I got to wondering as I was looking at some photos today, are there any HO scale slug locomotive avalible in Plastic? What about resin or brass? I think Athearn made a SW1500 calf if I remember right, but I was hoping for something that looks more like a proper yard slug, like this one (or anything remotely like it):
As far as I know, no. There are no plastic models of yard slugs.
You’re best bet is a kitbash. Or taking a dummy locomotive, using the frame, walkways, and trucks, and scratchbuilding the hood. If you make the hood high enough, you could probably use a powered unit.
If you want what your attached photgraphs show you are going to have to do it yourself - and several others have. This subject has drawn more than its share of attention in the hobby press; if you check for ‘Keyword: Slug’ on the all-time index you will get a return of many articles; none, unfortunately, are really recent. This was mainly a phenomenon of the eighties.
Several years back when NWSL came out with their ‘SPUD’ I rememver that one of the things advocated for its use was producing powered slugs. At least one of these articles from the all-time index - I couldn’t spot exactly which one - dealt with just that; it was either at Kansas City in 1984 or at a regional convention at San Diego later in the decade I went on a layout tour and one of the tour hosts had produced a powered slug using one of these NWSL ‘SPUDS’.
Becuase yard slugs were typically home-built creations that varied from road to road and even from slug to slug a model one is not mass produced. There have probably been some brass ones produced over the years, but nothing in plastic other than the cow-calf switchers produced by Athearn.
If you want you’ll need to do want the prototypes did and create your own by cutting and chopping a road unit.
CSXT 1010 is a former Conrail MT-6 hump slug. Conrail didn’t use road slugs. The 6 axle MT-6s and 4 axle MT-4s were geared for hump service. The MTs were typically mated to SD38s.
CSX’s road slugs are former GP30s and GP35s and retain thier control cabs. They are numbered in the 2200 and 2300 series. While they are equipped with fuel tanks, they no longer carry fuel to supplement the mother.
Thanks guys for all of the information. I kind of had a feeling kitbashing or scratchbuilding was going to be the answer. I actually kind of like the idea, as I could make it a unique rebuild for my railroad. A couple of specific things;
rtpoteet, thanks for reminding me to check the Magazine Index. I should have thought of that, but didn’t. I’ll have to get a few of those articles to use as a starting point.
Bob, thanks for the photo. That’s a neat looking little slug actually, I can’t say I’ve seen one with a cab on it before. Very interesting.
Joe, I have seen those before from Athearn, and they are kind of neat. A friend of mine uses one on a intermodal train consist he runs at my club, and it does look pretty nice. I think what I want is more of a yard slug though than a B unit.
Thanks again to everybody that answered, it’s appreciated.
there are slugs from many differnet railroads that differ in certain ways. the main reason why there are no models of slugs in ANY scale is because almost every unit was different. take the CPRail 1000 series. these units consisted of SW1200, SW1200RSu, F7B, SW9u and even a GP9u. the main difference for the slug conversion was the absent exaust stack. they kept their cabs for some unknown reason. the slugs were also painted in a variety of schemes. if a MRR company came out with a slug set for multiple roadnames, they would be criticized over the inacuracy of the models. my suggestion:
1)look up the specific unit you want to model
2)get some pictures/information
3)either find a unit that you think will work or consult the good people around this forum for ideas
as for your question, no there are no HO scale slugs on the market.
Actually, OMI did some Conrail slugs several years ago. I managed to find an unpainted one recently. I had been looking for it for quite some time. And I even had the money to buy it… now I wish I had bought a second one.
I was going to take the RS-11 I bought, and do the bashing on it, but i think I’ll leave it alone for now.
And if I recall right, even the fuel tank was filled with concrete.
Keep your eye out for OMI. I think they have done several slug models.
Darn, I wish I had a photo, I may need to stop and just get the picture. But there are two Norfolk Southern slug like loco’s sitting in the Juniata yard, it looks like they’re hanging out to be scrapped. I could only see the cab number and I think the one was 431. They’re small like the NS switchers you had in your second photo, but it had a little hump at one end. I’ll try to get a pick. It would make a very interesting model to say the least.
Not withstanding the lack of photos. We built here at GE , slug units for SCL back in the 70’s I think it was. Brand new factory built slugs. They were more or less standard B unit frames but the upper part was about 3 1/2 ft tall full length of the deck, except the end walkways of course. Full hand rails all the way around. Now I wish I had pix for you.I wonder what happened to them ?
As mentioned above it is an ex-Conrail MT-6. They were made from Alco RSD-12 locomotives, and when thier Alco trucks wore out, the trucks were replaced with EMD Flexcoils - similar to SD7/9/18/28/35/38/39/40/45 trucks.
Should not be a difficult kit bash.
The NS slug was rebuilt from a GP9, probably ex WAB or ex NKP.
As I recall GE called them MATEs, Motors for Added Tractive Effort. They came in two types. Ones that ran off a single locomotive which were used for SCL phosphate trains in FL. The ones that were set up to run off two locomotives while sandwiched between them were used as road units. I believe they mostly ran with U36Bs in either configuration.
Your right on that point, we built U-36b’s to go with them. Modeling them would be easier than some of the weird ones out there, if someone wanted a generic type slug.
