New York Central S-2 no. 106 by Matt Csenge

About New York Central S-2 no. 106 by Matt Csenge

The New York Central Railroad's S-Motors were the world's first mass-produced mainline electric locomotives, with a total of 47 built from 1904-1909 by ALCO-GE. The locomotives were originally built with a 1-D-1 wheel arrangement, but the entire existing fleet was rebuilt to 2-D-2 wheel arrangement following a disastrous derailment in 1907 - two days into electric service. The locomotives' days in the spotlight did not last long though; the arrival of the new class of T-Motors in 1913 saw these locomotives relegated to short-distance commuter runs and non-revenue moves between Grand Central Terminal and Mott Haven Yard - roles they served for some 60 years! By the Penn Central era, the influx of equipment from the bankrupt New Haven Railroad drove the S-Motors further into the shadows - literally - serving as switchers in the caverns of Grand Central Terminal. The last S-Motor was retired by Conrail in 1981, seventy-five years after it had entered service.

I had previously made an attempt to model an S-Motor eleven years ago in 2014, but the design was inaccurate, motorization was unsuccessful, and the model was disassembled a few years later. In 2024 I finally got my act together to make another attempt, this time with much greater success! The model is as accurate as possible (within the granularity of the Lego medium) to the actual dimensions of the S-Motors, meeting the diminutive 39' length of the prototype.

The locomotive is powered using two Circuit Cubes motors directly geared to the drive axles, with the hub fitting nicely within the limited free space in the cab. Aftermarket wheels from Brick Train Depot were used for the prototype 44-inch drivers. Lettering decals for this model were designed by Monty Smith and printed by OK Brick Works.