Read our analysis of the W
SP CAB FORWARD AC12 BRASS
Features
-
Full
G Scale brass locomotive and tender with high and accurate detail
-
Premium
caliber painting
-
Out-of-the-box
operation for DC
-
Pittman
DC gearhead motor
-
Powerful
High Fidelity Sound equipped with authentic SP Cab-Forward sounds
-
Full
under-body detail on locomotive and tender
-
Steel
Rods and valve gear
-
Steel
Box
-
Steel
Drive Wheels
-
Window
glazing
-
Sprung
Drivers
-
Full
cab/interior detail
-
Prototypical
light operation
-
All
fabricated components will be produced from the finest Milled Brass
-
Primary
Materials: Brass
-
Secondary
Materials: Steel
-
Scale:
1:29
-
Gauge:
45mm
-
Wheel
Arrangement: 4-8-8-2
-
Locomotive
Length: 37.3"
-
Locomotive
Width: 5.1"
-
Tender
Length: 20.9"
-
Tender
Width: 4.9"
-
Locomotive
Weight: 30.8 lbs
-
Locomotive
+ Tender Weight: 11 lbs
-
Minimum
Radius: 8 feet (96")
From the very beginning of
WWII, the Southern Pacific Railroad faced perhaps the most formidable challenge
of any stateside railroad. With the port of San Diego being the jumping off
point for the war effort in the Pacific, Southern Pacific required motive power
that could handle super long freight drags as well as passenger trains. These
locomotives had to traverse the rugged terrains from the Gulf of Mexico to Utah
and Northern California.
Numerous tunnels, many miles of
snow sheds and steep grades made the AC-12 the intelligent choice. This simple
compound articulated locomotive averaged speeds of 15 miles per hour over the
many cuts and passes. With this in mind, Southern Pacific acquired permission
from the War Production Board to purchase a group of 20 locomotives from
Baldwin.
Baldwin delivered the initial
group of AC-12's, beginning with # 4275, to El Paso, Texas in the fall of 1943.
The balance was received in March of 1944. Interestingly, the 4294 was the last
new steam locomotive ever to be purchased by Southern Pacific.
Baldwin utilized the same newer
semi-streamlined cab shape that was practically identical to some of the earlier
cab forward classes. Many consider these to be the most attractive of all the AC
series. The AC-12's were equipped with both the conventional steam whistle as
well as a single note "fog" horn.
**Specifications on this page subject to change.
