Atlas N scale Baldwin VO1000 diesel switcher

An excellent prewar Baldwin VO1000 diesel switcher with railroad-specific detailing has been released by Atlas. Each of these models has the appropriate details and exhaust stack configuration that matches its paint scheme.

During World War II, the Baldwin Locomotive Works was one of the builders assigned the job of diesel switcher production, so these locomotives went to 59 original owners. According to Louis Marre’s book Diesel Locomotives: The First 50 Years, Baldwin built 548 of these 1,000-hp switchers between 1939 and 1946.

These Atlas models closely follow the prototype drawing published in the Model Railroader Cyclopedia: Volume 2, Diesel Locomotives (Kalmbach). However, Baldwin had a reputation for lots of production variations, so prototype photos are necessary for reference.

Our sample VO1000s followed the familiar design Atlas has used in its recent N scale locomotives. Most of the body parts are highly detailed styrene, while the mechanical parts, truck sideframes, and railings are flexible acetal plastic. The window glazing and headlight lenses are clear styrene.

The switchers come assembled except for the addition of the end and corner railings. These parts press-fit into holes in the body. However, I had problems getting the hood corner railings straight as their fine cross sections tended to bend during installation.

The chassis is held in the body shell by four small loops which lock into the underframe above each truck sideframe. A small screwdriver can be used to gently disconnect these locks to release the body. As usual, every space within the body is filled by the mechanism, weight, and a PC board with the directional headlight circuitry.

A different PC board with a Lenz decoder is supplied in the Digital Command Control (DCC) locomotives.

The mechanism follows the popular N scale split-chassis design with a pair of phosphor-bronze strips that pick up power from all eight wheels through the truck contacts. The locomotive has a five-pole, open-frame, skew-wound motor with turned-brass flywheels; this entire mechanism is mounted between the zinc-alloy frame halves. Universal joints and brass worms drive both trucks, so all wheels are powered.

Our samples started and ran smoothly at speeds under 9 volts. However, their 88 scale mph top speed is well above any yard engine’s capability. The drawbar pull is equivalent to about a dozen cars on straight and level track.

Accumate magnetic knuckle couplers are factory-installed at the proper height. All of the wheelsets on our samples matched the National Model Railroad Association N scale standards gauge, including flange depth.

Our sample VO1000s were smoothly painted with sharp stripes and lettering.

These early diesel switchers fit perfectly on model railroads set in the 1940s and later. Operation-oriented modelers will really enjoy running the VO1000s as they have the best slow-speed performance I’ve seen in an N scale switcher.

N scale Baldwin switcher

Price: $104.95 or $139.95 with decoder

Manufacturer:
Atlas Model Railroad Co. Inc.
378 Florence Ave.
Hillside, NJ 07205-1102

Description:
Plastic and metal ready-to-run locomotives

Road names:

• With step guards: Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe (zebra stripes); Atlantic Coast Line; Lehigh Valley (Cornell Red); Southern Pacific (tiger stripes); and undecorated
• Without step guards: Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe (zebra stripes); Chicago, Burlington & Quincy; Great Northern; Milwaukee Road; New York Central (black); and udecorated

Features
AccuMate knuckle couplers
Blackened metal wheels
Decoder-equipped (Lenz) option
Directional constant headlights
Drawbar pull: .5 ounce
Dual flywheel drive
Engine weight: 2 ounces
Minimum radius: 9″
Painted corner railings
Railroad-specific details
Slow-speed motor
White LED headlights