The Milwaukee Road S3 is a 4-8-4 steam locomotive built by the American Locomotive Company in 1944. The S-3 is the culminating iteration of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad's own 1930 S-1 Northern design. In 1937, Baldwin delivered 30 S-2s into service and in 1940 delivered another 10 S-2 locomotives. Finally, in 1943, Alco built the 10 S-3 locomotives - road numbers 260 - 269. They were used in freight and passenger service during the ten years they were operating.
Two S3's survive today. #261 was retired in 1956 and donated to the National Railroad Museum in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Today the locomotive is owned and operated by the Friends of the 261, which uses the locomotive for occasional excursions. #265 was retired in September 1956 and donated to the city of Milwaukee. It sat on display until 1975, and then was moved to the Illinois Railway Museum where it still resides.
In this production run, we are building models of the 261, 265, and three other road numbers in the prototypical paint scheme. We are also offering a limited quantity of two versions of #261 painted in Hiawatha paint schemes - one incorporating the 1935 Hiawatha Scheme and the other incorporating the 1952 Hiawatha livery. Finally, we will offer one model painted but unlettered. All models will have the same details and features.