Athearn announced a new run of SW1000s in HO scale in Rio Grande road numbers 148 and 149 slated for a June 2023 release.  Rio Grande purchased ten SW1000’s in two groups, the first one in 1966 and the second group in 1968. The second group consisted of three units, numbered 147-149. They differed from the first in that they came equipped with roller-bearing trucks and a slight variation in the striping on the front of the engines. This release represents the second group.

The fully assembled and ready-to-run model features a highly detailed, injection-molded body painted and printed to match the D&RGW prototype paint scheme, LED lighting for long life and reliable operation detailed cab interior, separately applied wire grab irons, see-through radiator intake grille and cab windows, fine-scale handrails separately applied air tank, operating ground lights, and McHenry knuckle couplers.

Under the shell the chassis features an all-wheel drive with precision gears for smooth & quiet operation, an improved 5-pole skew-wound can motor with flywheels and multi-link drivetrain which is said to be designed more powerful and quieter than before.  Athearn will offer this locomotive in both non-sound models, which it comes DCC-ready  and  DCC sound models which feature Tsunami2 sound with dual cube speakers.  MSRP for the non-sound units is $219.99 and for the DCC with sound units the MSRP is $319.99.

For more information see your local hobby dealer or visit Athearn.com.

Athearn announced a new run of its HO scale GP-15T locomotive slated for release in July of 2023.  This latest run will include a “What-If” GP-15T Rio Grande locomotive as part of their “Legendary Liveries” series.

The EMD GP15-1 is a 4-axle diesel-electric locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between June 1976 and March 1982. Intended to provide an alternative to the rebuilding programs that many railroads were applying to their early road switchers, it is generally employed as a yard switcher or light road switcher. A number of GP15-1s remain in service today for yard work and light road duty.

The rationale for this “what-if” model under an alternate timeline is running out their miles on secondary assignments, DRGW’s GP7s and 9s toiled in relative obscurity until their retirement, the D&RGW ordered EMD’s GP-15T in order to replace the aging geeps and increase the efficiency of these assignments with turbocharged units being better suited to the Grande’s mountainous territory featuring typical DRGW features such as operating class lights, nose-mounted gyralight (flashes on DCC/Sound version) Nathan M-3 horn, Sinclair radio antenna Blomberg-M trucks.

The fully assembled and ready-to-run model features coupler cut levers, and is scaled from prototype resources including drawings, field measurements, photographs. It is with an accurately painted and pad printed with paint schemes that would mimic the D&RGW standard.  The model has details including upgraded lit class lights and nameboards, MU hoses, train line hose, see-through cab windows with full cab interior, walkway tread, windshield wipers ,fine-scale Celcon handrails for scale appearance., lift rings, wire grab irons, sander lines. The DCC-ready features Quick Plug™ plug-and-play technology with 21-pin.

The heavy die-cast frame for greater traction and more pulling power has a detailed fuel tank with fuel fillers, fuel gauges, & breather pipes, body-mounted McHenry® operating scale knuckle couplers, and features a Genesis all-wheel drive with precision gears for smooth and quiet operation driveline with 5-pole skew wound motor, precision machined flywheels, and multi-link drivetrain for trouble-free operation

Athearn will offer this locomotive in road numbers 5970 & 5977 in both non-sound model  (which it comes DCC-ready)  and  DCC sound models which feature Tsunami2 sound with dual cube speakers.  MSRP for the  non-sound units is $219.99 and for the DCC with sound units, the MSRP is $319.99.   For more information see your local hobby dealer or visit Athearn.com.