The story of Baldwin in the diesel era is simple: a lack of sales. The AS-616 sadly fits right into the mix. Just 168 of the 1,600-horsepower units were built between 1950 and 1954. Seven AS-616s still exist, three of which are owned by a freight railroad in New Jersey.
The six-axle beast has been offered in years past as a Premier line (ProtoSound 1.0) engine. Today it is offered as a RailKing Scale engine with either ProtoSound 2.0 or, for less money, LocoSound. Always ready for a bargain, I ordered the LocoSound version, had it a week later, and have been happy since.
Don’t miss a video of the MTH Baldwin AS-616 running on one of our test tracks.
Opening the box
In the 1990s, the level of detail and the scale dimensions of this Baldwin diesel meant it was a member of MTH’s Premier line. Today, as the level of features and detail in the O gauge marketplace continues to climb (see the SD70ACe review), early Premier offerings are being re-issued as RailKing Scale locomotives.
Though this is a nice-looking model with a satisfactory amount of detail, it won’t leave you awe-inspired. There is hatch, rivet, and seam detail – lots of little texture things, but no “wow-factor.”
The number boards are solid and the markers are not illuminated, though there is a light in the cab and the headlights are directional. The model is unique because its die-cast metal trucks mirror the Commonwealth style utilized on some but not all AS-616s (others were made with drop-equalizer trucks).
Why add this diesel to my roster? Certainly, the reasonable price was a selling point, but so was the model’s appearance, which is distinctly different from GP9s or Alco RS-series road switchers. Also, it has two motors and six-wheel trucks for pulling power.
On the test track
The 4-pound locomotive registered a drawbar pull of 2 pounds 11 ounces. Our low-speed test average was 5.5 scale mph and the high-speed average was 53.4 scale mph.
The LocoSound system is a generic sound system that is a bit behind its time. It sounds fine, but when placed next to a new locomotive with ProtoSound 2.0 or Lionel RailSounds, there is no confusing which is which.
To my surprise, it has a smoke unit that pumps out the white stuff with the same fan-driven aptitude of any Premier line diesel.
For me, the big selling point is that all LocoSound-equipped locomotives include MTH’s speed control, which eliminates a lot of throttle twiddling.
So why review a middle-of-the-pack product that isn’t all that new? In part, because the AS-616 is a smooth-running model of an unique diesel, but also to encourage hobbyists who might have missed it the first time around to take a second look.
Where older models might have some limitations as far as command-control options are concerned, you can pick up plenty of great runners at very attractive prices. To paraphrase a tag line from the X-Files television series, “The bargains are out there.”
Price: $239.95 (no. 30-2379-0)
Features: O-31 operation, two can-style motors, operating couplers, smoke unit, directional lighting, speed control, LocoSound system
Pros: Scale sized, two-motor pulling power, speed control, smooth runner
Cons: Basic level of detail
Made in the People’s Republic of China for MTH Electric Trains
