Athearn #G74529 MP15AC DCC Ready LIRR #158

LI FEATURES: Operating front and rear ditch lights Two different paint schemes Sinclair antennas Horn style per prototype road number Running from Manhattan to Suffolk County in New York, LIRR is the oldest railroad in the US still operated under its original name and charter. It is also the busiest commuter railroad in North America. In 1977, LIRR acquired MP15AC units #150-172. ROAD NUMBER SPECIFIC FEATURES: #154 Solid blue and yellow scheme #163 Solid blue and yellow scheme #157 Blue grey yellow scheme #158 Blue grey yellow scheme LOCOMOTIVE FEATURES: Full cab interior Wire grab irons Coupler cut levers See-through cab windows Flexible rubber trainline hose Flexible rubber MU hoses Windshield wipers Lift rings Blomberg-B trucks Sander lines Directional constant lighting Walkway Tread Fine-scale Celcon handrails for scale appearance Headlight brightness remains constant Separately applied photo-etched metal and injection molded detail parts Detailed fuel tank with fuel fillers, fuel gauges, breather pipes DCC-ready features Quick Plug™ plug-and-play technology with 21-pin NEM connector Accurately-painted and –printed paint schemes McHenry® scale knuckle couplers - Kadee® compatible Fully-assembled and ready-to-run Scaled from prototype resources including drawings, field measurements, photographs, and more Genesis driveline with 5-pole skew wound motor, precision machined flywheels, and multi-link drivetrain All-wheel drive with precision gears for smooth & quiet operation All-wheel electrical pickup provides reliable current flow Wheels with RP25 contours operate on all popular brands of track Heavy die-cast frame for greater traction and more pulling power Packaging securely holds model for safe storage Replacement parts available Minimum radius: 18" NEW FEATURES: Operating ditch lights (if equipped) Operating ground lights Newly designed motor is more powerful and quieter than before DCC-ready models feature 21-pin plug PROTOTYPE SPECIFIC INFORMATION The EMD MP15 is a light road switcher that was built between 1974 and 1980. It came in two designs, the MP15DC and the MP15AC. It was billed as replacement for the EMD SW1500 The MP15DC's standard Blomberg B trucks were capable of transition and road speeds up to 60 mph (97 km/h), allowing use on road freights. Soon there was a demand for a model with an advanced AC drive system. The MP15AC replaced the MP15DC's DC generator with an alternator producing AC power which is converted to DC for the traction motors with a silicon rectifier. The MP15AC is 1.5 ft (457 mm) longer than an MP15DC, the extra space being needed for the rectifier equipment. The alternator-rectifier combination is more reliable than a generator, and this equipment became the standard for new diesel-electric locomotive designs. The MP15AC is easily distinguished from the DC models. Instead of the front-mounted radiator intake and belt-driven fan used on all previous EMD switchers, these have intakes on the lower forward nose sides and electric fans. Side intakes allowed the unit to take in cooler air, and the electric fans improved a serious reliability issue found in its earlier DC sisters. In the early 1970s railroads were starting to convert to AC power, the six largest buyers, Milwaukee (64), Southern Pacific (58), Seaboard Coast Line Railroad (45), Nacionales de México (25), Long Island (23), and Louisville & Nashville (10), were all buying AC road locomotives. 36 more units were sold to 8 other customers.