Atlas HO 10005107  - Classic - Gold - RS-3 Diesel Locomotive "Black River Western" #1554 

• Road Name: Black River Western
• Road Number: 1554 
• Product Line: Classic - Gold
• Scale: HO Scale
• Catalog: Atlas Winter 2025 Catalog

Features:

• Option of water-cooled or air-cooled turbo exhaust stack
• Separately-applied handrails and stanchions, including a separate drop step detail
• Dual flywheel-equipped five-pole skewed armature motor for optimum performance at all speeds
• Metal grab irons
• Accurate painting and printing
• Gold models are equipped with ESU LokSound. 

ESU Loksound Functionality Features:
• ESU LokSound decoder, supporting all DCC programming modes.
• Flexible mapping of function keys F0 to F31.
• Follows all NMRA DCC standards and recommended practices.
• Over 20 sound effects are available, including engine start-up and shutdown, prime mover sounds through all eight notches, bell, air horn, air compressor, and more

Overview:

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 RSD4/5 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.