The painting on our Great Northern samples is accurate and superbly executed, with tack-sharp pinstripes and lettering. There is even a fairly convincing representation of the prototype’s reflective glass-beaded road number just below the headlight.
InterMountain uses several different body shells and alternate parts to build models that are accurate for each paint scheme. For example, the Great Northern version shown here has the phase III dynamic brakes and four portholes on each side of the B unit.
In contrast, the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe’s FTs had phase I dynamic brakes and hostler controls that allowed limited independent movement of the B units. A fifth porthole was added on one side for the hostler, and these details appear on the Santa Fe models.
InterMountain’s tooling of the shell is excellent and matches prototype dimensions. Both of our samples had a faint mold-parting mark across the A unit roof just behind the windshield. Cooling fan blades can be glimpsed through the rooftop grills, and the internal trusses of the locomotive body are visible through the portholes.
The shell also features delicate wire handrails, including a pair of grab irons bracketing the nose door. The window glazing is exceptional, with individual flush-fitting pieces of clear plastic pressed into the openings.
These models ride on Atlas trucks, and three of the four axles on each unit have box-shaped journals – the fourth axle has a round journal bearing – a design quirk found on prototype FTs.
The FTs come with body-mounted Accumate couplers. InterMountain says that Micro-Trains’ 1015 or 1025 coupler boxes can easily be installed. While many FTs had drawbars, some owners (such as the Santa Fe) had couplers between units. Modeling this feature would be a challenge, as space is tight.
Removing the shell reveals a typical split-frame chassis with a PC board on top secured by a pair of small screws. You could install a small decoder, such as a Digitrax DZ143, to convert the model to Digital Command Control.
Our samples were a bit stiff at first, but they smoothed out as we ran them. With a little mileage, I’m sure the starting speed will drop. The top speed is in the prototype passenger locomotive range, but they also perform well at freight speeds. The drawbar pull for the A-B set is equivalent to about 38 free-rolling cars on straight and level track.
Any N scaler interested in early road diesels will enjoy these excellent models.
Price: $199.95
Manufacturer:
InterMountain Railway Co.
P. O. Box 839
Longmont, CO 80502
www.intermountain-railway.com
Description:
Powered, ready-to-run plastic and metal A-B diesel locomotive
Features:
A and B units powered
Body-mounted Accumate magnetic knuckle couplers
Constant, directional headlight
Drawbar pull (A-B set)= 1.6 ounces
Engine weight (A unit)= 4.4 ounces
Engine weight (B unit)= 5.0 ounces
Etched metal grill detail
Factory-applied wire grab irons
Five-pole motor with dual flywheels
Maximum operating voltage: 12 volts
Minimum radius: 9-3/4″
NMRA standard wheelsets
Railroad specific details
Road names:
Great Northern; Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe freight; Santa Fe passenger; and St. Louis-Southwestern (Cotton
Belt); four road numbers are offered in each paint scheme
