I have an Athearn SW1500 in the Rock Island paint scheme (RI blue) numbered 947. This model has a handrail with stantions that runs down the full length of each side, i.e., from the front step back to the cab, to keep folks from falling off (kind of like a balcony). However, all photos I've been able to find of SW1500's for RI show only a very short railing from the front step back about a foot or so, then it turns down to the running board and stops, so that a person could fall off if they lost their balance. However, they do show a handrail mounted along the loco body itself at the same height as a normal rail would have been like the Athearn model...it's just that the rail is on the motor body rather than in air along the side of the loco...make sense? I have even found a photo of 947 prototype in RI blue and it shows the rail along the body, not from step to cab like the Athearn model. Also found a photo of a 940 series switcher when it was new from the 1960's and it shows rail, again, along the loco body. Question: Did RI order them specifically with this type of handrail, or did Athearn just not do their homework? Thanks! Eddie
The last time I looked in Marre's book Rock Island Diesel Power, I didn't see step-to-cab handrails as on the Athearn model, but with that road anything's possible My guess is that Athearn painted the SW1500 in "bankrupt blue" to try to make the model appeasing to the Rock Island crowd. Same as with their latest GP38-2 painted in Frisco colors. The colors are right, but the number and details are wrong. I guess it comes down to a question of do you run it as-is, or make the changes necessary to make it a more prototypically correct unit? Hey, with the fine details on the shell, you must admit Athearn did their hoemwork with those. I had a hobby shop owner tell me flat out that Cannon & Company (the fine detail people) took a look at the SW1500 and said they couldn't come up with anything to improve on the shell's detail. ------------------ Southeast....Southwest.. Ship IT on the Frisco! Bob T. Member # 362 http://hometown.aol.com/slsf1630/myhomepage/profile.html
I believe the Rock Islands Sw-1500's were all delivered with what I would call conventional switcher handrails that were mounted to the body and not along the walkway as is the case with Athearns model. Dont recall ever seeing any that were fitted with the full length handrails. I will avoid saying that none of them were so equipped because with the Rock Island you were liable to see anything. I think Athearn did get the trucks correct though. The Rock Island Sw-1200 and Sw 1500 switchers came with flexicoil trucks. Even saw one of the Sw-1200's with one flexicoil truck and one regular switcher truck. AF Niederer
