MTH® RailKing® SW1500 Diesel Switcher w/Proto-Sound® 3.0 - Amtrak #540, O Gauge

The end-cab switcher was the advance guard of the diesel revolution, working its way onto Class 1 rosters before road diesels were even considered. Compared with the 0-6-0 and 0-8-0 steamers they replaced, the advantages of diesel switchers were obvious: near-instant start-up and shut down, compared with building a fire and later dumping the ashes; and 360-degree visibility in the chaos of the yards and industrial settings where switchers typically worked. From the engineer’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 of EMD’s SW line of switchers, which traced its roots back to the SW1 of 1939 — when "S" stood for six hundred horsepower, "W" stood for welded frame, and the pre-GM company name was Electro-Motive Corporation. The SW 1500 and its 1000hp sibling, the SW1000, were the first switchers delivered with EMD’s second-generation model 645 diesel motor. Visually, the only difference between the two was the second exhaust stack on the SW1500 for its 12-cylinder prime mover.

This RailKing® scale model accurately reproduces the rugged — for a switcher — look of the SW1500, and delivers the same versatility and dependability as its prototype. Adorned in the Amtrak Phase V paint scheme, this handsome locomotive is a must have for every train enthusiast.... especially with MTH Electric Trains shutting their doors forever in 2021.