Athearn Blue box and an EMD SW1200, Have they ever been introduced?

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

Just out of curiousity, has Athearn ever made a comercial blue box model of an SW1200? I ask because on page 16 of MR, there is an advertisement for a SW1200 decorated for the New Haven Railroad, marketed by the New Haven Historical Society. It says the Engine was made by Athearn, exclusivly for them. So I ask again, does an Athearn SW1200 exsist? I’m a mainly Athearn engine Guy, so if they do make one I’d find it some where, otherwise I thoguht I’d look for a fairly inexpensive PK2 engine.

Noah

2

No,Athearn does not make a SW1200…They do make a SW7 though…LifeLike makes the SW1200.

3

Yeah - Athearn made a SW7 for the Rock Island - trouble is, the RI never had any !!!

Typical Athearn “research”.

Having said that, the SW7/9/1200 series are all close to each other.

The main difference is louver placement - SW7s (orginally) had full height with a horizional strip for lettering, SW9s and 1200s are only half height.

I don’t know what the Athearn model looks like, but you could “make do” or modify for a SW1200.

Me, I have a P2K RI SW9.

4

Thanks to both of you for your quick answers. here’s a link to the page on there website, maybe you could tell me if that’s a true SW1200 or not:

http://www.nhrhta.org/htdocs/DEY-7.htm

Noah

5

I processed the image to make it more visable - the louvers look like those typical for a SW7 to me, but New Haven might have had RR specific alterations I don’t know about - I can only speak to Rock Island locos!

6

I will go with George on ths one…It looks like a supped up Athearn SW7.

7

All of this was hashed out on the NHRHTA’s New Haven Forum. I think it’s been bumped to about page 5 or 6 by now.

The answer is that the NHRHTA’s new model is the standard SW7 model that has been sold by Athearn for decades. This was marketed at one time as the SW1200 by Athearn (IIRC), but that was incorrect.

And there is very little difference externally between a SW1200 and a SW7, which is why the NHRHTA is offering the model.

What the NHRHTA is doing is offering pre-painted models with almost all the detail parts you need to turn it into a pretty good model of a DEY-7 (NH class code for a SW1200). While this does not mean you get new Cannon & Co. louver doors for the engine room, it does mean you get:

Flexicoil trucks
Twin sealed beam headlight casings
MU connections
Air hoses
Hancock Air Whistles

And a few other odds and ends, IIRC, not to mention instructions, and all for $60 (you do have to put the parts on yourself). Not too bad, IMHO. I have two that I did about 10 years ago, and I paid $50 for just the custom painted engine in the first place. Add in the detail parts, and that’s not a bad deal the NHRHTA is offering.

It’s not 100% correct, but it’s gotta be up over the 90% mark.

8

Thanks alot guys. I think I’ll go try and find a SW7, if it’s that close, and call it close enough. Thanks again, as you might have saved me a liitle money as the PK2 engines usually cost a little more.

Noah