my ESPEE MODELERS ARCHIVE

California's Railroad to the U.S. 1861 - 1996

Southern Pacific ALCo S-2

122 units delivered

74 units delivered to SP

SP 1356 Alco S-2 was shot in the San Jose area in 1952. Photo from the collection of Gene Deimling.

SP received 74 and T&NO got 48 of these units, making a total of 122 on the system.

An ALCO S-2 Roster will show these occupied 4 distinct number series, in 3 different classes. Differences were limited to minor mechanical things and marginal variation in weight. Some received radio equipment and train indicators, none were ever MU capable.

The 1965 renumbering was based on units in service at the time, and was generally non-sequential, ie. the next unit was given the next number.

In 1965 only 82 S-2's remained in service, by September (the actual renumber time) another 8 had bit the dust...

References:

• MR Diesel Cyclopedia Vol.2 page 40 - Plans for an S2.
• SP Dieselization by John Bonds Garmany - Chapter 6, Pre-war switchers.
• Extra 2200 South 1976 Roster Part I, Issue 54, Oct/Nov/Dec 1975
• Extra 2200 South 1976 Roster Part III, Issue 56, Apr/May/Jun 1976
• Southern Pacific Motive Power Annual 1967-69 - page 7.
• Southern Pacific Motive Power Annual 1980 - pages 18-25.