RS3 in Stouffville, Ontario

Locomotive Move

By admin, October 6, 1996

One year effort moves a historic diesel railroad locomotive from Canada.

RS3 in Stouffville, Ontario

Alco RS3 in Stouffville, Ontario

In October 1996, I started a one-year effort for a volunteer group to move a historic diesel locomotive from Stouffville, Ontario back to the United States. The owner had offered the piece to the group, but other volunteers were unable to jump the many hurdles necessary to get it back across the boarder.

The deterioratedĀ Alco model RS3 locomotive had been wrecked and frozen while leased to a Domtar paper mill at Thunder Bay, Ontario and had significant mechanical issues to correct before it could move.

I made two trips to Canada, arranged for a contractor in Canada to perform necessary repairs, herded the unit through all the paperwork and logistics hurdles with multiple railroads and US customs, and got the locomotive to its new home.