Hidden in the back of the Lionel 2023 Volume 2 catalog — behind large Legacy steam and diesels locomotives, plus a few heavyweight passenger cars — was the small yet proven Alco S2 switcher.
The S2 was one of Alco’s most reliable and successful locomotives. Powered by a turbocharged inline 6 cylinder engine, it pumped out 1,000 horsepower. With 1,502 units produced between 1940-1950, the S2 was a popular workhorse to replace the older steam-powered switchers a few years before. The prototype comes in at 46 feet in length, which means the 1:48 scale counterpart is just under 12 inches. Lionel comes very close to this with their most recent rendition at 12.25”.
A switcher can fit on any layout and provide operators with hours of enjoyment: Either pulling small freight or yard switching. The latest version from Lionel does not disappoint with great features.
Due to the longevity in success of the S2, Lionel is capable of putting out plenty of variations over the years without repeating too many road names. The latest catalog features six options of colorful schemes to create a unique look on any layout.
One of the added benefits of a locomotive as small as the S2 is its ability to navigate tight curves due to naturally small wheelbase. This model can navigate curves as tight as O-31, allowings for the addition of fixed pilots. Over the past few years, Lionel has shifted toward utilizing kinematic pilots to create that aforementioned look. In my opinion, nothing beats that prototypical appeal of a model with fixed pilots moving around curves on any model railroad.
With a model as small as the S2, there is only so much a manufacturer can do to add as much bell-and-whistle features (for lack of a better term) to it. Product features include a fan-driven moke unit billowing out of the single stack just in front of the cab. It also features separately-applied grab irons and handrails, crisp paint lines, and a nice sound set.
This model is powered by a motor gear similar to some of the other recent switchers Lionel has released. This includes drive shafts that extend out from the fuel tank of the locomotive to power each truck, allowing a single motor to to provide 1 pound, 6 ounces of pulling power. Since the speaker is normally housed inside the fuel tank, it is instead relocated to another area within the shell.
Because of the small footprint, there are three pick up rollers on this model — two on the front truck and one on the rear. The reason there’s only one on the rear truck is because Lionel has outfitted the IR sensor for the SensorTrack to be mounted as well.
The switches for the run-program, Bluetooth, and smoke on-off are all located under one of the hood hatches on the top of the locomotive. One issue I have with this is that there are no grab irons for an easy removal. There are instead molded in hinges, which is the only way to create a grasp when removing the hatch. While I did not have any issues with chipping paint, I fear that rubbing paint or creating scuff marks over time could be a result of not having something larger on that hatch to grab and remove from.
Lionel suggests priming the smoke unit with 10-20 drops of smoke fluid before running the model. I noticed that, even with a needlepoint dropper, the smoke fluid seems to seep out between the bottom of the stack and the top of the locomotive. My suggestion here is to make sure the needle point is below this seam when adding drops to your smoke unit.
Out of the box, this model fired up right away. The motor drive was surprisingly quiet compared to my other switcher with a similar yet a little louder drive gear. The dual ElectroCouplers allow for users to build their trains with the remote or Cab3 app. With the model’s weighs 1 pound, 3 ounces, plus the previously-mentioned pulling power, it can tug up to 66 free-rolling freight cars on straight and level track. Overall, this is a fun model to run or to have sitting in the yard just off a main line.
Lionel offered six road names for the S2 switcher in the catalog: SIRT (2433320), ADM (2433300), Canadian Pacific (2433310), Lehigh and New England (2433330), NASA (2433340), and US Army (2433350). Three other custom runs were done, Lackawanna (2433920) by Mr. Muffin’s, Delaware and Hudson 2433910) by Mr. Muffin’s, and Louisville & Nashville (2433970) by Mr. Muffin’s.
The images for this review feature a Lehigh Valley version offered by METCA (2401280).
Read Bob Keller’s review of the MTH S2 switcher from 2019.
Get more O gauge action on the Chris’s Trains & Things channel on YouTube.
Lionel Legacy Alco S2 switcher (2401280)
MSRP: $549.99
Features: TMCC, Legacy, or conventional control; Bluetooth control; Lionel Voice Control; fan-driven smoke unit; IR transmittor for SensorTrack, two ElectroCouplers, fan-driven smoke unit; adjustable smoke output; O-31 curve operation; lighted cab interior; directional lighting
Roadnames: See text above
Website: Lionel.com
