Dear HO Scale Customers;

Athearn is excited to announce New EMD SW1500 Switcher Locomotives

Great Northern

A long-time EMD customer, in 1967 GN purchased 10 EMD SW1500’s to replace 10 of its aging Alco S2 switchers. Planning to use them in yard and transfer service, GN ordered them with Flexicoil trucks. They arrived in GN’s new Big Sky Blue paint scheme, but only a few short years later they would become part of Burlington Northern’s fleet and eventually receive BN’s green and white colors.

 

GNFEATURES:

• Flexicoil Trucks
• Large fuel tank
• Frame-mounted handrails
• Footboards on both ends
• Firecracker antenna
• MU hoses
• 3-chime horn
• Beacon (Flashes in DCC mode)

 

Illinois Terminal

The Illinois Terminal Railroad started out as an electrified interurban railroad that served many parts of the state of Illinois. In 1970 they purchased 6 EMD SW1500’s for system-wide service. Their Flexicoil trucks made them suitable for road and yard switching duties. In this run we are offering two of them in the later paint scheme in which the road name is spelled out on the hood of the locomotive.

 

ITC FEATURES:

• Flexicoil Trucks
• Large fuel tank
• Frame-mounted handrails
• MU catch boxes
• Whip antenna
• MU hoses
• 3-chime horn

  

Indiana Harbor Belt

The Indiana Harbor Belt is a Chicago, IL area railroad. It serves as a connection between many of the areas Class 1 railroads there, facilitating the interchange of freight in between them. They have a small fleet of SW1500’s that were purchased in the late 1960’s and have been upgraded in recent years. Athearn are offering them in two different paint schemes representing them at different times in their careers.

 

IHB FEATURES:

• ARR Trucks
• Large fuel tank
• Frame-mounted handrails
• Snowplow on front end
• Firecracker antenna
• MU hoses
• Single chime horn

 

Pacific Electric

The Southern Pacific had many subsidiary railroads, and some were more independent than others, like the Cotton Belt for example. Pacific Electric had been a subsidiary of the company for many years but was fully absorbed in the early 1960’s. But suppose they had remained a subsidiary, and an independent-minded one too. When SP went shopping for new switchers in the late 1960’s they bought EMD SW1500’s for themselves and Cotton Belt. Maybe they picked a few for the PE too and PE, being independent minded decided to commemorate their Red Car days and painted some up in their famous red paint scheme. Athearn think that they might have looked something like this.

 

PE FEATURES:

• Flexicoil trucks
• Large fuel tank
• Frame-mounted handrails
• Footboards on both ends
• Whip antenna
• MU hoses
• P-3 horn

 

Louisville & Nashville

In the early 1970’s L&N purchased a group of 30 EMD SW1500’s in order to supplement and replace some of their older first-generation Alco switcher fleet. They were primarily assigned to work in the southern areas of the L&N system in places like Atlanta, GA, Birmingham, AL and New Orleans, LA.

 

LN FEATURES:

• Flexicoil trucks
• Large fuel tank
• Frame-mounted handrails
• Firecracker antenna
• MU hoses
• Small single chime horn

 

 

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.

 

SW1500 LOCOMOTIVE FEATURES:

• Lit ground lights
• Drop steps unless noted
• Dual exhaust stacks
• Detailed cab interior
• MU stands
• 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).
• Operating ground lights
• Newly designed can motor is more powerful and quieter than before
• LED lighting for long life and reliable operation
• 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”

 

SOUND-EQUIPPED MODELS ALSO FEATURE

• Onboard DCC decoder with SoundTraxx Econami 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

 

LEGENDARY LIVERIES

What are Legendary Liveries? An Athearn exclusive, they are the ultimate answer to “What if?” Featuring some of the most popular railroad paint schemes of all time, these models are perfect for collecting, protofreelancing, or just plain fun! Whether company proposed paint schemes, canceled locomotive orders, or alternate takes on history, Legendary Liveries are fun and unique additions to any roster. Enjoy these items, and answer the ultimate railroad question of: “What if?”

 

Louisville & Nashville

In the early 1970’s L&N purchased a group of 30 EMD SW1500’s in order to supplement and replace some of their older first-generation Alco switcher fleet. They were primarily assigned to work in the southern areas of the L&N system in places like Atlanta, GA, Birmingham, AL and New Orleans, LA.

 

LN FEATURES:

• Flexicoil trucks
• Large fuel tank
• Frame-mounted handrails
• Firecracker antenna
• MU hoses
• Small single chime horn

 

Order Due Date: December 27, 2024

Anticipated Delivery Date: June 2026

 

Looking for more Athearn SW1500 Switcher Diesel Locomotives? Click here!

---