The first 4-8-4 Northerns to appear on the Great Northern did so in 1929 after arriving from the Baldwin Locomotive works. Designated Class S, the locomotives were purchased by the Great Northern in two models, S-1 and S-2. Designated for fast passenger work, the S-1s featured 73" drivers but carried with them a reputation of being hard on the rails.
By 1930, Great Northern had received another 14 4-8-4s, this time designated as Class S-2. These locomotives utilized a radial stay firebox rather than the Belpaire variety found on the S-1. In addition, larger 80" drivers, the tallest of any Northern model, gave the S-2 fast speed ratings though she carried a reputation of being slippery when pulling a heavy train.
Designated for passenger service, the S-2, which pulled an all-welded vanderbilt tender, sported the classic cascade green livery of the Great Northern along with chrome plated cylinder covers and steam chest heads. The striking appearance made the locomotive the perfect choice for the Oriental Limited and Empire Builder passenger trains until the Northerns retirement in the mid 1950s. No. 2584 remains on display, in her cascade green livery, at the Havre, Montanna depot.
O Scale modelers can celebrate the 83rd Year of the Empire Builder with this limited release of the S-2 locomotive and passenger set - exclusively from M.T.H. Electric Trains. Outfitted with industry-leading features including Proto-Sound 3.0 and its built-in DCC decoder, the S-2 is available in two cab numbers and is sold in both scale and hi-rail wheel versions. Both versions are outfitted with Proto-Scale 32T which allows the user to configure in minutes either model for use on 2-rail or 3-rail track.
