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Product Review: USA Trains S4 Switcher
Feb 15, 2006
By Noel Widdifield
LSOL.com Managing Editor |
Author
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Had you been an executive for a railroad in the 1940's you would have been very interested in the new diesel switchers that were being offered by the traditional steam locomotive producers.
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Had you been an executive for a railroad in the 1940's you would have been very interested in the new diesel switchers that were being offered by the traditional steam locomotive producers. Steam was still predominant on American railroads, but the diesel was attracting attention as a replacement for steam switchers and the steam locomotive builders were offering diesels as an alternative. The American Locomotive Company (ALCO), as one of the top three manufacturers of locomotives, offered a 660 horsepower (hp) normally aspirated model, the S-1, and a turbo-charged 1000 hp model, the S-2 beginning in 1939. These were logical follow-on's to ALCO's line of high-hood, end-cab diesel switchers first offered in 1932. 
These locomotives quickly became one of the most popular diesel switchers on American railroads. During World War II, locomotive manufacturers were restricted in the types of locomotives they could produce. ALCO built only the S series switcher and the RS series road switcher diesels during the war. The War Production Board directed ALCO to focus mostly on building steam locomotives in great numbers. Even with this restriction, ALCO produced one hundred eighty-six, 660 hp and six hundred fifty, 1000 hp S series diesel switchers from 1942 to 1945. They produced 443 of the RS series in that same time frame. After the war, demand for diesels for all locomotive use shot up dramatically. ALCO, along with the other steam locomotive producers, designed many new models to meet that demand. In 1946, ALCO introduced its FA/B's 1500 HP models and their big brother PA/B's 2000 HP models to compete with EMD's F and E model freight and passenger units. At that time ALCO also made improvements to the S line of switchers and introduced an improved S-4 model.
The S-4's competition was from EMD's SW and NW series, Baldwin's VO, DS and S-series, and Fairbanks Morse's H10-44's and H20-44's. In 1947, ALCO captured 42 percent of the diesel market with the S-series and RS series leading the production totals. By 1950, ALCO's model 539-engined S-series switcher had been in production for just over 10 years. Only minor changes had been made to them during this period. Those changes had included radiator shutter assemblies and the addition of exhaust stacks to reduce the amount of exhaust emissions entering the cab. In 1950, the rough-riding Blunt truck was replaced with GSC rigid bolster truck, rivet assembly was replaced with welded assembly and rubber moldings were added to all windows. At this point, ALCO designated the 660 hp model the S-3 and the 1000 hp model the S-4. The S-4 shown here has the characteristic black smoke that lets you know it is an ALCO product. Many railroaders said that ALCO diesels smoked just like ALCO steam engines. 
In later years, the 660 hp S-3 was upgraded to 800 hp and designated the S-5 and an S-6 loco was introduced completing the long line of the S-series for ALCO.
The S-4 continued to be produced, along with the S-5 and S-6 and all were eventually replaced by the T-6. 
The T-6 was labeled as a transfer-switching locomotive; hence, it was classified as a "T" rather than an "S" locomotive. The S-5 and S-6 were only sold in small numbers and the S series production ended in 1960 with over 1500 produced. The S-4 was in production for just seven years (1950 to 1957), and 618 units were built in that time period. It was sold to a large number of railroads. Excellent source documents on the ALCO S-series include The American Locomotive Company & A Centennial Remembrance by Richard T. Steinbrenner and New York Central System Diesel Locomotives by William D. Edson, H.L Vail Jr. and C.M. Smith. 
USA Trains chose to model the S-4 for their latest diesel switcher offering. 
The S-4 dimensions are 19 inches long over the couplers and 6 1/16th inches from the rail tops to the top of the cab roof. It weighs about 7 pounds. My two S-4s arrived from SanVal where I had them equipped with Phoenix sound systems. They came in the red, white and blue USA Trains boxes. 
The locomotives were packed in thick Styrofoam clamshell packaging. 
They came from the box, ready-to-run with only the handrails needing to be attached.
Each locomotive was packaged with the usual USA Trains "owners manual" 
The manual gives a short history of the S-4, describes the loco's features, provides directions for installing the hand rails, provides info on operation, lubrication and includes a replacement parts list and diagram. My locomotives were painted in the black and white New York Central color scheme (numbers 8593 & 8594) found on some of the NYC switchers in the late 60's. They had the white side deck sides and large NYC logo of that period. 
The painting and lettering are very well done. Since my railroad is set in 1954, I will need to paint the deck sides black and remove the large logo. The NYC received a total of 78 of the S-4's, which they labeled DES-11K's & L's. About half of them went to the P&LE and the rest to the parent, NYC.
The locomotive is an accurate model of the S-4 and is injection-molded-plastic with all details added on rather than molded in. It has the dual-motored, 8-wheel powered drive train and slide bar pickups that are found on USA Trains other recent diesels. 
There are a fan-driven smoke unit, front and rear directional headlights, metal handrails, interior cab details and lighting, two engineer figures, operating cab doors, diamond plate walkways, step grating, window shades, sliding windows and see-through grills. 
This engine is proportioned exactly to the prototype. It measures a scale 14' 8" from the rails to the top of the cab making it 8' taller than the USA Trains F-3 shown in these pictures. 
It is little more than 45 scale feet long over the couplers. The detail is excellent as can be seen in the smokestack, handrails and horn. 
The windows, hatches, doors and other details are very accurate and beautifully done. 
After putting it on the rails and giving it a short test run, I installed the handrails and coupler lift bars. The coupler lift bars diameter required that I drill out the holes for installation. I used a small file for this job to ream out the holes so that the lift bars would fit for installation. 
Installing the end handrails also required the same enlargement of the holes. Like the end handrails, they went in easily. 
The side handrails were simply inserted into the proper holes and the result was excellent. 
The loco runs very smoothly and starts with minimum power. The top speed is a little faster than the prototype 60 MPH. (The NYC restricted the S-4 to 45 MPH.) Mine pulled 20 freight cars with no problem, which is more than what they should be called on to pull. Since I have no grades on my railroad, I don't know how it pulls on hills. The headlights are LED's and are very bright, even in daylight. 
The trucks are very nicely detailed and appear to be accurate reproductions of the trucks shown in the pictures of the NYC S-4's. The builder's plate is well done. 
The fuel tanks and battery boxes are accurately molded and placed as on the prototype. 
The loco comes with hook and loop couplers installed, and a pair of USA Trains knuckle couplers are included. 
I will replace them with Kadee #1785 couplers although # 831's will work with a little shimming. USA Trains has another winner with this big switcher. It is exciting to watch in action on the railroad. The Phoenix sound system is a worthwhile addition as the sounds are very accurate. The ALCO rumble, starter and brake sounds, horn and bell, air pop, brake release, and wheel squeal all add to the authenticity of the locomotive.
These switchers are big compared to the USA Trains NW-4. 
You can see that ALCO used many of the same components in their RS series of road switchers that were developed and sold at the same time as the S series. 
I ran mine back-to-back for several minutes, and my wife even came up to admire and appreciate them. They retail for $187.00 and the Phoenix sound system added another $285 + installed, but the result is an excellent addition to my railroad. 
Anyone modeling in 1/29 mainline railroading from the late 1940's into the 1980's will find these are great additions to their railroad. If you like ALCO locomotives as I do, these standard switchers are for you. Their heavy weight and pulling power allow them to handle any switching duties you can throw at them, and their bulky good looks make them fun to watch in action. The Phoenix sound system adds the finishing touch. The USA Trains S-4 comes in the following railroads and colors: R22550 RIO GRANDE ALCO S4- BLACK
R22551 SANTA FE ALCO S4 - BLUE/YELLOW
R22552 UNION PACIFIC ALCO S4 YLW/GRAY
R22553 BURLINGTON ROUTE ALCO S4 BK/GY
R22554 C&NW ALCO S4 - YELLOW/GREEN
R22555 SOUTHERN PACIFIC ALCO S4 BLACK
R22556 NYC ALCO S4 - BLACK
R22557 PENNSYLVANIA ALCO S4 - GREEN
R22558 READING ALCO S4 - GREEN
R22559 BURLINGTON NORTHERN ALCO S4
R22560 BALTIMORE & OHIO ALCO S4 -BLUE
R22561 WESTERN MARYLAND ALCO S4 BLACK
R22562 NORTHERN PACIFIC ALCO S4
R22563 CANADIAN PACIFIC ALCO S4 TUSCN
R22564 CANADIAN NATIONAL ALCO S4 BLCK
R22565 NEW HAVEN ALCO S4- BLACK
R22566 CHRISTMAS S4 GREEN
R22567 CHRISTMAS S4 RED/WHITE/GREEN
R22568 WESTERN MD FIREBALL S-4 The USA Trains website is http://www.usatrains.com                   Top of Page
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