by Jack Hughes/photos by the author except as noted
Built by Alco’s Canadian affiliate, Montreal Locomotive Works, in 1957, the RSD-17 was truly one of a kind. After testing on Canadian Pacific as 7007, Canadian National as 3899, and Pacific Great Eastern as 624, it returned to CP, where it spent the rest of its career as 8921. There, regular operator Pete Fairfull nicknamed it “The Empress of Agincourt.”
Unlike Alco’s American-built RSD-15, which saw 75 examples produced, the MLW version never advanced beyond the single demonstrator. Despite its 2,400-hp, V-16 251B prime mover, the design failed to attract additional orders from CP or anyone else. That did not discourage MLW, and later Bombardier, from continuing locomotive production for decades to come.
Perhaps CP’s willingness to acquire the lone RSD-17 was influenced by its recent purchase of 24 H24-66 Train Masters from Fairbanks-Morse. (We may never know.) In 1988, CP rebuilt 8921 with a chopped short hood — not unlike what it had done with its RS-18 fleet — extending its already-long career until retirement in 1995. Today, this unique diesel locomotive is preserved at the Elgin County Railway Museum in St. Thomas, Ont.
Despite its unpopularity among railroads, it has thrilled model railroad enthusiasts like myself for ages, though I miss seeing her in regular service on the St. Luc – Hochelaga job. I always felt lucky as a child going to railfan in Montreal in the early 1980s and seeing her and many other MLWs.
I’ve been modeling for well over 40 years, focusing on Canadian Pacific, Canadian National, Central Vermont, Boston & Maine, Maine Central, and New Haven. My railroad represents the territory from roughly Chicopee, Mass., to Sherbrooke, Que., between 1968 and 1980.
CP 8921 never really fit the time or place I model, but it has always held a special place in my heart. Then one evening I found myself browsing eBay — you know how that goes, not really looking for anything in particular — when an undecorated Broadway Limited RSD-15 appeared in an unrelated search. The “Buy It Now” price was $99, and I immediately pictured CP 8921.
I bought it on the spot and, like any new project, started digging through my detail parts bins, comparing the model with prototype photos, and enjoying that familiar excitement of figuring out what would need to be changed. I already had other projects on the bench, but this one was going straight to the front of the line.
Getting Started
First, it is worth remembering that this is an older plastic model that I purchased for $99. I knew from the start that some compromises would be necessary, and that it would never match the prototype in every detail. Still, it provided an excellent starting point for the project.
Some of the more noticeable differences between the model and CP 8921 included the end notches, fuel tank, grab iron placement, and handrails. I decided to begin by filling the existing grab iron holes and end notches with putty.
I also decided it would be easier to remove the headlight at this stage, which made the filling and sanding much simpler. It also gave me the option to reinstall the headlight later, after the decal stripes were in place.
After several rounds of sanding, reapplying putty, and sanding again, I was ready to add the class lights. I used some fine brass tubing I had on hand, cutting four pieces about .125” long. Using prototype photos as a guide, I drilled four holes by eye where the markers looked most accurate. The tubing was inserted nearly flush with the exterior, leaving a fine lip around each opening.
As an added benefit, if I ever decide to illuminate the class lights, the tubing will make it easy to install small LEDs from inside the shell…
