mystery switcher

[westernmaine]

The brass model in the photo was brought to me by a friend. It appears to be a model of an obscure prototype - an early Winton-powered EMC SC or SW engine circa 1936-39, according to the Diesel Spotters Guide. Note the small louvers along the top forward side of the hood, large sand box and offset exhaust stacks. These were the predecessors of the more modern 567-powered NW- and SW- series engines. We are trying to decide how to paint and detail it and are uncertain what roads ran these (only slightly over 100 built). I was wondering if anyone here knew which roads rostered these, and how late they stayed active. Thanks for any help!

[Randy Earle]

I found 1 on this site, www.rrpicturearchives.net/locoList.aspx?mid=928 ex-Mopac.

yardlimit.railfan.net/early/emc/

[dekon]

The Boston and Maine also had a few SC's. Here is a picture of one, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:BM_SC_1104.jpg

[westernmaine]

Gents,

Thanks so very much for a quick response with the information! A good example of why this is a great board. I'll post photos once the model is painted

[beentherecnthat]

SC's were built with cast frames (Switcher Cast), then EMD changed to welded frames on the SW series (Switcher Welded)

[graftonterminalrr]

Actually, Brandon, that model is of a 900 horsepower EMC "NC" switcher. The giveaway is the longer hood length over the SC switcher. Otherwise, you are dead-on correct, the louvers mark it as a Winton-powered unit.

EMC switchers debuted with the SC and NC switchers.

SC - Six-hundred HP, Cast frame

NC - Nine-hundred HP, Cast frame

Then of course, there was the SW and NW switchers:

SW - Six-hundred HP, Welded frame

NW - Nine-hundred HP, Welded frame

SW1s and NW1s were so called due to the 567 engine as opposed to the Winton engine. SC and NCs were never updated as far as I know.

Later, the NW designator was dropped and the SW designator became EMD's standard switcher designator.

[graftonterminalrr]

No, I still disagree, I think it's an NC. From Wikipedia:

These locomotives were all nearly identical, except for cast versus welded underframes. The 900 hp (670 kW) V12 Winton 201-A engined NC and NW series locomotives can be distinguished from the less powerful 600 hp (450 kW) SC and SW because, although the underframes are identical, the hood on the N series is longer, leaving only a small amount of room before the front walkway. Many, but not all, N series locomotives have a short electrical box with sharp-angled corners in that location; this is easily distinguished by the lower, longer, rounded-cornered "satchel" of the SC and SW series. The other distinguishing feature from the S series is the central location of the twin exhaust stacks; the S series have them offset towards the engineer's left, because of the inline diesel engine.

A further reason? Two exhaust stacks.



EMC SC. Note the single exhaust stack.

[graftonterminalrr]

Shoot, I'm just proving myself wrong here.



Twin stacks.

I guess if the exhaust stacks are oriented toward the fireman's side of the long hood rather than the engineer's, it's an SC.

[graftonterminalrr]

Haha, you know what - I see it too. It's really hidden, though.

Man, if it comes down to obscure details on an obscure model - good thing Ingalls didn't make mre 4-S's, eh?

[westernmaine]

Hi all, for what its worth, yes the stacks are offset to the fireman's side. According to the markings on the underside, the model was imported by Alco Models and has a Samhongsa drive.

I'm leaning toward building this as a B&M model. According to George Melvin, the B&M's roster of these engines stayed around Boston for most of their careers and were retired gradually during the late 1950's with one lasting as an industrial unit until the mid-'60s. Pictures were rare as most railfans back then were more interested in shooting the last of steam and the flashy streamliners rather than bland black obscure yard switchers. Several were repainted from the scheme pictured above into the version with the red & white nose stripes and minute man herald on the cab, which is how I will probably paint it.

[CP_8530]

About halfway down the page here there's an entry for an "EMD SC Switcher Winton" by Alco Models with a link to photos of it (just do a search on the page) it looks like the same model:

www.trainmaster.ch/brass.htm

[westernmaine]

Hi all, I finally got this project to the paint and decal phase. I learned along the way that the small B&M fleet of these engines spent most of their lives around the Boston area switching North Station and local industries. From what I gather only the 1108 and possibly one other unti recived the "bloody nose" shceme, most remained in the plain black delivery scheme. They were traded in or scrapped in the early 1960's.

[icghogger]

Very Nice, Brandon! How does it run? I have an Alco Models SW1 with KTM gearboxes that I want to re-motor and add flywheels, but was wondering if I should go the full route and redo all the mechanicals.

[westernmaine]

This particular engine purrs right out of the box, but is from a later period when Alco Models had switched to Samhongsa which featured a good drive.

KMT drives from older Alco Models runs that consistently need help. My experirence is with S-1's, an RS-2, RS-18 and a C-628. The two biggest offenders in these old drives are the nylon spur gears that split and the gear towers themselves that were sometime poorly machined and did not mount vertically. I cured these problems by replacing the towers and gears with Hobbytown components, and I believe that NWSL also made and may still may make replacement transmission parts as well.

[icghogger]

Thanks for the tip, Brandon. I have the can motor and flywheels to do the re-motor job, but I didn't want to put "lipstick on a pig"!

[stewarttrains98]

nice looking unit. Great paint and decal job.

[kcs1967]

Great looking, wonderful that this forrum is so helpful, great looking finished model.