Looking for a SW1500

[pedrop]

Hello Guys!

I am modeling a brazilian railroad called EFA, that use only four Sw1200, one Sw1500 and four C30-7.
Does somebody knows who produces SW1500 in N scale? I have seen some on sales, but actually they are SW1200, not SW1500. I need a real SW1500. Also I need the C30-7. Where can a buy good dash 7? The ones I want to model came from Mexico about two years ago.

Thanks

pedro

 

[UP2CSX]

Sorry, Pedro, other than one brass SW-1500 that was made several years ago, there are no current models of SW-1500's made in N scale. Atlas does make an MP15 that could be kitbashed into an SW-1500 but that's about as close as it comes.

 

[tomustang]

Con-cor / Kato made a sw1500 years ago, good luck finding them

 

[pikogfisse]

Life like makes an SW 9-1200 that is a jem, I own six or eight and love them Then C on Cor came out with one after Life Like that is a re-run of the 1200, and I don't know first hand how it runs. The Life Like ones are flat terrific, great runners, slow and smoth.

Brian

 

[milwsteve]

I model Milwaukee Road MP15AC's and they don't make an MP15AC in N Scale so you have to use the Atlas MP15DC as a starting point for an MP15AC.

 

[pedrop]

I model Milwaukee Road MP15AC's and they don't make an MP15AC in N Scale so you have to use the Atlas MP15DC as a starting point for an MP15AC.

Thanks for this hint! I will look for it right now!

Pedro

 

[pedrop]

Life like makes an SW 9-1200 that is a jem, I own six or eight and love them Then C on Cor came out with one after Life Like that is a re-run of the 1200, and I don't know first hand how it runs. The Life Like ones are flat terrific, great runners, slow and smoth.

Brian

Yes, I have four Life Like SW1200! they are really great!

pedro

 

[pedrop]

Sorry, Pedro, other than one brass SW-1500 that was made several years ago, there are no current models of SW-1500's made in N scale. Atlas does make an MP15 that could be kitbashed into an SW-1500 but that's about as close as it comes.

Thanks for the hint. I will look for it. But why no SW1500 in N scale. Were not they common in USA?

 

[pedrop]

Con-cor / Kato made a sw1500 years ago, good luck finding them

Thanks for this hint!

pedro

 

[pedrop]

I found this one here:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Burlington-9280...temQQimsxZ20091111?IMSfp=TL091111181009r23036

But this is a SW1200! So, can I conclude Con-Cor made SW1200 and sold them as SW1500? The locos are very different!

 

[UP2CSX]

Pedro, Athearn did the same things for years in HO scale, calling an SW-7 a SW-1500. They only corrected it when they made a real model of the SW-1500. You are correct that the Con-Cor N scale "SW-1500" is really an SW-1200. I think they labeled it as an SW-1500 because it sounded more modern. As I said, I rememeber a real SW-1500 in N scale brass that was made about 10 years ago but I have no idea which compnay made it.

SW-1500's were (and are) very common in the US. Why no accurate SW-1500 has ever been made for mass production in N scale is beyond me. There are are several companies that make them in HO. As I said, your only hope right now is kitbashing the Atlas MP15DC into an SW-1500.

 

[bigford]

i just won a con-cor cow & calf in conrail blue. what years
would these been used for switching service??

 

[UP2CSX]

I'm not aware of any Conrail EMD cow and calf combination and certainly none that match the Con-Cor offerings.

 

[bigford]

this one

 

[UP2CSX]

I can't tell from the picture but it appears to be the standard Con-Cor SW-1200 with the calf just being the same engine with the cab removed and a plug inserted. If that's the case, there were never any of these units made in a a cow and calf version. The closest would have been the TR5, which was a cow and calf version of the SW-9, which looked identical to the SW-1200, except for the battery box louvers. Only the UP and the Union RR in Pittsburgh had these and none ever served with Conrail. They won't be prototypically accurate but they should look good on your layout anyway. If there ever were any of these combinations produced, they would have been in service from about 1952 until the late 80's or early 90's.

 

[pcarrell]

Maybe this will be of some help? http://www.visi.com/~spookshow/rivsw1500.html

 

[UP2CSX]

Phillip, I guess Athearn and the various N scale manufactures were all suckered into producing the "SW-1500" from the EMD plans, even though none were ever produced with that body style. What I never understood was why they all kept calling them SW-1500's for so long. The Athearn model was almost an exact copy of an SW-7 and the N scale version was a good representation of an SW-1200. Neither one was a common model until recently, so why not just call them by the correct model number. There's an old story about Uncle Irv being so incensed by getting suckered by EMD into the fantasy SW-1500 and DD-40 that he would not let them be called anything else while he was alive. I don't know if it's true but it sounds like something Uncle Irv would do.

 

[pcarrell]

It's the old "They'll never know the difference" marketing plan.

 

[vato loco]

My Box cab Switchers are powered with the Con-Cor/Kato Chassis. Sad to say the gears are flat wooped and Need new gearing......When these models were new they ran real good until they got to a switch! Before I made the box cabs, I had both engines/chassis coupled together permently and wired them up together to increase the wheel pick up to stop the switch stalling. Also using moldable lead weight I add a little extra weight to them.........They ran good as a perment set....but alone not so much!

Hey phil, have you ran the new Kato nw2 Chassis? When I replace the old drives in my Box cabs I was thinking of going with those!

 

[pcarrell]

Hey phil, have you ran the new Kato nw2 Chassis? When I replace the old drives in my Box cabs I was thinking of going with those!

My railroad is all steam, and I haven't had the opportunity to run anyone elses.