The ALCO S-2 and S-4 were

diesel electric Diesel may refer to: * Diesel engine, an internal combustion engine where ignition is caused by compression * Diesel fuel, a liquid fuel used in diesel engines * Diesel locomotive, a railway locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engin ...

switcher A switcher, shunter, yard pilot, switch engine, yard goat, or shifter is a small railroad locomotive used for manoeuvring railroad cars inside a rail yard in a process known as ''switching'' (US) or ''shunting'' (UK). Switchers are not inten ...

s produced by

ALCO The American Locomotive Company (often shortened to ALCO, ALCo or Alco) was an American manufacturer of locomotives, diesel generators, steel, and tanks that operated from 1901 to 1969. The company was formed by the merger of seven smaller locomo ...

and Canadian licensee

Montreal Locomotive Works Montreal Locomotive Works (MLW) was a Canadian railway locomotive manufacturer which existed under several names from 1883 to 1985, producing both steam and diesel locomotives. For a number of years it was a subsidiary of the American Locomotive ...

(MLW). Powered by turbocharged, 6-cylinder ALCO 539

diesel engines The diesel engine, named after Rudolf Diesel, is an internal combustion engine in which ignition of the fuel is caused by the elevated temperature of the air in the cylinder due to mechanical compression; thus, the diesel engine is a so-calle ...

, the two locomotives differed mainly in their

trucks A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo, carry specialized payloads, or perform other utilitarian work. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, but the vast majority feature body-on-frame construction ...

: the S-2 had ALCO "Blunt" trucks; the S-4,

AAR type A switcher truck AAR Type A trucks were first introduced with EMD locomotives sold in 1935; they were a success, became standard on EMD switchers into the 1970s, and were also used on various other makers' locomotives. Their initial design was a collaboration ...

s. A total of 1,502 S-2s were built from August 1940 to June 1950; 797 S-4s were built from June 1949 to August 1957. The S-4 was first produced in Canada, with ALCO production beginning in June 1949. The S-2 and S-4 were designed as rail yard switchers, meant to replace older, less efficient, and more demanding steam switchers. They were a success, with many remaining in service today. The locomotives' exterior was styled by ALCO engineer Ray Patten, who used curves in a mild application of

Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before World War I), and flourished in the Unite ...

principles. The S-2 and S-4 are distinguishable externally from the very similar S-1 and S-3 660 hp (492 kW) switchers in that they have a larger exhaust stack with an oblong base and a larger radiator shutter area on the nose sides. The S-1/S-3 radiator shutter area is taller than it is wide, while the S-2/S-4 radiator area is wider. The larger stack is due to turbocharging. The carbody and cab of late S-2s are nearly indistinguishable from those of S-4s. Hence, a truck swap can cause many to misidentify a unit.

Survivors

A few S-2s and S-4s are still in service on short line railroads around the United States. Several more are preserved in U.S. and Canadian railroad museums.

Operable

Conrad Yelvington Distributors, an aggregate supplier in Orlando, Florida, owns and operates six S-2 locomotives and one S-4 locomotive. The S-2's include former C&O 5029, B&O 516 Ontario Northland 1202 and 1201, and Seaboard Air Lane 1428 and 1431. They are now Conrad Yelvington locomotives 224, 238, 239, 251, 317, and 366, respectively. The S-4, formerly C&O 5105, is now Conrad Yelvington locomotive 365. The

Oil Creek and Titusville Railroad The Oil Creek and Titusville Railroad is a tourist railroad that runs from Titusville to Rynd Farm north of Oil City in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The Oil Creek and Titusville Lines is the designated operator of the railroad, as well as ...

operates S-2s #75 and #85 on its

tourist Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tours. The World Tourism Organization defines tourism mo ...

freight Cargo consists of bulk goods conveyed by water, air, or land. In economics, freight is cargo that is transported at a freight rate for commercial gain. ''Cargo'' was originally a shipload but now covers all types of freight, including transp ...

railroad. The Toledo, Lake Erie, and Western owns three ALCO S-2 locomotives and one ALCO S-4. TLEW 62, a S-2 purchased in 2012, ex. Delray Cement 62, TLEW 112, a S-2 that was part of the original TLEW roster, now reduced to a parts unit as of 2010, TLEW 5109, a S-4, and the only operating ALCO on the line currently. 5109 recently was repainted into its original Chesapeake and Ohio colors in September 2013. An ALCO S-2 built in 1946 was serving the Columbia & Reading Railway as #2-26 in

Columbia, Pennsylvania Columbia, formerly Wright's Ferry, is a borough (town) in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 10,222. It is southeast of Harrisburg, on the east (left) bank of the Susquehanna River, acr ...

, during 2019 after first operating on the C&O as #5015 and later on six other railroads. ALCo S-2 -484 North Alabama Railroad Museum

The

North Alabama Railroad Museum The North Alabama Railroad Museum, Inc. is a railroad museum in Chase, Alabama. The museum, incorporated in 1966, is an all volunteer organization. The museum has a collection of rolling stock, a small train station, and a small heritage railroa ...

Huntsville, Alabama Huntsville is a city in Madison County, Limestone County, and Morgan County, Alabama, United States. It is the county seat of Madison County. Located in the Appalachian region of northern Alabama, Huntsville is the most populous city in t ...

runs one S-2 in regular tourist excursions, Mercury & Chase #213. It also owns another S-2, Mercury & Chase #484, which returned to service with #213 in 2018. The museum also has ex-Santa Fe #1534, an ALCO S-4 that is not in service. The

San Francisco Bay Railroad The San Francisco Belt Railroad was a short-line railroad along the Embarcadero in San Francisco, California. It began as the State Belt Railroad in 1889, and was renamed when the city bought the Port of San Francisco in 1969. As a state owned ...

, the short-line railroad for the

Port of San Francisco The Port of San Francisco is a semi-independent organization that oversees the port facilities at San Francisco, California, United States. It is run by a five-member commission, appointed by the Mayor and approved by the Board of Supervisors. Th ...

, operates S-2s #23 and #25 from the San Francisco Belt Line Railroad. An S-2 of D&RGW heritage survives on the

Big South Fork Scenic Railway The Big South Fork Scenic Railway is a heritage railroad in Stearns, Kentucky. The route runs for 16 miles (26 km) through lush countryside in the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area. There is a stop in the historic coal minin ...

, as number 102. It was purchased in February 1964 for the

Kentucky and Tennessee Railway Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...

, and is in operable condition in

Stearns, Kentucky Stearns is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in McCreary County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 1,365 at the 2020 census. It was founded by Justus Smith Stearns. Geography Stearns is located in south-cent ...

. This was one of the diesels that replaced Southern 2-8-2 #4501 on the K&T. Southern Pacific 1474 is in operation, in rotation, at th
Orange Empire Railway Museum
in

Perris, California Perris is an old railway city in Riverside County, California, United States, located east-southeast of Los Angeles and north of San Diego. It is known for Lake Perris, an artificial lake, skydiving, and its sunny dry climate. Perris is wit ...

, pulling a tourist train on weekends. The

Cooperstown and Charlotte Valley Railroad The Cooperstown and Charlotte Valley Railroad Company is a heritage railroad in New York, operated by the Leatherstocking Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society (NRHS) since 1996. History In 1865, the Articles of Association for the ...

operates a pair of restored ex-

Canadian National The Canadian National Railway Company (french: Compagnie des chemins de fer nationaux du Canada) is a Canadian Class I railroad, Class I freight railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, which serves Canada and the Midwestern United States, M ...

units S-4 #3051 (formally CN #8181) and S-7 #3052 (formally CN #8223). In 2017, they had acquired the former

Concord and Claremont Railroad The Concord and Claremont Railroad was an American railroad company during the mid-nineteenth century in New Hampshire spanning from Concord to Claremont. History Chartered on June 24, 1848, the Concord and Claremont Railroad was established and ...

ALCO S-4 units S-4 #102 (formally D&H #3050) and S-4 #104 (formally D&H #3036). As of 2020, all but #104 were operational on the tourist passenger and

maintenance of way Maintenance of way (commonly abbreviated to MOW) refers to the maintenance, construction, and improvement of rail infrastructure, including Railway track, tracks, ballast, grade, and lineside infrastructure such as Railway signal, signals and sign ...

services between Milford and

Cooperstown, New York Cooperstown is a village in and county seat of Otsego County, New York, United States. Most of the village lies within the town of Otsego, but some of the eastern part is in the town of Middlefield. Located at the foot of Otsego Lake in the C ...

. S-7 #3052 is thought to be the last S-7 built that is still in operation The

West Chester Railroad The West Chester Railroad is a privately owned and operated tourist railroad that runs between Market Street in West Chester, Pennsylvania, in Chester County, and the village of Glen Mills, Pennsylvania, in Delaware County. It operates on of ...

#3 is an ALCO S-2 built in 1949 for the

Baltimore and Ohio Railroad The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was the first common carrier railroad and the oldest railroad in the United States, with its first section opening in 1830. Merchants from Baltimore, which had benefited to some extent from the construction of ...

as # 9115. It was owned by Rohm & Haas and numbered #3. It was damaged by freezing and was bought by the Wilmington and Western where it was rebuilt. It was then swapped for an SW600 by its present owner at the West Chester Railroad. It is not currently in service. The coal-hauling Beech Mountain Railroad in

Alexander, West Virginia Alexander is an unincorporated community in Upshur County, West Virginia, United States. Alexander is located on County Route 11 and the Buckhannon River The Buckhannon River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolu ...

, rosters an S-2 (#113) and an S-4 (#115). Both were built new for Michigan Limestone and Chemical Company. The

Minnesota, Dakota and Western Railway Minnesota Dakota and Western Railway is a shortline railroad operating 4 miles of track between International Falls and Ranier, Minnesota as well as between International Falls and Fort Frances, Ontario via the Fort Frances – International ...

operates five S-2 locomotives, MD&W 16, 17, 18, 19, and 20, which were formerly B&O 512, Y&N 220, Toledo Terminal 103, B&O 500, and Northern Pacific 716, respectively. In the mid-1960s,

Hamersley Iron Pilbara Iron is a wholly owned subsidiary of the multinational Rio Tinto Group, that manages assets for Hamersley Iron Pty Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Rio Tinto, and Robe River Iron Associates, an unincorporated joint venture between Rio ...

purchased an S-2 for use in the

Pilbara The Pilbara () is a large, dry, thinly populated region in the north of Western Australia. It is known for its Aboriginal peoples; its ancient landscapes; the red earth; and its vast mineral deposits, in particular iron ore. It is also a glo ...

region of

Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...

Other

Western Pacific 563, one of two S-4s purchased by that railroad, is today preserved at the

Western Pacific Railroad Museum The Western Pacific Railroad Museum (WPRM) in Portola, California, known as the Portola Railroad Museum until January 1, 2006, is a heritage railroad and archives that preserves and operates historic American railroad equipment and preserves docu ...

Portola, California Portola ( ) is the only incorporated city in Plumas County, California, United States. The population was 2,104 at the 2010 census, down from 2,227 at the 2000 census. Portola is located on the Middle Fork of the Feather River and was named afte ...

. Erie Railroad S-2 518 is at The Meadville Railroad Depot Museum.

New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway The New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway (or New York, Susquehanna and Western Railroad and also known as the Susie-Q or the Susquehanna) is a Class II American freight railway operating over 400 miles (645 km) of track in th ...

S-2 #206 sits cosmetically restored at Maywood Station in

Maywood, New Jersey Maywood is a borough in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 9,555,Muskogee, Oklahoma Muskogee () is the thirteenth-largest city in Oklahoma and the county seat of Muskogee County. Home to Bacone College, it lies approximately southeast of Tulsa. The population of the city was 36,878 as of the 2020 census, a 6.0 percent decrease ...

, at the Three Rivers Museum, a S-2 #63-138 sits behind the Midland Valley Station. The Houston Railroad Museum in Houston, Texas, has two S-2s: ex-Santa Fe #2350 and ex-Houston Belt and Terminal #14. The Gold Coast Railway Museum possesses NASA S-2 #1, which was used to switch freight at NASA's Kennedy Space Center.

References

*Dorin, Patrick C. (1972). Chicago and North Western Power. Burbank, California: Superior Publishing. p. 136. ISBN 0-87564-715-4. *Pinkepank, Jerry A. (1973). The Second Diesel Spotter's Guide. Kalmbach Publishing Co., Milwaukee, WI. p. 224. ISBN 0-89024-026-4. *Toppan, Andrew et al.
Alco/MLW S-2 Roster
'. Retrieved on 29 December 2005. *Toppan, Andrew et al.
Alco/MLW S-4 Roster
'. Retrieved on 29 December 2005. *Steinbrenner, Richard T. (2003). The American Locomotive Company: A Centennial Remembrance. On Track Publishers LLC, New Brunswick, NJ. ISBN 0-911122-07-9. {{DEFAULTSORT:Alco S-02 and S-04 S-02 and S-4 B-B locomotives Diesel locomotives of the United States Diesel locomotives of Western Australia S-02 and S-4 Railway locomotives introduced in 1949 Railway locomotives introduced in 1940 Standard gauge locomotives of Canada Standard gauge locomotives of the United States Standard gauge locomotives of Mexico Standard gauge locomotives of Australia Diesel-electric locomotives of Australia Diesel-electric locomotives of Canada Diesel-electric locomotives of Mexico Diesel-electric locomotives of the United States

Survivors

Operable

Other

See also

References