Alco FA-1 AF15 class - PRRHO.com Professional Model Trains

Brief history.
Derivated from Alco PA passenger diesel-electric cab locomotive, the FA-1 was a freight version with a tractive effort of 60.875 lbf. Produced in joint venture by Alco and General Electric, the FA-1 was the first series, later evolved into other variants (FA-2 with improved engine of 1,600 hp and FPA-2). Total production of all variants reached 1.485 units.

Externally, the FA and FB models looked very similar to the Alco PA models produced in the same period. The only difference was the driving truck wheels, with different running gear. Designed to haul freight trains, FA diesel suffered many engine problems. The 244 Alco engine was used in several early Alco designs and while troublesome in main line applications, like the PA and FA models, it actually proved to quite reliable in some of the smaller models, such as early road switcher models like the RS-2 and RS-3. The Alco FA-1 model initially could produce 1,500 horsepower (later bumped up to 1,600 hp), or 3,000 horsepower with an FB-1 booster. It used a B-B truck arrangement, which could produce a continuous 46,000 pounds of tractive effort and reach a top speed of around 65 mph. When production ended on the FA-1, Alco was able to sell around 672 A and B units to nearly twenty domestic railroads (including the units built the Montreal Locomotive Works for canadian roads). The next version FA-2 adopted some improvements and it was built in over 340 units (plus 209 B dummers).

This Alco FA-1 HO scale model produced by M.T.H. is equipped with a digital sound decoder PROTO-SOUND 3.0 series. The locomotive are highly detailed, with the original trainphone as the prototype.