newest info from Athearn on the SD45-2 and the MP15AC

[Anonymous]

just got this email from Athearn...


Greetings. We just got back from the Amherst Show in Springfield, MA (brrr ­
it was 1-degree Fahrenheit on Saturday morning when we left the hotel). We
showed, for the first time, our next two Genesis locomotives, the MP15AC and
the SD45-2.
Here is some basic and preliminary information to clarify our plans for
these exciting new locomotives. Since this is preliminary information, we
might change some of the details prior to delivery. We#8470;ll keep you posted of
these changes along the way.
MP-15AC:

All New Tooling
* Hood - Standard version: Features see-thru hood-side radiator intakes
with etched grilles applied; hood-top radiator detail with etched and formed
grilles applied; separate air filter box (two styles); standard twin
sealed-beam headlight and number board housing; ratchet hand-brake.
* Hood - SP version: Same as above but with distinctive SP-style headlight
package with separately applied single and twin Gyralights; brakewheel
hand-brake.
* Walkway - Standard version: Separately applied sub-base doors; equipped
with standard jack-pads and standard front stepwells.
* Walkway - SP version: As above with SP 4-hole jack-pads and modified
front stepwells.
* Hood-top Air Filter Boxes: Square and angled versions applied as
appropriate.
* Exhaust Silencer Box: Applied over stacks as appropriate.
* Full Cab Interior: Multi-piece.
* Fuel Tanks: Plastic with separate details; two sizes applied as
appropriate.
* M.U./Signal Hoses: Separately applied.
* Handrails and Coupler Cut-Levers: Color-keyed and molded in engineering
plastic.

Other Features-
* Cab: Existing thin-wall SW1500 cab, Standard and SP versions, modified
for single-pane window glass, and separately applied SP single and twin
Gyralights.
* Motor: New precision Can-type with dynamically balanced flywheels.
* Trucks: Proven Genesis Blomberg "B" type as applied to F-series.
* Headlights: Bulbs installed in all openings.

E.T.A.: Late 2005


Possible road names (we might not make all of these):
CP Rail
Canadian Pacific ­ beaver scheme
CSX ­ gray
CSX ­ blue and gray
CSX ­ blue and gray with yellow ends
CSX ­ blue, gray and yellow
CSX ­ dark blue and dark yellow
Eastman Kodak
Electro-Motive Division - plant switcher
Georgetown Railroad
Golden Triangle (Weyerhaeuser)
Kennecott Copper (unless it has the extended height cab)
Long Island
Louisville & Nashville ­ Family Lines
Milwaukee Road
Missouri-Kansas-Texas (different handrails)
Nacionales de Mexico
New York & Atlantic
Rockwell International
Seaboard Coast Line ­ Family Lines
Seaboard System
Soo Line ­ patched MILW
Soo Line ­ red and white scheme (more research needed)
Soo Line ­ candy apple red scheme
Southern Pacific
Southern Pacific ­ speed lettering
Terminal Railway Alabama State Docks
Union Pacific ­ ex-SP patched
Union Pacific
Union Pacific ­ Y scheme

-----------------

SD45-2:

All New Tooling
* Hood - Standard version: Improved one-piece long-hood/nose molding (as on
SD45T-2) without nose headlight; highly detailed fans with etched grilles;
see-thru dynamic brake intake grilles; utilizes separately applied T-2 body
details.
* Hood - SCL (and subsequent owners) version: Same as above with vertical
nose headlight.
* Hood - EL (and subsequent owners) version: Same as Standard Version but
with low-style dynamic and radiator fans; flat dust bin; elongated dynamic
brake vent; rear hood door louvers.
* Walkway - Early version: Equipped with standard pilot faces, both ends;
separate sub-base doors.
* Walkway - Late version: As above with anti-climber equipped front pilot
(ATSF 2nd order and Bicentennials, and subsequent owners).
* Full Cab Interior: Multi-piece.
* Fuel Tanks: Plastic with separate details; Standard 4000 gal.; E-L type
5000 gal.
* M.U./Signal Hoses: Separately applied.
* Handrails and Coupler Cut Levers: Color-keyed and molded in engineering
plastic.
* Drop Steps: Separately applied and repositionable.

Other Features-
* Cab: Highly detailed; utilizes SD45T-2 and SD50/60/70 Standard Cab
details, etchings, and wireforms.
* Motor: Proven Genesis Can-type with dynamically balanced flywheels.
* Trucks: HTC type; improved, from SD40-2.
* Headlights: Bulbs.
E.T.A.: Late 2005.

Possible road names (we might not make all of these):
Arizona & California ­ green and cream
Burlington Northern Santa Fe ­ ex-ATSF with patches
Burlington Northern Santa Fe ­ green and orange
Clinchfield ­ black and yellow
Conrail ­ blue
Conrail ­ blue with Conrail Quality scheme
CSX ­ gray with blue lettering
CSX ­ gray and blue with Transportation logo
CSX ­ gray and blue
CSX ­ gray and blue with yellow added to ends
CSX ­ ex-CR patches
CSX ­ gray, yellow and blue
CSX ­ dark blue and dark yellow
Duluth Missabe & Iron Range ­ maroon and yellow
Duluth Missabe & Iron Range ­ maroon and yellow with UofMinnesota M
Erie Lackawanna ­ gray, yellow and maroon scheme
Family Lines ­ gray
Helm Leasing
MPI Leasing
Montana Rail Link ­ dark blue and black
National Railway Equipment Leasing
Norfolk Southern ­ ex-CR patches
Norfolk Southern ­ black
Norfolk Southern ­ black with horsehead scheme
Reading & Northern ­ green and gray
Santa Fe ­ blue with yellow ends
Santa Fe ­ yellow warbonnet
Santa Fe ­ Bicentennial
Santa Fe ­ "Kodachrome" red and yellow
Seaboard Coast Line ­ black and yellow
Seaboard System - gray
Transportacion Ferrocarril Mexicana
Trona Railway ­ red and silver


These two locomotive projects are in progress, so changes can occur at any
time. As stated above, we#8470;ll keep you posted.

That's it for today.

The Folks at Athearn Trains

[ericsp]

If those were Blue Box kits, it would be something to get excited about.

[philnrunt]

I have wanted a (an?) MP15AC for quite awhile, i just didn't want to pay 90$ for the one that Con Cor (?) put out. Now I will have to pay over a hundred, but I will trust the mechanism alot more. And the Genesis line is spectacular in it's details.

[Anonymous]

I have photo of the MP15AC from the Athearn booth taken at the West Springfield show (at the time it didn't notice it sitting there until I got home and uploaded my photos)- http://www.geocities.com/guilford_350/athearn1a.jpg

Also spotted the SD45-2 shell sitting on one of the displays-http://www.geocities.com/guilford_350/athearn5a.jpg

[AntonioFP45]

O.K,

If they don't growl, I "might" consider getting one if available in Seaboard Coast Line!

Sorry, but I heard a friend's Genesis SD75 a year ago. That thing is almost as loud as my late 1970s Blue Box SD9!

[ndbprr]

SCL and L&N had MP15AC"S?????

[Anonymous]

DM&IR didn't have any SD45-2s either. SD38s and SD40T-3s, but no 45-2s.

[jwr_1986]

Well at least the SD45-2's are available in three shades of Norfolk Southern. I had a bear of a time finding a decent locomotive in NS at the Springfield Show. I probably wasn't looking in the right places.

Jesse

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by ndbprr

SCL and L&N had MP15AC"S?????

Yes. L&N had 10 (4225-4234) and SCL had 45 (4000-4019, 4200-4224).

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by radivil

DM&IR didn't have any SD45-2s either. SD38s and SD40T-3s, but no 45-2s.

Actually, 416 and 418 use SD45-2 shells but are still SD40-3's internally.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by jwr_1986

Well at least the SD45-2's are available in three shades of Norfolk Southern.

Well, NS only has SD45-2's in Horsehead, plus the CR units with NS patches.

[Anonymous]

I'll be getting two Conrail SD45-2's.

[Anonymous]

Can not wait to see the MP15AC unit in person as I live in Georgetown TX home of Texas Crushed Stone and the Georgetown Railroad (GRR). So I do hope that they produce the GRR version. It would go great with my set of Ortner ore cars in GRR markings. I go by the pit each day which is just off IH35 south of town and see the 2 MP15 units in red with white GRR in action. An old calf is on a siding not in use anymore. I know one of the Texas Crush Stone employees from church and need to bug him for a tour to take some pictures.

[Anonymous]

Kind of odd that Athearn announced an MP15AC just as Atlas announced an MP15DC.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by 4884bigboy

Kind of odd that Athearn announced an MP15AC just as Atlas announced an MP15DC.

Same thing has happened in the past - industrial espionage?

Many years ago Atlas, MDC and Stewart all released RS-3's around the same time. Years without any at all, and all at once three different/same ones all at once!

Bob Boudreau