Atlas - 40 000 714 - Locomotive, Diesel, Alco S-2 - Boston & Maine - 1261

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: The Andover and Wilmington Railroad was incorporated March 15, 1833, to build a branch from the Boston and Lowell Railroad at Wilmington, Massachusetts, north to Andover, Massachusetts. The line opened to Andover on August 8, 1836. The name was changed to the Andover and Haverhill Railroad on April 18, 1837, reflecting plans to build further to Haverhill, Massachusetts (opened later that year), and yet further to Portland, Maine, with the renaming to the Boston and Portland Railroad on April 3, 1839, opening to the New Hampshire state line in 1840.

The Boston and Maine Railroad was chartered in New Hampshire on June 27, 1835, and the Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts Railroad was incorporated March 12, 1839, in Maine, both companies continuing the proposed line to South Berwick, Maine. The railroad opened in 1840 to Exeter, New Hampshire, and on January 1, 1842, the two companies merged with the Boston and Portland to form a new Boston and Maine Railroad.

The B&M flourished with the growth of New England's mill towns in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, but still faced financial struggles. It came under the control of J. P. Morgan and his New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad around 1910, but anti-trust forces wrested control back. Later it faced heavy debt problems from track construction and from the cost of acquiring the Fitchburg Railroad, causing a reorganization in 1919.

By 1980, though still a sick company, the B&M started turning around thanks to aggressive marketing and its purchase of a cluster of branch lines in Connecticut. The addition of coal traffic and piggyback service also helped. In 1983 the B&M emerged from bankruptcy when it was purchased by Timothy Mellon's Guilford Transportation Industries for $24 million. This was the beginning of the end of the Boston & Maine corporate image, and the start of major changes, such as the labor issues which caused the strikes of 1986 and 1987, and drastic cost cutting such as the 1990 closure of B&M's Mechanicville, New York, site, the largest rail yard and shop facilities on the B&M system.

Guilford Rail System changed its name to Pan Am Railways in 2006. Technically, Boston & Maine Corporation still exists today but only as a non-operating ward of PAR. Boston & Maine owns the property (and also employs its own railroad police), while Springfield Terminal Railway, a B&M subsidiary, operates the trains and performs maintenance. This complicated operation is mainly due to more favorable labor agreements under Springfield Terminal's rules.

Read more on Wikipedia.

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.