Does anyone know if the Life Like Proto 2000 Southern Pacific S1 switcher, road number 1019, represent it’s prototype correctly?
I saw a photo of an Southern Pacific S1 switcher (from http://espee.railfan.net/nonindex/s01_photos/1018_sp-s1-don_jewell.jpg), that had a road number of 1018, but it had 2 large grab iron wires on the top of the front hood along with 2 blank nunber boards and this loco had no bell and had a higher exhaust stack.These details are not on the Life Like Proto 2000 Southern Pacific S1 switcher, road number 1019, so does the Life Like Proto 2000 Southern Pacific S1 switcher, road number 1019, need these extra detail or did its actual prototype not have these details?
That picture you noted was taken in 1960 - I doubt the engine was still in ‘fresh from the factory’ appearance! Many engine got modifications/upgrades through their service life. Remember, the P2K model is a stock engine - SP had a lot of special equipment they added to their engines over the years. Those large hand holds and the big number boards were a SP ‘feature’ applied to their switchers. The bell may have been mounted under the frame, and the exhaust stack may have an extension added to make the exhaust smoke clear the car. Many of these parts are available and make it ‘fun’ to detail a model to a specific engine/time frame.
Depends - When was the engine built, and when were the modifications made(mabe as a factory ‘add-on’?)…I would check out the SP historical group or search the internet for other pictures…
Very few models in the world actually reflect SP’s habit of having stuff all over the hoods, extra lights, grabs in weird places. I guess that’s part of being an SP modeler.[}:)]
Also, does anyone know if Southern Pacific used these S1 locos for hauling local frieghts in the early 1950’s? And did Southern Pacific use S-12 locos for hauling local frieghts in the early 1950’s, or were they just puerly used for switching freight cars in a yard?
Given the fact that the S1 in the picture was equipped with SP style train indicator boards, it’s a reasonable assumption that it was used for light road service. SP used a number of erstwhile switching type locomotives in light road service. These are easy to spot as they generally have road style light clusters.
According to http://www.thedieselshop.us/Alco_S1.HTML , all four of Southern Pacific S1s (#1017-1020) were built in 4/41. Here’s a pic of an S3 (sister of the S1) #1028:
This looks just like an S1. (I’m not sure what the thing is underneath the horn there, in front of the cab. Can’t see the bell either.) I would assume that the modifications you saw in the picture must have been done by SP at some point after it was purchased. Finding enough pics as “evidence”, you could make the modifications to the S1 yourself and model it as a modified SP switcher…
