A discussion about RSD-15s in the N scale Forum got me thinking about the origins of the six axle road diesel. From what I have gathered, it was developed for the US Army in WWII. They needed locomotives to send to Iran and the USSR as part of the Lend Lease program. However, they wanted something to spread the axle load out over light rail. In the environment of Iran especially, with its arid climate and lack of water, the steam locomotives undesirable. The Army requisitioned 13 RS-1s that had been delivered to American railroads and returned them to ALCO. They rebuilt them into RSD-1s #8000-8012 for use on the Trans Iranian Railroad. Basically all they did was swap out the B-B trucks for C-C. Here is a clip showing them in action. [video=youtube;Lq_HbiFtLEE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lq_HbiFtLEE[/video]
I have seen stills of these during the war, but never film of one in operation during the war. Very interesting find Russell.
I know the Rock Island had 5 or 6 ordered, but did any of the first RS-1s make it to their purchaser or had the War Department already requisitioned them from ALCo off the assembly line?
It looks like six Rock Island RS-1s were taken by the US Army to make RSD-1s. http://www.berail.be/usa/rs1/
