Atlas - 40 004 673 - Locomotive, Diesel, Alco S-2 - Chicago Great Western - 8

Model Information: This model was introduced in 2015 by Atlas. It was their first offering with integrated DCC and Sound. The engine comes in two versions, the Silver (DCC Ready) and the Gold (Decoder Installed with Sound functions).

This engine looks great but suffers from sketchy power pickup on any non-pristine tracks. This can radically affect the sound effects as they cut in and out. This is due to the limits of a lightweight, 4-axle design. The sound effects are immensely cool and once it is up to speed, it can run consistently well. I recommend removing the realistic acceleration for operation on any not-so-perfect track so that it has a chance to get going and use momentum to carry over dodgy track sections and turnouts.

This model features: Scaled from actual prototype measurements; Option for horizontal or vertical radiator shutters; Fine scale handrails; Separately-applied coupler cut levers, air hoses, piping, etc.; Directional LED lighting (includes cab rear headlight); Die-cast hood & chassis for improved pulling performance; Digital-ready chassis; Dual-flywheels for maximum performance at all speeds; Factory-equipped with AccuMate? knuckle couplers; Exceptional painting and printing

Here you can find a YouTube Video Review

DCC Information: Sound Functionality Features (GOLD LOCOMOTIVES ONLY): Over 20 sound effects are available, including engine start-up and shutdown, prime mover sounds through all eight notches, bell, air horn, air compressor, dynamic brakes and more. There are 16 user-selectable horns, 2 user-selectable bells, and 2 user-selectable synchronized brake squeals. Manual and Automatic Notching modes with the ability to change modes *on the fly* are provided for true realism.

Prototype History: Built by the American Locomotive Company (Alco) the low-hood S-2 was introduced in 1940 to replace Alco's earlier high-hood switchers. The 1000 horsepower S-2 was a turbocharged version of the S-1. There were 1,502 S-2s sold to North American Railroads. The versatility of the S-2s was evidenced by their service on mainline, shortline and industrial railroads. This engine was run by many many roadnames which included large customers like the Santa Fe as well as smaller operations such as the Lehigh Valley

From Wikipedia

Road Name History: Chicago Great Western was the result of the 1892 reorganization of the Chicago St. Paul & Kansas City. By 1903, the CGW had grown to its maximum size. The CGW had a vaguely cross-shaped system map. The east-west leg started in Chicago and linked Dubuque, Fort Dodge (both in Iowa) and finally Omaha, Nebraska. The north-south line started in St. Paul, Minnesota and linked Waterloo and Des Moines, Iowa then St. Joseph and Kansas City, Missouri. Each axis consisted of a big arc which put CGW at a distance disadvantage to most other railroads servicing the same region – and there were a lot of railroads in the area.

Passenger service was never a major priority and many trains consisted of doodlebugs and trailers even before World War One. In the 1920s CGW did team up with Santa Fe to run through sleepers from the Twin Cities to Los Angeles.

Big mainline power in the 30s and 40s consisted of a fleet of 3 dozen 2-10-4s. In 1936, CGW launched piggyback service – one of the first in the nation. One piggyback customer was a truck line specializing in hauling steel. Since CGW charged by the trailer, the truck line would take the contents of 3 trailers which had maxed out on highway weight and reload all the steel into a single catastrophically heavy trailer that would ride the flat car. They didn’t tell CGW though. No one was the wiser until the landing gear on a trailer punched through the deck of the flat car and derailed a train at speed!

By 1950, CGW had completely dieselized with a mix of Alco, Baldwin and EMD switchers, Alco and EMD road switchers (the former running long hood forward and the latter equipped with dual controls,) and a sizable fleet of EMD F units. By this time, the Deramus family (who already controlled the Kansas City Southern) had gained control of the CGW. Over the years, they cut costs and services. CGW began holding trains until they reached maximum tonnage. Trains between 150 and 250 cars were a daily occurrance behind A-B-B-B-B-A sets of F units. What’s more, these monsters would stop and switch along the way!

Around 1951, they dropped “The Corn Belt Route” logo in favor of the Lucky Strike style logo. The first generation of diesels were delivered in ornate maroon, and red with yellow striping. This was replaced with a simplified solid maroon and then red with black roof (which was essentially the same as neighbor and fellow Deramus controlled Kansas City Southern.) The second generation of diesels consisted entirely of GP30’s and SD40’s.

Despite the iffy service and tremendous competition in the area, and thanks to the cost cutting and a dearth of money losing passenger operations that plagued their neighbors, CGW steadily made money through the 50s and 60s. But, in the age of mergers, it was clear they couldn’t make it on their own. CGW discussed merger with every possible connection but ultimately merged into Chicago & North Western in 1968. In their last full year, the CGW was a 1,411 mile line with 139 locomotives (for comparison, they were about the same size as Western Pacific.)

Brand/Importer Information: In 1924 Stephan Schaffan, Sr. founded the Atlas Tool Company in Newark, New Jersey. In 1933 his son, Stephan Schaffan, Jr., came to work for his father at the age of sixteen. Steve Jr. built model airplanes as a hobby and frequented a local hobby shop. Being an enterprising young man, he would often ask the owner if there was anything he could do to earn some extra spending money. Tired of listening to his requests, the hobby-store owner threw some model railroad track parts his way and said, "Here, see if you can improve on this".

In those days, railroad modelers had to assemble and build everything from scratch. Steve Jr. created a "switch kit" which sold so well, that the entire family worked on them in the basement at night, while doing business as usual in the machine shop during the day.

Subsequently, Steve Jr. engineered the stapling of rail to fiber track, along with inventing the first practical rail joiner and pre-assembled turnouts and flexible track. All of these products, and more, helped to popularize model railroading and assisted in the creation of a mass-market hobby. The budding entrepreneur quickly outgrew the limitations of a basement and small garage operation. Realizing they could actually make a living selling track and related products, Steve and his father had the first factory built in Hillside, New Jersey at 413 Florence Avenue in 1947. On September 30, 1949, the Atlas Tool Company was officially incorporated as a New Jersey company.

In 1985, Steve was honored posthumously for his inventions by the Model Railroad Industry Association and was inducted into the Model Railroad Industry Hall of Fame in Baltimore, Maryland. In addition, Steve was nominated and entered into the National Model Railroad Association Pioneers of Model Railroading in 1995.

In the early 1990s, the Atlas Tool Company changed its name to Atlas Model Railroad Company, Inc.