A question that started interesting me last night that I would like to pose to those with more prototype experience than I will ever have...How are/were new built switchers moved to their assignments? I'm thinking back to the SW/S-2 era. Would they be "driven" from the factory, or towed behind a road unit? Thinking at this point specifically about St Louis, but also applicable to west coast yards (or for that matter any yards located a distance from the manufacturers)
Similar to how they are moved today, they were usually transported DIT (Dead In Tow). Usually they were in placed neutral and would be pulled by other engines until they hit their destination.