the a1040 is one the miniseries locomotives that microace produces to compete with the bandai "shorty" n scale models offered by that popular toy company....therefore, the a1040 is a consolidated (shortened) version of the ef59, the 24 strong JNR class comprised of modified ef53s and ef56s adapted in the early 1960s to serve as auxiliary power on the steep seno/hachihinmatsu portion  of the sanyo main line......the rounded contours of the a1040 indicate that an ef56 served as its progenitor.....the unique black/yellow striping at one end was a warning indicator for track maintenance personnel.......the ef59 class remained in service until the late 1970s......

microace intends this product group - C type - to be an inexpensive intro into n scale railroading.......therefore, the head lamps are non functioning........traction tires are not featured in the engineering specification..... the model performs consistently and smoothly; towing capability is limited to 6 wagons on the flat and 2 wagons on a 4% gradient.....