I really love Alco’s and am really clinging to the S2/S4 series. My thought was to model the S4 so I could use a Kato NW2 frame (correct dimensions and trucks) but I don’t know about the body. Would an RS1 or RS2 body work?
The RS-2 body doesn’t look anything like the S-2 or S-4.
The RS-1, on the other hand, is the road switcher version of the S-2 and S-4. It’s basically a Alco S-2/S-4 with a longer frame and a short hood behind the cab.
But even if you could kitbash an RS-1 shell it won’t fit on the Kato NW2 frame. The NW2 frame is too wide at the hood end. GM switchers have wider hoods than Alco switchers, and the Kato switcher frame ends fill up the hood portion of the locomotive.
Arnold made an N scale S-2 back in the early 1990s, but the locomotive has been out of production for years. It’s not a very good running loco, but in spite of that used ones are snapped up quickly whenever they pop up.
I’d love to see Atlas make N scale Alco switchers with a dual flywheel drive similar to their Baldwin VO-1000 switcher. If they did, they’d sell like crazy.
I found two Arnold S2 listed on EBay. The Milwaukee Road unit listed is an Arnold Alco S2.
The Burlington unit listed is not. It is a EMD Calf unit and not made by Arnold
In the 1980’s KEY Imports sold undecorated brass Alco S1, S2, S3, and S4.