I don't think they ever wore the Red/Yellow. I can't find anything out from the web as to when they were retired. I've got a ton of pics and not one of them in R/Y, they had about every variation of the Maroon/Yellow applied.
This is about it for motive power in my collection. I do have a bunch more rolling stock. Some day, I want to model this train. TA 602 was out of service in on Feb. 7, 1938 when Rock Island 47 had to pull the Budd built train set for the Texas Rocket. This shot was taken at Houston Union Station.
Marre gives some information. Nothing on what happened to your 453. On one page he notes 451 survived at Blue Island until the end. But how? In service? Derelict/retired? Then 451, 456 and another RS3m going to Chrome Crankshaft in February of 1981.
He [Marre] mentions that there were actually two of the five that survived to the end and served as switchers in Chicago. Page 59, last paragraph. On page 60, he states that the 451 was one of the two that lasted until the end, then was sold to Chrome Crankshaft.
Here's some recent loot... Shorter fuel tanks, Nathan P5's, firecrackers, and some other details will be added in due time!
Ghengis, May I ask how you plan to shorten the fuel tanks on these? Cut the tanks and grind the chassis?
I will just cut to the appropriate length, use stryrene and filler and grind the frame with my dremel. I'll just use a gloss black for painting the trucks and fuel tanks so that they all match.
Got a call from my not so local hobby shop, my Rock Island paints are in. Soon as the holiday craziness is over I can get started on a new project, no thanks to you guys lol.
Since nobody answered this, I guess I will. The RS-2M series from 451-454 were all in the maroon and yellow scheme when retired, the only major paint difference between them are if the "Rock Island" words are in a line or stacked on the long hood. Nice SD40-2 btw.
Thank you for reminding me of this. Ooops. I did do some looking and what you found is the same thing I found. They only made it to the Maroon and Yellow with the lettering applied differently. It also looked as if only two lasted until the end and resided in Chicago for switching duties, one of which was the 451 according the Marre.
