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| MLW RS-18 | |
|---|---|
| Name | MLW RS-18 |
| Powertype | Diesel-electric |
| Builder | Montreal Locomotive Works |
| Builddate | 1956–1968 |
| Totalproduction | 150 |
| Aarwheels | B-B |
| Gauge | 1,435 mm (standard gauge) |
| Primemover | ALCO 251B |
| Poweroutput | 1,800 hp |
| Operator | Canadian National Railway, Canadian Pacific Railway, Société de chemin de fer de la Gaspésie, Via Rail Canada |
MLW RS-18 is a diesel-electric road switcher built by Montreal Locomotive Works during the late 1950s and 1960s for North American freight and passenger service. The design combined the ALCO 251-series prime mover with a road-switcher carbody that appealed to railways like Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Railway. As a successor to earlier ALCO RS-11 and MLW RS-10 models, it served on mainline and branch duties and influenced later Canadian locomotive development.
The RS-18 originated from a collaboration between Montreal Locomotive Works and American Locomotive Company engineers who adapted the ALCO 251 family used in ALCO RS-11 and MLW RS-10 designs, integrating lessons from General Motors Electro-Motive Division and Baldwin Locomotive Works competitors. Initial design reviews involved procurement officers from Canadian National Railway, Canadian Pacific Railway, and Société Nationale des Chemins de fer Français observers studying interchangeability, crew ergonomics, and trailer air brake compatibility inspired by standards from Association of American Railroads committees. Prototype testing occurred at Montreal facilities and on field trials across Ontario, Quebec, and transcontinental routes tied to Trans-Canada Railway operations, with instrumentation traced back to practices used in Union Pacific and Southern Pacific trials.
The RS-18 used the ALCO 251B prime mover producing 1,800 horsepower, driving a main alternator and GE or MLW traction motors arranged in a B-B wheel configuration like precedents set by ALCO RS-3 and EMD GP9. The locomotive featured dynamic braking options influenced by CP Rail requirements and braking systems interoperable with AAR standards and WABCO equipment. The carbody accommodated a short hood and long hood crew layout comparable to RS-series conventions; fuel capacity matched branch line duties similar to GMD GP18 and EMD SD7 counterparts. Control stands and electrical cabinets integrated relays and circuit breakers modeled after Westinghouse Air Brake Company designs, while cooling systems reflected practices from General Electric and Fairbanks-Morse developments.
MLW built approximately 150 RS-18 units between 1956 and 1968, with major buyers including Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Railway, and later second-hand sales to regional operators such as Société de chemin de fer de la Gaspésie and private short lines affiliated with Iron Road Railways. Units were leased or sold to passenger carriers like Via Rail Canada during fleet renewals influenced by policies from Transport Canada. Some locomotives entered industrial service with mining companies linked to Inco and timber operators near Newfoundland and Labrador and British Columbia.
RS-18s served on freight and mixed trains across Canada, from British Columbia mainlines to Quebec branch lines, and occasionally on cross-border duties tied to Grand Trunk corridors. During the transition era of dieselization following Canadian Pacific Railway and Canadian National Railway retirements of steam assets, RS-18s participated in grain, coal, and lumber traffic and were seen on passenger relief services for Via Rail during equipment shortages. Some units were involved in yard switching at terminals such as Toronto Union Station approaches and Montreal Central Station connections, and others handled transcontinental block freights across routes managed by Canadian National divisions.
Operators implemented multiple modifications: cab retrofits for crashworthiness prompted by regulatory trends influenced by Transport Canada and Federal Railroad Administration guidance; upgraded cooling and exhaust after retrofits modeled on ALCO 251C improvements; and conversions to multiple-unit (MU) standards compatible with systems used by Electro-Motive Division locomotives. Some RS-18s received head-end power conversions to support Via Rail coaches, while industrial owners refitted units with heavier duty air compressors and reinforced trucks similar to conversions seen on GMD rebuild programs. Rebuilds paralleled efforts undertaken by shops such as Service de Matériel facilities and private firms like GATX subsidiaries.
Several RS-18s survive in museums and heritage railways, preserved by organizations including Canadian Railway Museum and regional museums near Montreal and Toronto, with operational examples on tourist lines akin to those run by Fort Erie Railway and West Coast Railway Association. Notable preserved units include former Canadian National Railway road numbers displayed at anniversaries commemorating dieselization and exhibited alongside steam-era exhibits honoring figures such as Sir John A. Macdonald and events like Confederation centennials. Heritage groups have used surviving RS-18s for filming projects and public education much like preservation efforts involving CP Rail 2816 and CN 3254 restorations.
Category:Diesel-electric locomotives of Canada Category:Montreal Locomotive Works locomotives