 that someone could produce a Resin kit to transform a RS-3 into a RS-1 and make a few bucks doing it.

Why has no one made a Shark Nose to put on a FA1 frame?

Sure it might not be perfectly correct, but even the truck frames could be cast in resin.

Where are the resin guys in G Gauge?


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## DKRickman (Mar 25, 2008)

Posted By rlvette on 19 Jun 2011 02:43 PM 

Where are the resin guys in G Gauge?


That's a lot of resin!

You failed to notice the most obvious difference (at least to my eyes) - the cab rood extends beyond the walls of the RS1, whereas it's rounded off on the RS3. There are also differences in the grilles, doors, battery boxes, and fuel tanks. I understand that the RS2 (and therefore presumably the RS1 as well) had a slightly narrower hood than the RS3, because of a different prime mover.

But beyond all that, it seems to me that the majority of LS modelers are proudly ignorant of or indifferent to strict prototypical accuracy. Aside from the gauge issue, I've seen a number of models proudly built and displayed that have very little to do with 1:1 railroads, or even the fundamentals of railroading (and sometimes physics). Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining or judging, just stating what I've observed. The LS zeitgeist reminds me a lot of what one saw in HO scale in the early '50s. As such, a relatively expensive resin kit for converting an RS3 into a pseudo-RS1 would probably not be very well received, I suspect.


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## todd55whit (Jan 2, 2008)

Hi Rivette, 
I am one that would love to see a RS-1. As Kenneth may have already explained there are some very noticeable differences in the cab area. Fuel tank on the rs1 is a key spotting feature. As the Alco 1st generation diesel video states, the Rs1 is basically a alco switcher with a short hood added to a lengthened frame. The RS3 battery boxes are located under the walkway of the short hood. I don't believe this would work well for die hard alco lovers, it would easily be spotted in a conversion kit. Rs1's were originally designed for the Rock Island railroad by Alco. After doing so well, Alco added them to the locomotive line. I think this model would sell well in 1:29 being it is in the transition period from steam to diesel. I think it would be very easy for U*A to come out with this model, they already have half of it in the S4..


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## Scottychaos (Jan 2, 2008)

very different looking machines..
the RS2 and the RS3 are nearly identical..same body, minor external differences.
but the RS1 looks quite different from the RS2 and RS3..the RS1 is much more angular, the RS2 and RS3 are much "rounder"..
the RS1 has basically the same body style as the S1, S2, S3, S4 switcher, with an extended nose.

Alco S1:









Alco RS1:









Alco RS3:









Scot


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## rwjenkins (Jan 2, 2008)

Considering that USA Trains has already done most of the bodywork in the form of the S4 shell, all that would really be needed for a resin conversion kit would be a new short hood, fuel tank, cab rear/front wall (facing the short hood), and plain journals for the trucks.


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## Scottychaos (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By rwjenkins on 20 Jun 2011 11:29 AM 
Considering that USA Trains has already done most of the bodywork in the form of the S4 shell, all that would really be needed for a resin conversion kit would be a new short hood, fuel tank, cab rear/front wall (facing the short hood), and plain journals for the trucks. 




I have considered doing that!
(bashing a USA Train S4 into a RS1)
but actually, the trucks are not the same size..
the S4 runs on AAR Type A trucks, with a wheelbase of 8 feet.
The RS1 runs on AAR type B trucks, with a wheelbase of 9 feet, 4 inches..
At a glance, they look about the same, but the S4 trucks wouldnt look right under an RS1..too small.

Aristocraft RS3 trucks however could go under a RS1..

Scot


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## todd55whit (Jan 2, 2008)

I would settle for a conversion kit, however I really would buy a few RS1's. (are you listening US* T**ins???)


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## mgilger (Feb 22, 2008)

Maybe some day either USA or AristoCraft will have an RS1, but I doubt if it will be any time soon. 


Mark
*http://mmg-garden-rr.webs.com*


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## Randy Stone (Jan 2, 2008)

Great responses guys. 

I've learned a lot about RS1, RS3 and a little about S4s. 

With what Jenkins and Scotty have mentioned, it seem rather strange that no one has come forth with a resin kit. 

Just look at the E8 B-units being built from two A-Units. 

No it may be cost retrictive for some, but I can't believe there isn't somone out there that wants an RS1 bad enough to make the mold then capitalise on it by selling shells to others. 

Either way, I've learned a lot and thank you all for responding to my thread


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## Scottychaos (Jan 2, 2008)

A conversion kit would be possible..although its more than just the nose.
you would also need to extend the frame, and the trucks would be the biggest problem.
open these two drawings in two seperate browser windows:

Alco S4

Alco RS1

then toggle between them..you can see the differences.
IMO the S4 trucks just wouldnt look good under the RS1..a conversion kit would have to have new trucks,
(the only good option is the Aristocraft RS3 trucks) which would complicate it quite a bit..
probably easy enough for one person to do on a personal kitbash, but probably pretty difficult to incorportate into a "conversion kit" to sell..


Scot


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## Randy Stone (Jan 2, 2008)

OK, so the conversion would be quite an undertaking. 

So help me understand the headlights on the RS1,2 and 3/ 

It looks like the RS1s had a big single light while some of the RS2 and all the RS3s had two smaller lights in the same bucket. 

But what about the verticle and hoizontal headlight arangements of the dual lights? 

Was this determined by the railroad that owned the specific RS model or maybe the mechanich aranged the lights to his liking? 

I have two Aristo Craft B&O Critters. 

One has the lights aranged verticaly while the other has them set side by side horizonally. 

My two RS3s both have the dual lights side by side horizontaly


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## Scottychaos (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By rlvette on 21 Jun 2011 04:30 PM 
OK, so the conversion would be quite an undertaking. 

So help me understand the headlights on the RS1,2 and 3/ 

It looks like the RS1s had a big single light while some of the RS2 and all the RS3s had two smaller lights in the same bucket. 



Thats "railroad specific"..not model specific..
different railroads could order different lights, and they would also change styles over time, for whatever reasons..

there is no one specific light style per locomotive model..

Scot


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## rwjenkins (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Scottychaos on 20 Jun 2011 12:04 PM 
(bashing a USA Train S4 into a RS1)
but actually, the trucks are not the same size..
the S4 runs on AAR Type A trucks, with a wheelbase of 8 feet.
The RS1 runs on AAR type B trucks, with a wheelbase of 9 feet, 4 inches..
At a glance, they look about the same, but the S4 trucks wouldnt look right under an RS1..too small.

Aristocraft RS3 trucks however could go under a RS1..

That's basically what I was thinking, start with the Aristo RS3 (trucks, frame, mechanism, etc.) and just replace the shell with a USA S4 shell, plus the other scratchbuilt (or hypothetical aftermarket) bits. I'd be really tempted to try this one myself, if I was a 1:29 guy.


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## fred j (Jan 12, 2011)

I like the RS1s myself, Always thought they were cool looking.

Fred


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## Chris France (Jan 3, 2008)

You mean like this?










This one was made by splicing two S-4s (including the frame as the RS-3 frame is not even close to an RS-1) with Aristo RS-3 trucks.


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## Randy Stone (Jan 2, 2008)

Hi Chris 

That is a great looking bash. 
I would think a modeler with minimal skills could perform this bash and have a realatively low cost compared to some of the other bashes I've seen done. 

What did you do with the left over parts?


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## Chris France (Jan 3, 2008)

I'm by no means a kitbasher or scratchbuilder. I talked to Wayne Yancey of New Haven G scale and he made it for me. He had plans to make some more last I knew, but was waiting for USA to do another run of S-4s so that he could get some more undecorateds.


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