Alco S2 O gauge diesel model?

[trainbrain]

Here's two.  Better hurry,  bid ends about 9 PM tonite.  Just click on the picture!

[Anonymous]

That's tempting.  I'll see what I can do used, but probably won't pay over 50-60% of new.

Glad to know they are available new, makes it not a worry deal, can do it later this year.

Jason

[3railguy]

$75 MSRP for a Klionel S-2 with 2 motors and a horn is a good deal. Street price would be around $60. Even though the proportions are off, the K-Line S-2 looks close an S-2.

[trainbrain]

Lionel IS making the K-Line S2 in the new catalog and the list price is only $74.99 with 2 mtrs & a horn.  Yikes!  Go to Lionel.com and view the K-Line catalog.

[trainbrain]

jw

I had it done about 12 years ago at a local hooby shop(LHS).  They knew a guy who did it for $50.  All I did was provide a picture of what I wanted and he did the rest. I had him do a 2nd because I was so pleased.  Check some of their work 1st and provide GOOD pictures.  Its worth it to me because its what I wanted.

[FJ and G]

JW,

Gloversville happens to be my hometown and I used to watch the FJ&G all the time (it ran 2 blocks from my house). August 1979 Model Railroader has an entire layout plan devoted to the FJ&G (plan, not layout). I have an out of print book titled "Trolleys Down the Mohawk Valley." I took photos of the line but they are tucked away in a box.

[Anonymous]

trainbrain,

who repainted yours, and what can I expect to pay for painting?

Thanks

[trainbrain]

Hi

This is an S2 engine by K-Line.  It was a NYC at one time but I had it repainted to what you see now.  Lionel owns K-Line now so maybe they'll make this again sometime.  Williams makes a similar size(little bigger) engine,  a NW2.  This is a repro of a Lionel NW2 from the 50's.

[Anonymous]

Thanks everyone,

After searcing, it seems the S-2 is indeed different than the RS-2, and it's different than the Steam Locomotive S2 also.

I think I'm gonna try and pick up a couple used K-lines and experiment with painting them. It will only take two engines to reproduce the whole fleet of engines.

Jason

[steinmike]

Folks:

Alco (in partnership with GE, and marketed as Alco-GE) did indeed produce a Model S-2 yard switcher (no relationship to the PRR steam engine) with a turbo-charged 1,000 hp diesel engine from around 1943 through 1949.  These engines were typically geared for yard work with a maximum speed of 45MPH.  General Motors (EMD) produced a similar unit, the NW2 (also with a 1,000 HP turbo-charged diesel engine) starting around 1947.  The NW2 has been modeled by Lionel and Williams, among others.

The NW2 is about the same size as the Alco-GE S-2, it's a little less boxy, and has a slant in the hood just before the cab.  If you're not really set on having an exact model of the S-2, a Williams NW2 would be a good choice.  They're fairly inexpensive and come equipped with two fly-wheel motors and a sound board.

The RS-2, by the way, was also produced by Alco-GE around 1948-1950 and was a road switcher (used for road service for both freight and passenger trains with a cab that permitted the crew to switch cars at industry spurs along the road).  The RS-2 was equipped with a 1,500HP turbo-charged diesel engine.  The freight-only models were typically geared for a maximum speed of 65MPH while the passenger units were geared for 85MPH and equipped with a steam generator to power and heat passenger cars.  The RS-2 was about 10' longer than the S-2 and visually very similar to the later RS-3.

I haven't measured a Lionel RS-3 against the diagrams in Edson's "New York Central System Diesel Locomotives" but I think it's pretty close to being scale.

Hope this helps.

Mike   

[lionelsoni]

Actually, I believe the S2 is an actual Alco locomotive distinct from the RS2.

[phillyreading]

You probably know this; but, just to be safe, let me say that S2 was also the designation of the PRR steam-turbine locomotive, which Lionel and others have made innumerable models of.  I wouldn't want you to wind up with one of those if you're expecting a Diesel.

Bob,

You are right about that, the correct model is an RS-2 diesel and not an S-2, as an S-2 is the Pennsy steam loco.   Took me a few minutes to think about that!

Lee F.

[lionelsoni]

You probably know this; but, just to be safe, let me say that S2 was also the designation of the PRR steam-turbine locomotive, which Lionel and others have made innumerable models of.  I wouldn't want you to wind up with one of those if you're expecting a Diesel.

[phillyreading]

If you want an S-2 diesel I think that Atlas Trains is selling an S-2 that is scale, not a low priced unit compared to K-Line.

Other possible ways to buy an S-2 is to go to a train show and buy one used or buy one from Williams Trains if they make an S-2.

Lee F.

[daan]

I've a very old K-line S-2, but compared to what it should look like it can't be called S-2, since proportional it doesn't look like it, even from a distance. Only the two trucks and the hood/cab configuration is like an S-2, but the hood is too high and too wide, the wheels and trucks are too big. It is however a cheap engine, bought it for 35 dollars and it has quite a bit of power.

If you want it to look like an S-2, better search for another option or get a jigsaw and some plastic board for bashing it..

[wchrisyoung]

I have both the Lionel and MTH Alco S2.   Both are great engines.  I use them for all my yard switching on my layout.   MTH's did a good job with the engine sounds and it is one of my favorites for sounds from MTH.  

Chris

[Anonymous]

Both Lionel and MTH have done the S2 recently. Both appear to be great renditions. Lionel has also done an S4 but I don't really know what the differences are. The Lionel version of the S2 features fixed pilots for a very "2-rail scale" look. You can occasionally find them on E-bay for less than 300 with cruise.
Mike

[Anonymous]

3railguy,

Thanks, I searched and searched on google this afternoon, to no avail, why it didn't work I don't know, but if you put in "S2" on Lionel's site, you get zero results, you have to put in

"S-2", then it works.  Now that I know I can get an engine, on the next challenge, copying the paint scheme.  Looks like the real engine was actually produced only about an hour from where it ended up in service.

I'll keep my eyes open for a used one, maybe that needs repainting!!

 Jason

[3railguy]

Lionel makes a really nice scale S4 switcher which looks very close to an S2 and I think they call some of them S2's. K Line made an 027 S2 form old Marx tooling. It is not as nice as the Lionel but it's less than $100. 

 Lionel makes 027 RS-3's and they can be found for less than $100. K-Line also made RS-3's and I think MTH does to if I'm not mistaken. K-Line and MTH are closer to scale than the Lionel model.

[Anonymous]

My wife and I were discussing the model railroad today.  I told her I wanted to make up a trian similiar that I used to see as a kid, mine would be "Southern" (not Norfolk Southern, but it came a couple years later), soem Southern Boxcars, and a few other odds & ends.

My wife tells me hers.  Well, here's a link:

http://fjgrr.org/diesels/diesel2.html

The Fonda, Johnstown, and Gloversville Railroad.  No. 20 and 21 (Alco S2?, I'm really not a railroad guy, I just thought it would be neat to ressurect my train for my Children, so I have no clue what engines are what, etc).  Now, I know I won't find one painted that way, but did anyone make an S2 in O-gauge?  If I can get one, I'd either have someone try and duplicate it (which I would prefer, I really don't have the time at this point in my life) or as a last resort, do it myself.

So, any diesels that look like that been made in O gauge?