On some dimly remembered gift-
giving occasion, my uncle presented me with a Lionel no. 6250 Seaboard NW2 diesel switcher, and the model’s rugged construction placed in my mind the notion that switchers can do anything. Pulling freight or passenger trains or just poking around with a few gondolas – the NW2 could handle whatever was tossed at it.
Fast-forward four decades until the day not long ago that I discovered sitting on my desk the new Atlas O MP15DC. I’ll be darned if this model doesn’t reaffirm that a diesel switcher can do just about anything, at least in 1:48 scale!
Atlas O’s MP15DC models a 1,500-horsepower switcher built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors between 1974 and 1980. More than 350 switchers were built. In many regards, when you coupled the horsepower with the speed range (the MP15DC could reach 60 mph), the type could be considered a small road engine.
Opening the box
Expecting a high level of detail even before the plastic was unwrapped, what struck me first was the obvious precision in the nomenclature. Icons for fire extinguishers and first-aid kits, EMD builder’s plates, and safety warnings were impeccable. But graphics don’t make the product; looks and performance are what count the most.
The cab end of the model looks marvelous. The pilot features add-on brake and multiple-unit lines, an uncoupler arm, a drawbridge (for transitioning to another diesel while working in tandem, an add-on safety chain, and grab irons. Two sand bunkers bracket the door, and each has an add-on cap. Our sample also came with a pair of yellow plastic snowplows for installation if you so choose.
The crewmen face long hood forward, and the windows have wind and rain guards. There are headlights, number boards, and classification lights just above the cab door. The roof of the cab sports a horn and a radio antenna.
The body has a solid level of cast-in detail, with clean seams, vents, and hinge and latch detail. You’ll also find add-on lift rings, caps for the sand bunker on the long end, and see-through screens. On top of the long hood you’ll see a bell and a two-stack exhaust.
The O gauge model has very nicely detailed die-cast metal trucks and remote functioning coil couplers. The die-cast metal fuel tank houses the locomotive’s speaker. Paint application is excellent, and the Genesee & Wyoming logo was expertly applied.
On the test track
The Atlas O MP15DC proved to be a very solid performer. We tested it in both TrainMaster and Legacy command modes, and it responded nicely to changes in speed and was instantaneous in reaction to commands such as opening the coil couplers.
The model features Lionel’s TrainMaster and RailSounds systems as well as Train America Studios’ Engineer-On-Board speed control. Controls are located on the bottom of the frame, above the trucks.
The only quirk we encountered was the breaking of a plastic nipple into which a screw holding a pickup roller assembly was mounted. We scratched our collective heads, whipped out some glue, and re-attached it. The locomotive continued to operate as though nothing had happened.
Our low-speed average was 3.3 scale miles per hour, and our high-speed average was 42 scale miles per hour.
The switcher has two power pickup rollers on each truck (with 4 inches between each pair of rollers).
The model is powered by a single can-style motor placed above the fuel tank. A shaft drives both trucks on the model. Our drawbar pull was measured at 1 pound, 6 ounces, which ensures this will be able to dig in and roll. The sound package on this model was quite nice, and the horn and bell sounds were clear and distinct. Coil couplers functioned as advertised.
Summing it up, the Atlas O MP15DC looks great and runs very well. Just like the prototype, you can run it in your freight yard or take it over the road for those light freights. As my postwar Lionel 6250 set a performance standard in its day, this Atlas O model looks like it will have a long running life and will become a “go-to guy” for many freight-hauling jobs, large or small. Uncle Chuck would have loved it.
Price: $479.95 (powered no. 1811-1), $249.95 (unpowered, no. 1861-1)
Features: Can-style motor with two flywheels, coil couplers, speed control, Lionel’s RailSounds and TrainMaster command control systems
Staff comments: Well-made model that looks great. A solid freight-hauler! – Bob
A small engine that looks and runs as well as this could get me back into the hobby after an absence of several years. Love the one piece, solid front and rear pilots.
Very nice looking loco. (sharp paint scheme)
In real life I see this switcher everyday(G&W) and the Atlas Model is flawless reproduction minus the grime from the working engine. I'll have to get one of these for my layout.