SW1500 Project Question

To All:

In researching the SW1500 project for Athearn I have found that most of the locos spent their lives looking basically the same. I have found a picture of two of them that had the stock horn moved to the top of the cab roof. Ken Wulfert seems to think that this was done for better grade crossing protection.

Having said that does anyone remember anything unique about any of these locos. I would be especially interested to know the following:

(1) Did any of them (specific road #'s) spend most of their career at a specific yard or city.
(2) Were they all assigned to a specific service point (i.e. Springfield) and lettered so or maybe more than one.
(3) Anything else about any specific loco or locos anyone can remember.

Thanks in advance,

 

As far as I know, roof beacons (I think thats what Ken was trying to say) were a standard on the SW1500's, and all other 2nd gen power for that matter.

Ethan

 

Ethan and All:

What Ken is referring to is a small appendage on the top at the rear of the cab that looks like a smaller light. By what he says if I understood his post is he may think it is the two light (horizontal) post that some of the extended vision cabooses had. I think it looks different than that, more like a small light of some kind.

 

I consulted my books (frisco in color - Marre and Sommers. And frisco diesel power - Marre and Harper) and see what ken was referring to now. I have never noticed these before.

Here's what I gathered: the earlier units had the small strobe, while the later ones didn't. In frisco diesel power page 114 there's a picture of 345 parred with 565 on oct 13 1979 and 345 is sporting a small beacon but not a large one. Same book page 112 348 & 349 are parred together on April 30, 1980. Both have the big beacon, but not the small. Page 113 has 329 on may 28 1972 with both large and small. Page 105 shows 360 And 355 in August of 75. Both hav a large beacon but not a small.

So from what I can conclude, some were between 345 and 348 they stopped adding the small beacon. And it was not removed towards the end of their lives.
Any one have a list of the batches the sw1500s were ordered in to show were the split is?

Ethan

 

Units 315-330 were delivered in Oct. 1968
Units 331-342 were delivered in Dec. 1968
Units 347-349 were delivered in Mar. 1972
Units 350-352 were delivered in Apr. 1972
Units 353-360 were delivered In Jan. 1973

 

Ken and All:

Maybe this will solve the mystery on at least some of the units, and then again maybe it won't! There is a beautiful picture on the bottom of page 94 of Greg Stout's new book Frisco in Color, Volume 2 showing brand-spanking new SW1500's #336 and #333 at Chicago waiting for delivery to the Frisco. They clearly show the large rotating beacon already installed.

As far as the small light or beacon, I encourage those of you that have this book to browse through it and you will notice that numerous other switchers clearly have the small light mounted on the top including FM units at Tulsa. Maybe Terry J. (tmfrisco) can weigh in here as he operated them in Cherokee Yard but I am beginning to believe that they may have been installed higher to facilitate visibility in yards.

Having said that, I can't think of a manufacturer that produces this smaller light. If anyone else can, please post.

 

So it would be safe to assume that 347 on up did not have the small light. And what about 343-346?

I'll do some digging around on the internet and see what else I can find.

Ethan

 

Ethan:

Oops! My Bad!

343-346 Jan. 1970

This comes from the book Frisco Diesel Power which I believe you said you own.

 

After doing more looking here are some more of my thoughts:

As railroads looked to cheapen operating costs, they started taking off the extra lights (Like BN did.) And I've noticed that the beacons started disappearing in the late 70's. From what I've seen most of the time if the switcher has one or both removed, its paired with another that has at least the big beacon. Some times only the big beacon was taken off, some times both. Look at Frisco In Color on page 36, 329 is paired with 362. 329 does not have a big beacon, but still has the small one and 362 has a large beacon. Then look at this photo: http://rrpicturearchives.net/locoPicture.aspx?id=130523 346 still has both, while on 322 both have been removed (I had to zoom in quite a bit to see it). Why they chose to remove it on this one, and not the others, we may never know. But it's safe to assume they wanted at least 1 big beacon in the consist, and so if that's true then it would be safe to assume that those units with out beacons were stuck with which ever unit they were paired with.

Any one else have thoughts on this?

How would we go about having athearn work with mixing and matching?

Ethan

 

I think the modeler should study photos and add or subtract beacons according to the engine being modeled. I don't model that era, but if I did I think I'd add a beacon to my engines. There sort of neat kind of like Mars Lights of the first generation diesel era.

Tom

 

I believe I read some where that the smaller strobes were there so the unit could be seen more clearly from yard towers while sorting cars. Larry F.

 

To All:

I must admit that I feel that I spurred an active discussion about the SW1500 and hope we all learned something we didn't already know or
realize which admittedly is a always a good thing. Having said that look back at my original post above and note that I asked 3 questions and that even through we have had a lively discussion thus far, I feel that only one (#3) has had any discussion or been answered.
The reason for my original query is in suggesting road #'s to Athearn I had hoped to pick ones assigned to different specific points on the system if that was indeed the case. As an example, NW2 #261 spent a great part of it's life assigned to Wichita as the yard switcher. It was then replaced by GP15-1 #102 which did the same. Hopefully we can assume that the SW1500's did not regularly see duty in the Tulsa and surrounding are as that was FM country. Also, there may have been some in Birmingham, but the MP15's were assigned there. So two questions remain:

(1) Does anyone remember seeing a specific unit or units spending significant time in a specific location? When I lived in KC for a year in the late '70's I remember seeing a unit always spotting at Olathe for instance.
(2) Were these locos assigned to different service points around the system or always returned to Springfield for maintenance. If the latter is the case then they indeed may have been rotated around the system.
(3) Was the service point stenciled on the front edge of the frame. Look closely at the Athearn picture I referenced and one can easily see the word "Springfield" behind the customary "F". By looking at the pictures in the books there is something there but to me it looks like some sort of owners plate as it is shiny.

Thanks again everyone!