| WP 1502 | April, 2010 |
| ©2010 Daniel Cortopassi
| Please do not redistribute without permission. Usage Info |
 |
| |
|
Athearn SW1500, WP 1502
|
| |
|
|
|
|
Overview
|
| |
|
This Western Pacific switcher is one of the upgraded Athearn SW1500 models released around 2009. The main differences between this model and the older "blue box" SW1500 include an improved mechanism with a Mashima motor, photo-etched radiator grille and cab steps, flush window glass with a detailed cab interior, better wheels, and improved flexible plastic handrails, plus numerous prototype-specific small details.
|
| |
|
This is a very nice little locomotive. It ran very smoothly and quietly right out of the box except for a slight ticking noise that only happened in reverse. I eventually traced the problem to a tiny burr on one of the worm gears. I knocked it off and afterwards the engine ran very quietly.
|
| |
|
|
|
Cosmetic Changes
|
| |
|
I made a few changes to the model, starting with changing the plastic couplers for Kadees. Though the model appears correct for WP 1502 in as-built condition, I wanted to model the unit late in its WP career.
|
| |
|
I removed the footboards and all pilot detail, filled the holes and notched the corners of the pilots. After pouring over my reference material I noticed that the striping on the pilots was incorrect (the factory paint matches units in as-built condition). WP must have repainted the stripes at some point, there were fewer and they were at a slightly different angle. Fortunately the striping I needed was available as part of Microscale sheet 87-187. I repainted the corrected pilots and applied the decals. I used Polly-Scale Dark Green mixed with Engine Black to get a color very close to the factory green paint (I didn't want to repaint the entire locomotive).
|
| |
|
I custom made new uncoupling levers from brass wire and mounted them with Detail Associates brackets. I replaced the MU hoses with parts from Details West. I also removed the single-chime air horn (again, correct as-built) for a 5-chime horn from Detail Associates that I assembled with all bells forward as per the prototype.
|
| |
|
While the model was apart I installed a Cannon walkway tread and step kit. These are nice photo-etched parts that give the corner steps the same look as the factory cab steps. I simply glued the steps over the plastic ones, though some people may prefer to remove the original steps for a see-through effect. Even just glued on they look great. Note that there are now two Cannon SW1500 walkway tread kits. I used the one with the notches for the handrails. The older version is the same but has no notches, so would work on a "blue-box" unit or an SW1500 without side handrails.
|
| |
|
|
Electronics
|
| |
|
I installed a LokSound 3.5 decoder in this model and used LED lighting with fiber optics. The lighting setup is similar to the Kato SD40 I featured in HO DCC Installs Volume 1. I wanted to make the class lights operable. To achieve that in the cab I needed to use a pair of 1.5mm white LEDs. I originally thought I could use a single LED for both class lights, but the fiber optics are not quite flexible enough to make that work in such a tight space. I also used a sunny white 3mm LED for the headlight. Cramming three lights into the roof of the cab took some time and thought, but they are all but invisible when looking through the windows. I had to spend some time applying black paint and electrical tape to prevent light leaks, but the results were worth it, much better and brighter than the original bulbs.
|
| |
|
I used a single golden white LEDs for the class lights in the hood and sunny white (a brighter white) for the headlights. The class lights use .020 fiber optic strands while the headlights use .030. I also took advantage of the LokSound decoder's ability to dim the output voltage of lighting functions to keep the class lights fairly dim. They have a nice amber-white glow that is bright enough to be visible but dim enough not to compete with the headlight. Since the 1.5mm class light LEDs in the cab were a little too bluish-white for my tastes, I put a light coat of Tamiya clear orange paint on the cab class light lenses, which changed the hue to more closely match the class lights in the hood.
|
| |
|
This model had no provision for a speaker so I had to make a custom enclosure that fits under the radiator area and houses a downward-facing 16x25mm speaker. The enclosure is actually built into the model, so the shell itself forms the back and three sides. The fiber optics from the headlights and class lights are actually routed through it, with the LEDs under the smokestack area. I sealed the enclosure with RTV silicone to make it airtight, and it sounds great.
|
| |
|
|
Review
|
| |
|
The model peforms very smoothly and has excellent low-speed control, perfect for a switcher. It does not run quite a slowly as my Kato NW2, but close. It's also lighter, so in a tug-of-war the NW2 will drag the SW1500 (yes, I tried this). All silliness aside, this is a great locomotive and I have been enjoying using it to switch cars on my small layout.
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
