The VO-series switchers were exemplary at their job. As Gary Dolzall notes in his book, Diesels from Eddystone, “Even on railroads not particularly enamored of Eddystone’s road diesels, the switchers were looked upon with favor. The rugged Westinghouse electrical gear and air throttle system (which featured infinitely variable throttle positions) made them capable yard machines with tremendous pulling power.” Eddystone was Baldwin’s Pennsylvania plant.
The VOs generally had long lives. Seven VO-1000s and five DS 4-4-10s still exist in the United States and Canada.
The model
Our Southern Pacific locomotive came equipped with TrainMaster Command Control, RailSounds, and Engineer-On-Board speed control. In many ways the prototype VO-1000 has the look of a stylized brick – a feature that the Weaver model wonderfully duplicates. The long end features cast-in radiator screens that seem to lean slightly forward. The level of screen and rivet detail is first rate. Centered above the screen is a large headlight, which dominates the hood.
Our sample has gray metal handrails, with some grab bars painted safety white. The red deck has safety-tread texture.
The sides of the hood have an excellent level of vent, louver, seam, hatch, hinge, and latch detail. A long wire handrail runs the length of the body and is painted gray to match the paint scheme. You’ll find grab irons for climbing on the hood on the engineer’s side of the shell.
The cab is a masterpiece. It has a green shield to hide the rear-truck can motor (and the color does this very effectively). The interior decoration from the engineer’s chair to the brake wheel is also green, which looks like the real thing. To the left of the engineer figure is a panel with simulated gauges.
The top of the hood has a cast-in screen, a sealed center, and an exhaust stack. Depending on the road name, the models have either a short stack or a long stack near the cab, and either three or four exhaust stacks in the center of the hood (multiple exhaust stacks were used on the prototype to reduce heat buildup around the main generator and for pressure issues).
The die-cast metal trucks are good renderings of the AAR Type A truck, which was used on all Baldwin switchers after 1940. Each truck has a power pickup roller, and the two rollers are 6 inches apart. The die-cast metal fuel tank houses a speaker.
The underside of the frame has switches for the run/program, sound/no sound, and speed control on/off. It also has a knob for volume control.
Decoration of our sample was absolutely superb. The light gray accented the body detail, and the red nose, deck, and trim add pizzazz to the locomotive. The paint is smooth, and the lettering is clean and crisp.
The VO-1000 is available in a rainbow of road names from major railroads like the Pennsylvania to the Central of Georgia. Some are two-rail only, and others are three-rail models.
Not all of the VOs have Engineer-On-Board, so be sure to check with Weaver concerning which road names have speed control.
On the test track
This is the first Weaver locomotive we’ve reviewed that contains TrainAmerica Studios’ Engineer-On-Board speed-control package. (Weaver used K-Line speed control on its Little Joe electric.)
Our sample model performed smoothly in all speed ranges. Using the TrainMaster Command Control system, the Engineer-On-Board package was able to get the VO-1000 down to the “watching paint dry” speed of 3.4 scale mph. Our high-speed test average was 89.7 scale mph – probably high for a real VO-1000, but within the range of expectations for a toy train.
Drawbar pull for the 3 pound 12 ounce switcher was 1 pound 11 ounces. That should be more than enough for shunting cars around a yard or pulling the local commuter run!
The RailSounds system loaded in the VO-1000 has a basic General Motors diesel sound package. Since many Baldwins were later modified with EMD prime movers, this discrepancy wasn’t a big deal for me, although operators expecting Baldwin sounds will be disappointed.
Overall, the sound package is nice, especially when the locomotive is revving up or throttling back.
With outstanding looks and now speed control, the Weaver model of a Baldwin VO-1000 will make a great addition to most O gauge rosters. You may be a fan of EMD or Alco, but this newcomer will get you thinking about one of the lesser-known diesel manufacturers of the 1940s.
Price: $339 (with RailSounds, TrainMaster Command Control, and Engineer-On-Board)
Features: Two can-style motors, Lionel’s RailSounds and TrainMaster systems, Train America Studio’s Engineer-On-Board speed control, coil couplers
Pros: Looks good, runs great, new addition of speed control makes low-speed switching a reality
Cons: Sound bundle is for an EMD, not a Baldwin switcher
Made in the People’s Republic of China for Weaver Models
My Pennsylvania VO1000 had a broken horn on top of the cab, but I glued it back on. The plastic wrap "impinged" on the horn which is located in a precarious position. Wish they had used a metal horn installed using a post. Otherwise, looks great and runs smooth!
Just received my Weaver SP VO1000 from Petersen Supply (I think it was the last new one in the country!) This locomotive is GREAT! The Railsounds are very good and the details on the locomotive are also very good. I have had a little trouble with the loco stalling on one of my Lionel switches, but I think it is the design of the switch and not the locomotive. Also I could hear something loose inside the locomotive when I removed it from the box. When I opened the shell, I found 2 small screws that look like they were left in it during the assembly process. They did not appear to come loose from anywhere. All in all this locomotive is GREAT and gives a lot of bang for the buck