O SW1500 Diesel NS #2227/3.0

The end-cab switcher was the advance guard of the dieselrevolution, working its way onto Class 1 rosters before road dieselswere even considered. Compared with the 0-6-0 and 0-8-0 steamers theyreplaced, the advantages of diesel switchers were obvious: near-instantstart-up and shut down, compared with building a fire and later dumpingthe ashes; and 360-degree visibility in the chaos of the yards andindustrial settings where switchers typically worked. From theengineer’s point of view, the new diesels were cleaner,safer, and easier to operate.

At 1500 horsepower, the SW1500 was the last and most powerful ofEMD’s SW line of switchers, which traced its roots back tothe SW1 of 1939 — when “S” stood for six hundred horsepower,”W” stood for welded frame, and the pre-GM company name wasElectro-Motive Corporation. The SW 1500 and its 1000 hp sibling, theSW1000, were the first switchers delivered with EMD’ssecond-generation model 645 diesel motor. Visually, the only differencebetween the two was the second exhaust stack on the SW1500 for its12-cylinder prime mover.

While it sold quite well, with 808 units delivered from1966–1974, the SW1500 was born into a declining market forpurpose-built switchers. EMD’s best-selling Geeps hadpopularized the do-anything, go-anywhere road switcher concept, andrailroads were quick to see the advantage of road engines that coulddouble as switchers when needed. Recognizing this, the designers of theSW1500 conceived what was almost a mini road switcher, giving its crewthe all-around visibility of a switcher, but with a beefier,higher-riding body than earlier SW models, more power, and the optionof smoother-riding Flexicoil trucks.

In fact, more than half of the SW1500’s produced were orderedwith the Flexicoil option, indicating the engines were indeed boughtfor road and commuter as well as yard service. The SW1500 provedpopular with some Class 1 railroads — the Southern Pacifictook delivery of 240 and the Penn Central bought 112 — andnumerous short lines and industrial owners. Even today, when theend-cab switcher is nearly extinct on Class 1 railroads, dozens ofshort line and industrial owners still roster SW1500s as primary power.

Our RailKing Scale model accurately reproduces the rugged —for a switcher — look of the SW1500, and delivers the sameversatility and dependabilty as its prototype. Dual pickup rollers onits detailed Flexicoil trucks make this model nearly stall-proof on anythree-rail O gauge switches.Throttle down as low as three scale milesper hour to muscle a heavy cut of freight or passenger cars around yourterminal — and maintain that speed as long as you wish,thanks to Proto-Speed Control and twin flywheel-equipped motors.Negotiate crowded industrial areas with curves as tight as O-27, orhustle down your main line to the next town. Pick up and drop off carswherever you like, with remotely activated front and rearProto-Couplers. Our full-scale, fully featured model of this EMDworkhorse offers everything you could want in a handsome, hard-workinglocomotive.

Did You Know?

The increased height of the SW1000 and SW1500 made them too tall to fitin some sidings where earlier SW switchers had prowled. Responding tocustomer concerns, EMD introduced the SW1001 in 1968, with a loweredframe and shorter cab that reduced the overall height by nine inches.At 174 units, the SW1001 actually outsold the SW1000 and stayed inEMD’s catalog more than a decade after its siblings werediscontinued.