MTH
READY-TO_RUN
HO Scale
OUT - OF - PRODUCTION Locomotive
ALCO FA-1 A/B Consist units with PROTO 3.0 SOUND
the ALCO units were not offered with Smoke
Lettered for the:
UNION PACIFIC
Featuring the
ARMOUR YELLOW STRIPE PAINT SCHEME
The ALCO FA was a family of B-B diesel locomotives designed to haul freight trains. The locomotives were built by a partnership of ALCO and General Electric in Schenectady, New York, between January 1946 and May 1959. Designed by General Electric's Ray Patten (along with their ALCO PA cousins), they were of a cab unit design; both cab-equipped lead (A unit) FA and cabless booster (B unit) FB models were built. A dual passenger-freight version, the FPA/FPB, was also offered. It was equipped with a steam generator for heating passenger cars.
ALCO's designation of F marks these locomotives as being geared primarily for freight use, whereas the P designation of the PA sets indicates that they were geared for higher speeds and passenger use. However, beyond this their design was largely similar - aside from the PA/PB's both being larger A1A-A1A types with an even more striking nose - and many railroads used FA and PA locomotives for both freight and passenger service.
Several examples of FAs and FBs have been preserved. While most are now in the care of railroad museums, a few remain in operational status on such lines as the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad, Grand Canyon Railway and the Napa Valley Wine Train.
Service history
A MLW FPA-4 of the Canadian National Railway in September 1965
Three different models were offered. The FA-1/FB-1, which featured a 1,500 horsepower (1,100 kW) rating, was built from January 1946 to October 1950, with a 1,600 hp (1,200 kW) version produced between March and August 1950 (many early models were subsequently upgraded to 1,600 hp). The 1,600 hp (1,200 kW) FA-2/FB-2 (along with the FPA-2/FPB-2 variants) was built between October 1950 and June 1956. Finally, the 1,800 hp (1,300 kW) FPA-4/FPB-4, powered by the 251 V-12 engine, was built between October 1958 and May 1959 by ALCO's Canadian subsidiary, Montreal Locomotive Works (MLW).
The FAs, as well as their cousins, the ALCO PAs, were born as a result of ALCO's development of a new diesel engine design, the Model 244. In early 1944, development started on the new design, and by November 1945, the first engines were beginning to undergo tests. This unusually short testing sequence was brought about by the decision of ALCO's senior management that the engine and an associated line of road locomotives had to be introduced no later than the end of 1946.
In preparation for this deadline, by January 1946, the first four locomotives with the 244 engines had been built. Two FA-1s and an FB-1 were painted in ALCO Demonstrator colors and were released for road tests for a month and a half on the Delaware and Hudson Railway.
A strike at ALCO delayed production beyond the first four units and the three demonstrator units began working on the Gulf, Mobile, and Ohio Railroad in mid February 1946. The demonstrators were returned to Schenectady when the remainder of the order began delivery in May 1946.
The GM&O order was completed in April 1947 for a total of 80 units. Before the end of this production run, ALCO upgraded the generators and traction motors in the locomotives, with the first of these models entering service in February 1947 for the New York Central.
In 1950, the Montreal Locomotive Works, an affiliate of ALCO, began production of FAs as well. In the fall of 1950, an upgraded model, the FA-2, was launched. This model featured an uprated Model 244 engine, with an output of 1,600 horsepower. Additionally, the carbody was lengthened, making possible the addition of a steam generator in the A unit to allow for use in passenger service. Models equipped as such were designated the FPA-2/FPB-2.
The first FA-2s were delivered in October 1950 to the Baltimore and Ohio and the Erie. By this time, however, the cab unit had fallen out of favor due to the greater versatility of road switchers, and US production of the FA line ended in 1956, with Canadian production ending in 1959.
From the 1970s until 1999, the Long Island Rail Road used 20 FA units converted into "power packs". The traction motors were removed, and original prime movers replaced with 600 horsepower (450 kW) engines/generators solely for supplying Head-end power (HEP). The engineer's control stand was left intact, allowing the engines to be used in push-pull service with other locomotives, which usually lacked HEP. By the late 1990s and early 2000s, the railroad began retiring the ALCOs in favor of new bi-level cab cars and locomotives with HEP installed.
PROTO SOUND 3.0
Our ProtoSound 3.0 sound and control system brings you the authentic sounds of an Alco prime mover and station announcements for name trains of the 1940s and '50s - along with the ability to start your train so gently you won't spill the water in the diner and then accelerate up to scale speeds of over 100 mph, just like the prototype.
MTH OVERVIEW:
The American Locomotive Company, one of the nation's premier steam locomotive builders, joined forces with Schenectady, New York neighbor General Electric to build the first standardized diesel-electric locomotives in the 1920s. But when the diesel revolution began in earnest after World War II, dependability problems with Alco's model 244 prime mover doomed the company to forever playing second fiddle to industry leader EMD.
The brawny good looks of Alco's FA and PA cab units, however, have endeared them to railfans and modelers for more than half a century. Designed to compete with EMD's FT four axel freight locomotive, the FA-1 contained many of the same design elements but used a new 12-cylinder 244 engine. With its distinctive flat nose cab and ribbed grille enclosed headlight, the FA-2's were considered by many rail fans to be more handsome and powerful looking then its F-3 and F-7 competitors. By pairing up with General Electric in the 1920's Alco inevitably condemned itself to ride on the coattails of EMD's F-series line.
Built by Alco and EMD in New York between 1946 and 1959, the FA-1 was designed primarily to haul freight, as they did not have the space at the rear of the engine compartment to accommodate a passenger-service steam generator. Externally as well as mechanically the FA-1, designed by Ray Patten, appeared very similar to the ALCO PA models built around the same time period. Distinguishable from the FA-2, the FA-1's shutters were at the far end of the carbody, this was later changed to accommodate the steam generator that would be placed behind the radiator.
M.T.H. is proud to present the HO FA-1 in the unmistakable colors of Union Pacific. These streamlined diesels will bring beauty and power to any HO layout. Each Alco FA-1 AB diesel set includes one twin-motored A unit and twin-motored B unit. The A unit has full directional lighting and both the A and B units feature 2 Scale Operating Kadee Compatible Coupler. Like all HO diesel locomotives, the set is equipped with the legendary power and performance of Proto-Sound 3.0.
MTH UNIT FEATURES:
Intricately Detailed ABS Body
Metal Chassis
Moveable Roof Fans
Metal Body Side Grilles
(2) Engineer Cab Figures
Authentic Paint Scheme
Metal Wheels and Axles
RP25 Metal Wheels
(2) Operating Kadee Compatible Remote Controlled Proto-Couplers
(2) #158 Scale Kadee Whisker Couplers
Prototypical Rule 17 Lighting
Directionally Controlled Constant Voltage LED Headlight
Lighted Cab Interior
Illuminated Number Boards
Lighted Marker Lights
Operating MARS Light
Powerful 5-Pole Precision Flywheel Equipped Skew-Wound Balanced Motor
Operating Smoke Unit
Locomotive Speed Control In Scale MPH Increments
Operates On Code 70, 83 and 100 Track
1:87 Scale Proportions
Proto-Sound 3.0 equipped locomotives can be controlled in command mode with any DCC compliant command control system. While the user won't have access to all of the incredible features of Proto-Sound 3.0, independent control over the locomotive is possible. This means you can continue to use your existing DCC controller to independently control your other DCC equipped locomotives in addition to your Proto-Sound 3.0 locomotive on the same track at the same time.
When using a DCC controller, the following Proto-Sound 3.0 locomotive features are accessible:
F0 Head/Tail light
F1 Bell
F2 Horn
F3 Start-up/Shut-down
F4 PFA
F5 Lights (except head/tail)
F6 Master Volume
F7 Front Coupler
F8 Rear Coupler
F9 Forward Signal
F10 Reverse Signal
F11 Grade Crossing
F12 Clickety Clack (On/Off)
F13 Idle Sequence 4
F14 Idle Sequence 3
F15 Idle Sequence 2
F16 Idle Sequence 1
F17 Extended Start-up
F18 Extended Shut-down
F19 Rev Up
F20 Rev Down
F21 One Shot Doppler
F22 Coupler Slack
F23 Coupler Close
F24 Single Horn Blast
F25 Engine Sounds
F26 Brake Sounds
F27 Cab Chatter
F28 Feature Reset
Proto-Sound 3.0 With The Digital Command System Featuring: Freight Yard Proto-Effects
Unit Measures:14” x 1 3/8” x 2 1/16”
Operates On 22" Radius Curves
The unit is highly detailed
VERY HARD TO FIND ITEM
THIS IS AN ASSEMBLED READY-TO-RUN
SOUND EQUIPPED DCC / DCS LOCOMOTIVE
The item is NEW in
the original box from old stock
We do combine shipping on
multiple purchases. If you do a Buy It
Now the transaction requires immediate payment for each item separately.
What you need to do is put it in the shopping cart and then
when you go to checkout it will recalculate the shipping and combine the items
for you.
If you pay first I am unable to make any adjustment because
ebay has then taken its fees on the shipping as well. If you have a concern message me and I can
work something out for you.
THIS IS AN ASSEMBLED Item
The item is NEW in the original box from old stock
PERSONAL INVENTORY:
Many of these unique items are from my personal inventory
which was accumulated over the years.
They are hard to part with but due to downsizing in retirement they too
are looking for a good home which can appreciate and enjoy them.
STORE INVENTORY:
Having discontinued my Hobby Store and left frigid
“Minne-Snow-Da” I have relocated and retired to the warmer part of the country,
Down to Sunny TEXAS.
I will be Liquidating the remaining stock.
I will be listing items over the next year or so clearing
them out.
Please see the photos we take actual photos of each item
Most of these items are New in the box removed only to take
photos of them.