An ALCO RS-1, generally regarded as the first successful road switcher model. The ALCO RS-1 was a 4-axle Diesel-electric Locomotive built by Alco-GE between 1941 and 1953 and the American Locomotive Company from 1953 to

A road switcher is a type of railroad locomotive used for delivering or picking up cars outside of a railroad yard. A locomotive is a railway Vehicle that provides the motive power for a Train. A railroad car or railway carriage is a Vehicle on a rail transport system (railroad or railway that is used for the carrying of Cargo or Since the road switcher must work some distance away from a yard, it needs to be able to operate at road speeds, it must also have high-visibility while it is switching, and it must have the ability to run in both directions. For these reasons, road switchers are generally hood units. A hood unit, in Railroad terminology, is a body style for diesel and electric Locomotives On a hood unit the body of the locomotive is less than full-width The set-back cab of a hood unit provides more safety in the event of a collision at speed than most switcher designs, and the rear visibility is much better than that of a cab unit. A switcher or shunter ( Great Britain: shunter; Australia: shunter or yard pilot; USA: switcher (or A cab unit and a carbody unit are body styles of Locomotives in Railroad terminology. Due to their ability to both run at road speeds and switch cars, road switchers are often used for yard switching and freight duties.

The ALCO RS-1 was the first successful example of the type, and virtually all modern hood units are laid out in the same fashion. The ALCO RS-1 was a 4-axle Diesel-electric Locomotive built by Alco-GE between 1941 and 1953 and the American Locomotive Company from 1953 to

United Kingdom

British Rail Class 14

The term "road switcher" is not used in the UK and few locomotives of this type have been built. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located One exception was the British Rail Class 14. The British Rail Class 14 is a type of small Diesel-hydraulic locomotive built in the mid-1960s