MTH ELECTRIC TRAINS

When ALCO rolled the first RS-3s off the assembly lines in 1950, the company was the clear market leader in road switcher production, and the RS-3 solidified their position for the next several years. Between 1950 and 1956, 1656 of the units were built for a number of railroads across the US. The RS-3 was never a favorite of the cab crew, who objected to the uncomfortable and smoky cab, but the engine sure could pull! Because of the engine's power and flexibility, the railroads that owned RS-3s used them in all kinds of service. RS-3s did everything from switching and transfer duties, to mainline freight and even passenger and commuter service. They proved their worth so successfully that many railroads kept the road switchers on active duty for far longer than many engine classes lasted. They survived on class 1 railroads until D&H retired their last RS-3 in 1986, but they remained active in shortline and industrial service for years afterward. M.T.H. offers this hardy and flexible engine in six new roadnames: Amtrak, Lehigh Valley, DRG&W, Seaboard, and Western Maryland, in addition to the Great American Circus engine that perfectly heads up a consist of specially designed RailKing circus cars offered in this catalog. No matter how you operate your layout, the RailKing RS-3 is the perfect fit. Did You Know? Amtrak, who owned a large fleet of RS-3s by the late 1970s, gave the flexible engine a new job heading up work trains.