Athearn #ATH29777 HO SW1500 Locomotive with DCC & Sound, Frisco #317

Athearn #ATH29777 HO SW1500 Locomotive with DCC & Sound, Frisco #317

SLSF FEATURES:
ARR Trucks with Timken bearings
Firecracker antenna
Large fuel tank
MU hoses
Frame-mounted handrails
Small single chime horn
Cab Stratolight beacon (Functions in DCC mode)
Footboards on both ends
Delivered in 3 groups, the Frisco’s SW1500s were numbered 315-352. Options as specified by the railroad included MU capability, rotary beacons, and roller-bearing-equipped AAR trucks. Most survived the BN-SLSF merger and continued to serve the BNSF for a time after, as well.

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.