HO SW1500 Locomotive, Frisco #329

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:

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.