Prototype. In 1966, the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe wanted to replace its aging passenger diesel fleet with a locomotive that had a more streamlined appearance than a hood unit. The EMD designers responded with the FP45, which was essentially an SDP45 with a cowl body. Milwaukee Road also used FP45s to haul its Hiawathas.
In 1968 Electro-Motive introduced the F45, which was a freight version of the FP45. The F45 was nearly identical to the FP45 except that it didn’t have a steam generator, and it was therefore five feet shorter than the FP45.
All the Athearn model’s dimensions match drawings in the Model Railroader Cyclopedia vol. 2: Diesel Locomotives (Kalmbach Publishing Co., out of print).
Appearance. The model is built primarily of plastic and the quality of the molding is excellent. Rivet seams and other details match prototype photos. The separately applied front handrails are made of flexible acetal plastic and have thin scale profiles. The rooftop fans are especially well done, with separate fan blades under see-through grills. The etched-metal side intake grills are also see-through.
One detail missed on the N scale FP45 model was the split fuel/water tank. There should be a noticeable seam that divides the tank. The fuel tank is correct for an F45.
The FP45 and F45 are available with or without dynamic brakes (denoted by two forward fans on the roof). Other roadname-specific details include horn placement, round or square cab windows, snowplow or streamlined pilot, and flush or hinged number boards.
The passenger warbonnet paint scheme on our review sample matches prototype photos. Along the bottom sill, the “F” and “FUEL” stencils are legible under magnification. Although unreadable, EMD builder’s plates are also printed on each sill under the cab.
Cab handrails are molded into the body shell. The stirrup steps are separately applied.
Under the hood. After removing the front and rear couplers I lifted off the body shell. The motor and two brass flywheels are encased in a split die-cast metal frame.
A printed-circuit board is mounted on top of the motor. Two light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are mounted on each end of the board.
Athearn also sells a Digital Command Control-and-sound-equipped version of the model.
The model ran smoothly through a 9¾” curve, but looks better on curves of 11″ or greater.
The Athearn FP45 has an impressive 1.12 ounce drawbar pull, which is equivalent to 27 N scale freight cars or 13 N scale passenger cars on straight and level track.
This N scale diesel is a smooth-performing model that accurately depicts its cowl-covered prototype.
Price: $99.98 (DC), $229.98 (DCC and sound)
Manufacturer
Athearn Trains
1550 Glenn Curtiss St.
Carson, CA 90746
www.athearn.com
Road names: (multiple numbers available) FP45: Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe (passenger warbonnet); ATSF (freight scheme); Milwaukee Road (orange scheme and yellow and gray scheme); undecorated. F45: ATSF (freight scheme); Burlington Northern; Great Northern (Big Sky Blue); Montana Rail Link; New York, Susquehanna & Western; undecorated
All-wheel drive and electrical pickup
Digital Command Control sound decoder (DCC version only)
Drawbar pull: 1.12 ounces
Five-pole skew-wound motor with dual brass flywheels
McHenry magnetic knuckle couplers (at correct height)
Metal RP-25 contour wheels mounted in gauge
Minimum radius: 93/4″
Prototype-specific details
Weight: 6 ounces
