Athearn #ATH29770 HO SW1500 Locomotive with DCC & Sound, Southern Pacific#2575

Athearn #ATH29770 HO SW1500 Locomotive with DCC & Sound, Southern Pacific#2575

SP FEATURES:
Flexicoil Trucks
Whip antenna
Large fuel tank
MU hoses
Frame-mounted handrails
Nathan P-3 horn
SP light package
Footboards where appropriate
Between 1967 and 1973, Southern Pacific purchased one of the largest orders of SW1500’s with over 200 units to help replace their aging fleet of Alco, Baldwin, and FM switchers. Unique SP spotting features included a large cab-front mounted number board and SP’s full front and rear lighting package. In the mid 1980’s, two SW1500’s (2539 and 2575) were repainted in the red and yellow “Kodachrome” scheme in anticipation of a merger with Santa Fe. Both schemes were slightly different from another and only 2575 lasted in this scheme, retired just before the UP merger of 1996. As many were sold off for further use after the merger, UP retained some for use in areas with lighter track and local switch jobs that needed smaller motive power.

MODEL 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 Economi sound with single cube speaker
LED lighting for long life and reliable operation
SOUND-EQUIPPED MODELS ALSO FEATURE
Onboard DCC decoder with SoundTraxx Economi sound
Single cube speaker for optimal sound quality
Sound units operate in both DC and DCC
Engine, horn, and bell sounds work in DC
Some functions are limited in DC
All functions NMRA compatible in DCC mode
Operating lighting functions with F5 and/or F6
Excellent low-speed operation
Program a multiple unit (MU) lashup with lead unit only horn, bell, and lights
Many functions can be altered via Configuration Value (CV) changes
CV chart included in the box
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.