ALCO RS cab windows

[sirenwerks]

Why are the fireman's side windows on the RS/C2/3 models larger than the engineer's side?  It's not that way on the RS11, C420 etc. and I'm scratching my head as to why.  Was the smaller window on both sides an option? 

[peteski]

Why are the fireman's side windows on the RS/C2/3 models larger than the engineer's side?  It's not that way on the RS11, C420 etc. and I'm scratching my head as to why.  Was the smaller window on both sides an option?

So that the firemen could lean out farther out of the window. 

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I think it's because there's a second seat on that side for a head end brakeman.

[sirenwerks]

I know there was an option of fireman's seat location, one at the center of the three panels and one close to the cab wall.  The latter position makes the three panel useful but if the former's chosen as the position, the three panel window's kinda pointless, no?

[mandealco]

Did someone mention Alco's?

That sounds like a plausible answer, but not all Atlas RS-3's have the same window arrangement.  The Atlas Classics that I have, have a 2 pane side window on the engineer's side and a 3 pane window on the fireman's side.  Most of my RS-3's (and shells) are from the early Atlas/Kato batches, and there are 2 distinct versions of cab windows.  I have several with 2 panes either side, and a couple with the 2 and 3 pane windows.  Now over the years, a lot of my models have changed chassis, so there is a possibility that the RS-3's had the 2 & 3 pane windows, and the RSD models had the 2 panes either side.  Not sure, but there are differences.

I see some research coming.
Cheers
Steve

[AVR Mark]

I read somewhere that on the RS(C)-2 and the RS-3 (and RSD-4 and 5) each of the cab windows was different. This meant that the railroads had to stock multiple pieces of glass in order to maintain the units. Obviously, they must have complained to Alco, because later models had many more pieces of glass that were interchangeable. This would have lowered maintenance costs.

Mark

[sirenwerks]

Steve, I noticed the Atlas China parts with the two small pane cab windows on both sides.  But I've been looking at prototype photos and haven't found the smaller window yet.  I have found the larger three pane and a large window (same size as the three pane version) with two larger panes, but I haven't found any examples with the same window as the engineer's side (small two-pane).  Which is why I'm asking.  Which roads had this matched window version?

RS1 have the same larger size window on both sides.  And, while it doesn't count because of the rebuild status, the Milwaukee rebuilt RSC2 with chopped nose have the smaller windows - like the shops used a RS27 cab.

[mandealco]

I Googled (Images) "Alco RS-3" to check for variations.  Ran out of time before I came to any conclusions, but there are several styles of windows.  Always hard to find photos of both sides of the same loco.

I have modeled a CV RS-11 that has a 3 pane window on the fireman's side, long hood forward.  Looks like I need to look further for trends on this one.
Cheers
Steve

[Alwyn Cutmore]

I model the PRR and there are variations in the cab windows in some of the orders and without going back through the all my books I cannot for the life on me remember what was the reason. There were also variations in the long hood louveres and fuel tanks as well. If I remember correctly about the main spotting difference with the Bachmann model and the others is the orientation of the sealed headlights. I know that in order to get the headlights right for the Atlas model it has to be shaved off and made vertival. Then again RS3 4084 of the PRR had a single lamp headlamp similar to the RS1. The other differences were the location of the exhaust. The location changed when the water cooled the stack. Other differences were the type of number boards used.

So back to the origional question the series of the RS3 I do believe is the clue you are looking for. The history of your road will tell you that hopefully.

The diagram you inserted Ed is a great piece of reference materiel which I will store for later use.

Regards

Al

[sirenwerks]

I think it's because there's a second seat on that side for a head end brakeman.

From what I've read the two seats shown in the diagram are only for reference.  You didn't get both seats, it was an either or situation.  But there's not much to read about that specific so it could be wrong.  It would help if I could find the corresponding page from the ALCO manual that listed the numbers and their object reference, it might shed some light on that issue.