Athearn Blue Box UP/SP SW1500


wheeler1963

wheeler1963

Aurora & Portland Owner
Gentleman, according to the Athearn collector's guide the following engine was made.

SW1500 Blue Box
Kit #3941 (Powered)
Kit #3961 (Dummy)
Road Number 1783
Union Pacific, UP/SP merger scheme
Released 12/1997

Has anyone ever heard of, or seen this engine?? Or even have a picture of it??? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
 
I'm not sure if it was built or not.
I have access to a large new old stock collection I will take a look and see if it is still avaiable.
 
Jerome, I don't think those models were ever produced. There was never a real SW1500 with that number and I've never seen the merger scheme applied to any switchers. I suspect that, since the merger scheme lasted such a short period of time, Athearn never bothered to produce the model. I could be wrong but I've seen most merger scheme models and an SW1500 wasn't one of them.
 
UP2CSX said:
Jerome, I don't think those models were ever produced. There was never a real SW1500 with that number and I've never seen the merger scheme applied to any switchers. I suspect that, since the merger scheme lasted such a short period of time, Athearn never bothered to produce the model. I could be wrong but I've seen most merger scheme models and an SW1500 wasn't one of them.
Click to expand...

Jim, it was made. One sold on evil-bay back in March of this year, I missed it I guess.

Here's what I copied from that sale.

all recieved ok as described good ebayer Top+++++ Buyer:
9849andrc ( 75 [Feedback score is 50 to 99] )
20-Mar-08 13:27
ATHEARN KIT # 3941 - SW 1500 PWR SWITCHER - U. P. (#310016958156) US $32.97 View Item
 
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Jerome, it must be a real collectors item. I've sure never seen one and it's a pure fantasy model since neither the SP or SF had an SW1500 with that number. It would be interesting to see a picture of how Athearn did the scheme.
 
Mac Loco Works, I thank you for looking!! Hopefully one will pop up somewhere and I'll be able to snatch it up.
 
Well the model may have existed but the proto type...

#3941 in UP history loco roster had been the following locos:

UP 3941 4-6-6-4 Challenger assigned to Nebraska North Platte-Cheyenne January 31, 1949 and put into service in Jan 1944.

WP 3941 SD40-2 UP 3941 30 Jan 2002 28 Feb 2003

UP 3941 MP 6041 Jun 1979 786181-22 17 Nov 1987 WP 3941 28 Feb 2003 30 Jan 2002

UP 3941 20006271-219 26 Aug 2003 EMD SD70M—(flared radiator sections)
4000 horsepower; C-C trucks

the number was also one time used by a UP Class CA-5 caboose:

25241 Aug 1952 #3941 May 1959 15 Dec 1986 Donated to City of Falls City, Neb.; displayed near former MP depot.
 
Alco, the road number on the Athearn model was 1783. You're looking at the Athearn kit number. However, it's still a fantasy engine. All the UP SW1500's were numbered in the 1000-1233 series. The only UP engine that even had the 1783 number was an ex-MKT GP38AC.
 
Alcomotive, #3941 is the Athearn kit number for the powered unit. #3961 is the dummy kit number. The actual unit number on this model is 1783. But I've searched for that with little to no luck either. 1183 came up as an SSW SW1500. SO I have no idea where Athearn came up with this numbering. I know the model is out there, just gotta find one. LOL

Jim and I were typing at the same time!!! LOL
 
Finally found one of these buggers!! It is an Athearn SW1500 (SP style shell) with a UP paint job. The correct number on it is 1183, not 1783 as I stated before. The SP style SW1500 has the number boards on the front of the cab. It also has 5 lights forward and 5 lights rear. I'll post good pictures once I start in on it.

e287_1.jpg
 
Glad you finally found one, Jerome. At least they got the road number right. I wonder if any of the ex-SP units that got repainted ever retained the full SP light cluster? All the ones I've seen had the Mars light and big hole red light blanked over or had the whole cluster removed and replaced with a standard two bulb sealed beam unit.
 
Jim, I have not seen a repaint that didn't lose all those lights either. But I'll keep looking for a picture, might be able to find one. If not, I'll blank out the lights per the prototypes. Most of the ex-SP units are still in SP paint. So I might have to do a couple of units.
 
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