Athearn ATH29665 HO SW1500, Union Pacific #1011

UP FEATURES:

• Flexicoil Trucks
• Firecracker antenna
• Large fuel tank
• MU hoses
• Frame-mounted handrails
• Nathan P-3 horn
• Removed footboards on both ends
• “Loop” style cut levers

UP never purchased SW1500’s new, but ended up inheriting their fleet through mergers and second-hand acquisitions.

SW 1500 LOCOMOTIVE FEATURES: 

• Lit ground lights
• Detailed cab interior
• Drop steps unless noted
• MU stands
• Dual exhaust stacks
• Printed numberboards
• Fine scale handrails
• Signal hoses as appropriate to the prototype road (MU capability was a railroad specified option for these locos, and some railroads did not order it).
• Front and rear trainline hoses with silver glad hands
• Separately applied wire grab irons
• See-through radiator intake grille and cab windows
• Low or high mounted windshield wipers per prototype
• Rectangular or oval builder’s plate where appropriate
• Separately applied air tank
• McHenry® scale knuckle couplers - Kadee® compatible
• All-wheel drive with precision gears for smooth & quiet operation
• All-wheel electrical pickup provides reliable current flow
• DCC-ready features Quick Plug™ plug-and-play technology with 21-pin NEM connector
• Improved 5-pole skew wound can motor with flywheels and multi-link drivetrain
• Wheels with RP25 contours operate on all popular brands of track
• Highly-detailed, injection molded body
• Interior plastic blister safely holds the model for convenient storage
• Minimum radius: 18”

NEW FEATURES: 

• Operating ground lights
• Newly designed can motor is more powerful and quieter than before
• DCC-ready models feature 21-pin plug
• DCC & sound models feature Tsunami2 sound with dual cube speakers
• LED lighting for long life and reliable operation

PROTOTYPE SPECIFIC INFORMATION

An EMD SW1500 is a 4-axle diesel switcher locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between 1966 and 1974. It is similar in appearance to the EMD SW1000 model, which has a different engine and has one exhaust stack while the SW1500 has two.

Power was provided by an EMD 645E 12-cylinder engine which generated 1,500 horsepower. This locomotive was built on the same common frame as the EMD SW1000, giving it an overall length of 44 feet 8 inches.

The SW1500 featured a bulkier carbody and was a bit heavier from earlier models although its intended use remained the same, working light branch lines or in industrial settings. Many railroads regularly used SW1500s for road freight service.

Specifications