Well over 1,300 RS-3 road-switcher locomotives were built by ALCO between 1950 and 1956.  It can be considered one of the most successful four-axle diesel road-switchers ever produced by the builder.  ALCO’s Canadian subsidiary, MLW, produced an additional 146 RS-3s in Canada.  These 1,600hp locomotives were powered by an ALCO 244 V-12 engine which was complemented by rugged GE electrical components.  The RS-3 was truly a versatile locomotive.  It could be found in virtually every type of service from passenger and commuter runs to heavy-haul and local freight assignments.  Original owners of the RS-3 tended to be in the eastern and central regions of the US (with heavier concentrations in the northeast and southeast).

During this same time-period, ALCO offered a six-axle road-switcher which was more commonly found in the west.  The RSD-4/5 was externally very similar to the RS-3, having six-axle trucks as an obvious spotting feature.  They produced the same 1,600hp as an RS-3, but offered increased tractive effort due to the use of a larger generator.  Many RSD-4/5s were assigned to operate in mountainous territory (with varying degrees of success) on the Southern Pacific, Santa Fe and the Utah Railway.

Features:

• DCC/Sound version available with LokSound decoder
• Analog version includes an 8-pin socket for DCC
• New! Improved tooling on turbo exhaust stack. Also includes option of water cooled or air cooled turbo exahust stack
• Separately-applied handrails and stanchions, including separate drop step detail
• Factory installed AccuMate® couplers
• Dual flywheel-equipped five-pole skewed armature motor for optimum performance at all speeds
• Metal grab irons
• Accurate painting and printing

New Sound Features for Gold Series:

DCC Operation

• Supports all DCC-programming modes
• Flexible mapping of function keys F0 to F28.
• A total of six DCC function outputs are available
• Follows all NMRA DCC standards and recommended practices.