Trivia Time — FlyerChief Baldwin Switcher

Hint: a DS-4-4-660 or an S-8?

banjoflyer posted:

I believe they are the DS-4-4-660 model as described here.

Mark

That's what I thought, too, Mark. I have the NS  (#661) version, which a search shows as a DS-4-4-660. But the FlyerChief (there’s one on the left in the picture above) has 3 exhaust stacks, one of the features that distinguish an S-8 from a DS-4-4-660, which has 4 stacks in all of the photos I've seen that show their stacks. Maybe the Flyerchief is a hybrid, meant to model them both?

Well, the Google photo tags identify the following as DS4-4-660's:

Rusty

Great! That resolves it. DS-4-4-660 must have been configured with 4 stacks on some, and 3 stacks on others. I was perplexed by Jeff Wilson’s book, Model Railroader’s Guide to Diesel Locomotives, which has a photo of Norfolk Southern #662. The caption says it’s a NS-4-4-660 and has 4 exhaust Stacks... my photo of this, below, is pretty poor, but you’ll see what I mean about the stacks.  — Ken

The AF 1260 model (can't see on clear enough on the Seaboard model) has no angle gussets at the steps.

VO and DS series had them. S series didn't.

Andre

Thanks to all of you for your responses. The photos Rusty posted of DS-4-4-660’s got me searching the web for them and I saw what I think is a really nice overview about the prototype for our AF FlyerChief Baldwin switchers.

Ken

FWIW:

My curiosity piqued concerning the frames of Baldwin switcher offerings, I did a bit of research. It appears that somewhere along the line during the DS series of switchers, the frame corners were revised. SO, it does appear that some of the DS series can be missing the angled frame corners.

One of the fascinating aspects of Baldwin diesels: The company would introduce modifications and revisions to an existing line without the creation of a new designation.

As evidence, here's a builder's photo from Baldwin itself of what is captioned as a DS-4-4-750:

Andre

Andre,

I found these, both labelled DS-4-4-660, at RailroadMichigan's web site. Voila -- these 660’s also have no angled gussets beside the stairs. If these are indeed DS-4-4-660s, another modification is the cover plate added on the front, over the grill, with those louvers.

Ken

Here is the actual prototype as presented in the S Gaugian years ago.