PREORDER Athearn Genesis HO G66277 MP15AC, GATX (GMTX) #335 | 199.74

The EMD MP15 is a light road switcher that was built between 1974 and 1980. It came in two designs, the MP15DC and the MP15AC. It was billed as replacement for the EMD SW1500.

The MP15DC's standard Blomberg B trucks were capable of transition and road speeds up to 60 mph (97 km/h), allowing use on road freights. Soon there was a demand for a model with an advanced AC drive system. The MP15AC replaced the MP15DC's DC generator with an alternator producing AC power which is converted to DC for the traction motors with a silicon rectifier. The MP15AC is 1.5 ft (457 mm) longer than an MP15DC, the extra space being needed for the rectifier equipment. The alternator-rectifier combination is more reliable than a generator, and this equipment became the standard for new diesel-electric locomotive designs.

The MP15AC is easily distinguished from the DC models. Instead of the front-mounted radiator intake and belt-driven fan used on all previous EMD switchers, these have intakes on the lower forward nose sides and electric fans. Side intakes allowed the unit to take in cooler air, and the electric fans improved a serious reliability issue found in its earlier DC sisters.

In the early 1970s railroads were starting to convert to AC power, the six largest buyers, Milwaukee (64), Southern Pacific (58), Seaboard Coast Line Railroad (45), Nacionales de México (25), Long Island (23), and Louisville & Nashville (10), were all buying AC road locomotives. 36 more units were sold to 8 other customers.

GMTX FEATURES:
Ground lights
Road number specific features
Front and rear ditch lights
Cab-mounted A/C

ROAD NUMBER SPECIFIC FEATURES:
#319 Ex-SOO/MILW, All black repaint, cab-mounted 3-chime horn, frame-mounted bell, dual Xenon strobes (effect in DCC), small fuel tank, ratchet brake #333 Ex-SOO/MILW, Light blue/black repaint, cab-mounted 3-chime horn, frame-mounted bell, dual Xenon strobes (effect in DCC), small fuel tank, ratchet brake #335 Ex SP, Dark blue/black repaint, cab-mounted 3-chime horn, SP style number boards, blanked SP light package, frame-mounted bell, large fuel tank, brake wheel

MP15AC LOCOMOTIVE FEATURES:
Full cab interior
Wire grab irons
Coupler cut levers
See-through cab windows
Flexible rubber trainline hose
Flexible rubber MU hoses
Lift rings
Windshield wipers
Blomberg-B trucks
Sander lines
Directional constant lighting
Walkway Tread
Operating ditch lights (if equipped)
Operating ground lights
Fine-scale Celcon handrails for scale appearance
Headlight brightness remains constant
Separately applied photo-etched metal and injection molded detail parts

Detailed fuel tank with fuel fillers, fuel gauges, breather pipes
DCC-ready features Quick Plug plug-and-play technology with 21-pin NEM connector
Accurately-painted and -printed paint schemes
McHenry scale knuckle couplers - Kadee compatible
Fully-assembled and ready-to-run
Scaled from prototype resources including drawings, field measurements, photographs, and more
Genesis driveline with 5-pole skew wound motor, precision machined flywheels, and multi-link drivetrain
All-wheel drive with precision gears for smooth & quiet operation
All-wheel electrical pickup provides reliable current flow
Wheels with RP25 contours operate on all popular brands of track
Heavy die-cast frame for greater traction and more pulling power
Minimum radius: 18"