Comments on: CASCO RS3 NJ 1548 passes St. Pauls Church in Cardinal Ontario, enroute to the starch plant on the waterfront on the spur from CN’s Kingston Sub (branches off at Mile 104.59). Formerly known as the Canada Starch Company (CASCO), the plant is now “Ingredion Corn Products”. They have had a wide variety of switchers over the years, ranging from small GE centre cabs to 70-tonners to Alco switchers, a GMD-1, an MP15AC (currently), and pictured here, their RS3m. Originally built by Alco in 1953 as CNJ RS3 1548, it was assimilated into Conrail, who re-engined it with a 1200hp EMD 567 (as CR 9937) under the “DeWitt Geep” program. It went to West Shore Line as their 93 after, and was acquired by dealer Andrew Merrilees, who sold it to CASCO in 2001. Operating with her original number restored as “NJ 1548″, the RS3m ran until ex-CN GMD-1 1105 replaced it (acquired from Diesel Electric Services in Sudbury ON in 2007). 1548 was cut up for scrap in 2008.

By: MrDan

MrDan — Thu, 02 Apr 2015 04:23:23 +0000

A pity it was scrapped. Someone went through the trouble of restoring the original roofline to that unit (complete with original ALCO exhaust stack, and a small skinny one for the second from the 567). The DeWitt Geeps had a funky cowling bump in the middle of the hood and two EMD-style switcher exhausts, including 1548 when she was CR 9937. It looks like they might have also recessed the dual EMD style fans under the Alco fan housing too.