2010 volume 2 - part1.qxp 4/9/2010 12:22 PM Page 80 Anatomy of a Detailed Metal Multi-Chime Horn See-Through Metal Grilles See-Through Premier Diesel Metal Grilles Sounds Recorded From an Actual ES44AC Diesel Premier Line engines are full O scale models, 1/48 the size of their prototypes*. Because of this, they often require larger radius curves than comparable RailKing models. Premier engines, like the General Electric ES44AC shown here in a Rock Island paint scheme, are Metal Handrails as detailed as we can reasonably make them, and feature a large number of added-on details. Premier engines also offer more elab- orate lighting effects than RailKing models. Safety Tread on End Steps Look closely at any Premier Line model and you'll find a combination of superb detailing, prototype accuracy, rugged construction, and smooth, dependable operation that is unmatched by any other manufacturer. *European models are scaled 1:43 or 1:45 depending on prototype All Wheels Powered Etched Metal Variable-Intensity, Fan- Safety Tread On Driven Exhaust Smoke Walkways Air Reservoirs and Air Lines Fuel Tank Filler Pipe Directionally Controlled Headlights 80 2010 volume 2 - part1.qxp 4/9/2010 12:22 PM Page 81 Single-unit powered Premier diesels ™ offered in three road numbers* Proto-Scale 3-2 Operate on 3-Rail or 2-Rail Track Lighted cab interior with AC or DC Power! Crew Figures Windshield wipers Many Premier steam and diesel engines in this catalog are equipped with Proto-Scale 3-2, a unique M.T.H. feature that allows Illuminated Number Boards you to run the same engine on 2-rail or 3-rail track, under AC or DC power. Engines cataloged with hi-rail wheels are intended pri- Sand Filler Cap marily for 3-rail operators, while engines with scale wheels are aimed at 2-rail DC operators as well as 3-rail AC operators looking Directionally Controlled for more scale realism. Scale-Wheeled versions of diesels have Headlights more-realistic fixed pilots, while Hi-Rail versions have swinging pilots to negotiate smaller-radius curves. Safety Chain The conversion wheel kits listed on page 147 offer Operating additional versatility. Each Ditch Lights kit contains enough wheel sets for (2) power trucks. Coupler Lift Bar Scale wheels are polished, turned metal with scale Removable treads and flange height, snow plow and are mounted on metal axles with one insulated side for use on 2-rail O Scale track systems. Two wheel sets in each kit contain a pre-mounted drive gear. MU Cables (behind plow) Brake Operates on 2- or 3-Rail Cylinders Track, AC or DC Power and Air Remotely Activated Brake Lines Proto-Coupler™ Easily Convertible from Hi-Rail to Scale Wheels OR Scale to Hi-Rail Wheels *Where Prototypical Premier 81 2010 volume 2 - part1.qxp 4/9/2010 12:22 PM Page 82 Features - (2) Remotely Controlled EMD SD60M Diesel Proto-Couplers™ - Metal Chassis - (2) Precision Flywheel- Equipped Motors - Intricately Detailed ABS Body - Spinning Roof Fans - Metal Body Side Grilles - Operating Smoke Unit - Die-Cast Truck Sides - Colorful Paint Scheme - Metal Wheels, Axles and Gears - Metal Handrails and Horn - Lighted Cab Interior - Illuminated Number Boards - Operating Ditch Lights - Locomotive Speed Control In Scale MPH Increments - (2) Cab Figures - Proto-Sound 2.0 With The Digital Command System Featuring Freight Yard Proto-Effects - Unit Measures: 18 3/8 x 2 1/2 x 3 15/16 - Operates On O-42 Curves Each Roadname is Available in Three Road Numbers! 82 2010 volume 2 - part1.qxp 4/9/2010 12:22 PM Page 83 Introduced in the mid-1980s, the SD60 and its four-axle sister, the GP60, were the first EMD diesels to incorporate computer technology and onboard diagnostics to aid the engineer. Under the hood was a 16-cylinder model 710 prime mover rated at 3800 horsepower. In January 1989, the Union Pacific Railroad accepted the initial order of SD60M's, featuring GM's version of the North American Safety Cab. The wide- Burlington Northern - SD60M Diesel Engine nosed cab was relatively new to American rails 20-20082-1 Proto-Sound 2.0 $429.95 but had been popular for some years with 20-20082-3 Non-Powered $199.95 Canadian crews, who found it particularly cozy in the winter. Priced at $1.25 million in 1984, the EMD SD60 roared onto the scene with its "Super Series" adhesion control and an engine that generated up to 120,000 pounds of tractive effort. Derived from the popular SD45 series, the SD60, like its SD50 sibling, added dynamic brakes in a new location — just behind the cab. This unique location for the brakes gave engine spotters an Norfolk Southern - SD60M Diesel Engine indentifying mark to distinguish SD50/60s from 20-20084-1 Proto-Sound 2.0 $429.95 other SD engines. The only way to distinguish a 20-20084-3 Non-Powered $199.95 50 from a 60, however, was to count doors. The SD60 had eight compared to the six found on the SD50. The Safety Cab underwent several changes in appearance over the years, with the transition from a three-piece windshield to a two-piece model one of the most obvious. Other upgrades included the addition of front number boards above the windshield and win- dow glass in the nose-mounted cab access door. The SD60M returns to the MTH lineup in 2010 CSX - SD60M Diesel Engine in four paint schemes, each loaded with the 20-20083-1 Proto-Sound 2.0 $429.95 added-on details and operating features that 20-20083-3 Non-Powered $199.95 make M.T.H. Premier Line diesels a terrific value. Did You Know? EMD's SD50 diesel, introduced in 1980, had engine problems that led to the introduction of the SD60 just four years later. The SD50's model 645 prime mover was working so close to its limi- tations that the motor required a major overhaul every two years — twice as often as the motor in the previous SD-40 and SD40-2 locomotives. Responding to customer complaints, EMD devel- BNSF - SD60M Diesel Engine oped the stronger, more reliable model 710 20-20081-1 Proto-Sound 2.0 $429.95 prime mover introduced in the SD60 diesel. 20-20081-3 Non-Powered $199.95 Premier Diesel Locomotive 83 2010 volume 2 - part2.qxp 4/9/2010 12:23 PM Page 84 Features - Intricately Detailed ABS Body Alco RS-11 Road Switcher - Die-Cast Truck Sides, Pilots and Fuel Tank - Colorful Paint Scheme - Metal Chassis - Metal Handrails and Horn - (2) Cab Figures - Directionally Controlled Headlights - Metal Wheels, Axles and Gears - (2) Remotely Controlled Proto-Couplers™ - (2) Precision Flywheel-Equipped Motors - Locomotive Speed Control In Scale MPH Increments - 1:48 Scale Proportions - Operating Smoke Unit - Proto-Sound 2.0 With The Digital Command System Featuring Freight Yard Proto-Effects™ - Unit Measures: 14 7/8” x 2 1/2” x 4 1/16” - Operates On O-31 Curves POWERED UNITS AVAILABLE IN THREE ROAD NUMBERS* *Where Prototypical Did You Know? Experienced engineers loved the road switcher cab because, unlike the new streamliners, it felt like home to them. The crew in a Geep or RS-11 running long hood forward sat near the back of the engine, looking out over the power plant with a lot of machin- ery between them and any potential collision — just like a steam engine. Even running short hood forward, the engineer's view was out past the engine's nose, similar to a steamer. 84 2010 volume 2 - part2.qxp 4/9/2010 12:23 PM Page 85 The RS-11 was Alco's answer to the hugely popular Electro- Motive Geep. Alco had, after all, invented the road switcher: a multipurpose engine with great visibility fore and aft, capable of anything from slow-speed switching to full-throttle mainline hauling. And in the late 1940s and early '50s, Alco's pioneering RS-1 and RS-3 had sold well. But Alco's 1600 hp model 244 motor had acquired a reputation for unreliability, and the Electro- Motive GP7 and GP9, copying the road switcher concept, became the runaway best-sellers of first-generation diesels. Erie Mining Company - RS-11 High Hood Diesel Engine NEW TOOLING! One wonders today if Alco's problem was really its motor or EMD's 20-20094-1 Proto-Sound 2.0 $399.95 commanding sales lead. Back in World War II, EMD had been the 20-20094-3 Non-Powered B-Unit $199.95 only company permitted to manufacture road diesels, and shop crews nationwide had learned to service the EMD 567 prime mover. Perhaps a lack of familiarity led to lesser-quality mainte- nance of Alco motors; as evidence, Alco fans today point to the New Haven, an all-Alco railroad that got great service from its Alco fleet while others complained. In any case, the RS-11 addressed the reliability issue with a new Model 251 V-12 motor, offering 50 more horsepower than the contemporary GP9. At least a dozen Class 1 railroads in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico bought the new engine after it was intro- Maine Central - RS-11 High Hood Diesel Engine NEW TOOLING! 20-20095-1 Proto-Sound 2.0 $399.95 duced in 1956. Some used it in passenger service with an option- 20-20095-3 Non-Powered B-Unit $199.95 al train heat boiler. Later a low-nose version with better forward visibility was offered. But while the RS-11 was a good locomo- tive, the race had already been lost. Sales numbered in the hun- dreds while Geeps sold by the thousands.