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EMD SW1500 Calf
Baltimore & Ohio
No. 4034 -Powered -1966 Release
No. 4084 -Dummy -1966 Release
EMD SW1500 Calf
Burlington Northern
No. 4027 -Powered -1978 Release
No. 4077 -Dummy -1978 Release
Athearn's first Burlington Northern roadnumber was 127, followed by 134 in latter releases.
EMD SW1500 Calf
Illinois Central
No. 4028 -Powered -1966 Release
No. 4078 -Dummy -1966 Release
EMD SW1500 Calf
Pennsylvania Railroad
No. 4033 -Powered
No. 4083 -Dummy
EMD SW1500 Calf
Santa Fe
No. 4030 -Powered
No. 4080 -Dummy
EMD SW1500 Calf
Southern
No.4029 -Powered
No.4079 -Dummy
EMD SW1500 Calf
Southern Pacific
No. 4031 -Powered
No. 4081 -Dummy
EMD SW1500 Calf
Union Pacific
No. 4032 -Powered
No. 4082 -Dummy
EMD SW1500 Calf
Undecorated
No. 4026 -Powered -1966 Release
No. 4076 -Dummy -1966 Release
Athearn's EMD switcher was a rare case of mistaken identity in the
company's line for some years. Jim Boyd discusses the model's prototype attributes in the October '71 issue of Railroad
Model Craftsman magazine with his article, "Athearn's SW-?"
Mr. Boyd stated that EMD created and distributed plans for a number of future production models
in the mid 1950s. These scale drawings included EMD's GP40, SD40, SDP40, SD38, SW1000, SW1500, and the never produced
DD40A. The article references these early EMD plans and the fact that the SW1500 displayed in 1955 included a carbody
similar to the earlier EMD switchers. Athearn did their homework early and began production on a number of HO-scale
diesels based on these EMD pre-production outlines. The end result was an SW-7 switcher that was labeled as an SW1500
by Athearn for many years, due to this later incorrect drawing. Also, model railroads received the DD40A that never
rode the rails. Ultimately, EMD produced DD35 and DD35A models and later the DD40AX, but never a DD40A.
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