Received a notice early this morning, that Walthers is going to be releasing the EMD SW-1200 in N Scale. Due out Dec 28 - Jan 1. I've seen both dates listed. From Walthers website: FEATURES: Limited edition – one time run of these roadnumbers Perfect power for yards, industries & short lines Split frame mechanism All-wheel drive & electrical pickup Powerful 5-pole skew-wound motor Die-cast metal underframe for pulling power DCC-ready – can be equipped with TCS MT1500 or Digitrax DN-126M2 decoders, both sold separately RP-25 metal wheels - operate on Code 55 or larger rail Micro-Trains couplers MSRP: $99.98 I've heard that one shop will have them at street price of $69.98 This first? run will include 2 numbers in the following roads: Santa Fe - Black/White w/zebra stripes #'s 2439 and 2440 BNSF - Orange/Green/Yellow #'s 3503 and 3515 Rio Grande - Black/Orange #'s 135 and 139 Elgin, Joliet and Eastern - Green/Yellow #'s 302 and 306 Indiana Harbor Belt - Black/Orange #'s 2256 and 2272 MILW - Orange/Black #'s 613 and 627 Reading - Green/Yellow/Black #'s 2716 and 2719 Southern Pacific - Black/Orange #'s 113 and 117 Have already inquired about the Rio Grande units from Denver today! Checked, when I picked up the last 5 N Scale/N Scale Railroading magazines.
Only one run and no undecs. Hundreds of short lines had these locomotive as as their primary road power and yet no undecs. Who is the marketing genius at Walthers who thought of this strategy?
The last release had at least two upgrades from the LL design. First was the worm which was brass instead of plastic and new wheels with better flanges and appearance. This release is supposed to use use the decoders that MTL used on their SW1500. If so, there may be some changes regarding the motor pickup. Jason
Only reason that MTL used the shell for pickups is because of the milling needed to get the SW1500 hood and fuel tank to fit. The SW1500 is narrower than the SW1200.
Not one but TWO T&NO numbers. Arrrgggg! T&NO had 12 total units (received in 1954 and 1957) and the three digit numbers were all gone by 1965 (max 11 year window). Unfortunately, the 27 that the SP received in 1964 were delivered in primer (bloody nose). Remove a stack and give me an SP SW-8 (or TR-6) in tiger stripes or make the numbers easy to strip...
Lifelike produced a single-stack SW8/TR6 (or I guess more accurately a SW900) in SP tiger stripe. They show up from time to time via that online auction place. I have one numbered 4632.
The pickup was always off the underside of the sill. The SW1500 sits higher than the SW1200 and I know they had to modify the pickup tabs that go to the trucks. Jason