The Alco RSD5 diesel locomotive is back for another run in the N scale Atlas Classic line. The six-axle road switcher, part of the Atlas lineup since 1999, is now offered with a factory-installed speaker (Silver Series), an ESU LokSound V5 Digital Command Control and sound decoder (Gold Series), and a revised chassis.
Prototype history
Alco produced the RSD5 from March 1952 to March 1956. During the course of the production run, 167 units were built for railroads in the United States, including Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe; Birmingham Southern; Central RR of New Jersey; Chesapeake & Ohio; Chicago & North Western; Milwaukee Road; Pennsylvania RR; and Southern Pacific (along with St. Louis Southwestern and Texas & New Orleans). Pacific RR (35) and National Railways of Mexico (2) were the only two lines outside of the U.S. to originally roster the RSD5. The units, rated at 1,600 hp, were equipped with a 12-cylinder 244 diesel engine.
The sample we received is decorated as Santa Fe No. 2155, part of the railroad’s 2110 through 2162 series. The full-size locomotive was built in August 1953 under order number S-3223. It was delivered in the railroad’s aluminum-and-black “zebra stripes” scheme. The diesel was later repainted in the 1960 blue-and-yellow pinstripe scheme, also known as bookends, blue stripe, and early blue.
The 2155 was one of 14 Alco RSD5 diesels retired by the Santa Fe on June 28, 1968. The road switchers were traded to Electro-Motive Division for credit on an order of SD45 diesels.
Model features
Similar to other Atlas N scale diesels, the RSD5 uses plastic and die-cast metal construction. The plastic shell consists of the body (long and short hoods), cab, and sill unit. The cab is fitted with clear, flush-fitting glazing. The handrails are flexible engineering plastic. The stanchions are blue and the handrails are yellow on our sample. A prototype image of the 2155 from April 1968 shows the handrails and stanchions painted blue.
All of the details on the front and rear pilots are molded, including the footboards, uncoupling levers, and m.u. hose connections. “Keep off” stencils are applied to the pilots on both sides of the coupler, but they’re a bit lower than those on the full-size diesel.
The body features a mix of molded and separate, factory-applied details. Freestanding parts on the short hood include a brake wheel and single-chime air horn; the grab irons, sand filler hatch, and access doors are molded. The long hood also has a separate air horn. Molded parts include the exhaust stack, round radiator fan housing, and radiator shutters. The side-mounted number boxes on the long and short hoods have factory-printed number boards.
I grabbed the sill unit above the front and rear trucks and gently rocked it from side to side to separate the press-fit shell from the die-cast metal chassis. Instead of the traditional split-frame mechanism, there are two metal pieces, secured with screws, split in half horizontally. The Scale Speed motor, framed by brass flywheels, is located in the center. The motherboard is fastened to the top half of the chassis with two screws. The ESU LokSound V5 decoder is attached to the end of the board above the rear truck. A rectangular speaker is located at the opposite end of the motherboard. It’s concealed in the short hood.
Brown and black wires from JST plugs are soldered to the wheel wipers on both trucks. The JST plugs are attached to headers on the bottom of the board. These wires carry power from the rails to the board. Another pair of wires run from a JST plug on top of the motherboard to the motor contacts.
Measuring up
Our sample is decorated in Santa Fe’s 1960 blue-and-yellow pinstripe scheme. The paint is smooth and evenly applied, with crisp separation lines between colors. I was especially impressed with the opacity of the yellow. There are very few gaps where the large Santa Fe lettering on the long hood passes over handles, louvers, and seams between the doors.
The full-size 2155 was used in passenger service, so it should have a steam generator exhaust stack on top of the short hood. Other features omitted from the model include the battery box behind the cab on the engineer’s side; metal cab sun shades; an antenna plate on the cab roof; front and rear number boards above the headlights; and a small, secondary window (for improved crew visibility) on the face of the cab on the engineer’s side. The model has an Ajax brake wheel, but the prototype had a Champion. Santa Fe’s RSD5 diesels had a mix of tall and short doors on the long hood (without louvers) to accommodate square vents.
Prototype drawings of the Alco RSD5 were published in the 1956 Locomotive Cyclopedia of American Practice (Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corp.) The model’s dimensions match or closely follow published data.
I tested our sample, which has an ESU LokSound V5 sound decoder, at the workbench using an NCE Power Cab. At speed step 1, the model moved at less than 1 scale mph. At step 28, the road switcher topped out at 80 smph. That’s 15 mph faster than the prototype maximum speed.
Then I took the locomotive over to the Milwaukee, Racine & Troy State Line Route, which has a Digitrax DCS-210+ DCC system. The RSD5 powered a freight train across the layout, which features 18” minimum radius curves and No. 6 turnouts, without issue.
The Atlas N Alco RSD5 is a seasoned veteran in the manufacturer’s Classic lineup. Though the shell remains largely unchanged, the revised mechanism accommodates features that today’s modelers expect, such as a factory-installed speaker on Silver Series models and DCC and sound on Gold Series locomotives.
Facts & features
Price: Direct current with factory-installed speaker, $139.95; with ESU LokSound V5 sound decoder, $239.95. Subtract $10 for undecorated models.
Manufacturer
Atlas Model Railroad Co.
378 Florence Ave.
Hillside, NJ 07205
shop.atlasrr.com
Era: Early 1960s to June 28, 1968 (as decorated)
Road names: Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe (blue and yellow pinstripe scheme); Chicago & North Western (yellow and green); and Central RR of New Jersey (RSD4, green and yellow). Two road numbers per scheme. Also available undecorated.
Features
- Body-mounted Accumate couplers, at correct height
- Metal wheel stubs mounted on plastic drive axle gears, correctly gauged
- Weight: 2.3 ounces
