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Atlas - 4282 - Locomotive, Diesel, Alco RSD-12 - Nickel Plate Road - 332

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N Scale - Atlas - 4282 - Locomotive, Diesel, Alco RSD-12 - Nickel Plate Road - 332
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Stock Number4282
Secondary Stock NumberKato 17717-2
Original Retail Price$69.95
BrandAtlas
ManufacturerKato
Body StyleAtlas Diesel Road Switcher RSD-12
Prototype VehicleLocomotive, Diesel, Alco RSD-12 (Details)
Road or Company NameNickel Plate Road (Details)
Reporting MarksNYC&St.L
Road or Reporting Number332
Paint Color(s)Black w. Yellow zebras on ends
Print Color(s)Yellow
Coupler TypeRapido Hook
Coupler MountTruck-Mount
Wheel TypeChemically Blackened Metal
Wheel ProfileSmall Flange (Low Profile)
DCC ReadinessFriendly
Release Date1987-01-01
Item CategoryLocomotives
Model TypeDiesel
Model SubtypeAlco
Model VarietyRSD-12
Prototype RegionNorth America
Prototype EraNA Era III: Transition (1939 - 1957)
Years Produced1956–1963
Scale1/160



Model Information: This model was made by Kato for Atlas from 1987 through the mid 1990s when Atlas ceased farming out production of their locomotives to Kato. The model is a bit of a kluj re-using parts from the Atlas/Kato RS-3, RSD-4/5 and RS-11 models. It is a split-frame design with two lightboards, but no flywheels, making it a second generation locomotive. This model has never been run by Atlas since they ceased production with Kato. Likely it simply didn't sell as well as the other similar models and was never viewed as being worth a proper re-tooling into a 3rd generation model.

Atlas boxes were labeled 'Special Limited Edition'. Kato also sold this model under its brand name with reference 17717; it was packaged in Kato blue boxes.

All models are marked "Kato. 17717. Made in Japan" under the fuel tank.
DCC Information: Given the dual-lightboard design, it is possible to add DCC to these models. Perhaps the TCS decoders used for other Atlas dual-lightboard mechanisms will work....
Prototype History:
The ALCO RSD-12 was a diesel-electric locomotive of the road switcher type rated at 1,800 horsepower (1.34 MW), that rode on three-axle trucks, having an C-C wheel arrangement.
Used in much the same manner as its four-axle counterpart, the ALCO RS-11, though the six-motor design allowed better tractive effort at lower speeds.
A total of 171 RSD-12 were built by Alco and MLW, with more than a hundred purchased by Mexican and Brazilian companies.

From Wikipedia
Read more on American-Rails.com.
Road Name History:
The New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad (reporting mark NKP), abbreviated NYC&St.L, was a railroad that operated in the mid-central United States. Commonly referred to as the Nickel Plate Road, the railroad served a large area, including trackage in the states of New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Missouri. Its primary connections included Buffalo, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Indianapolis, St. Louis, and Toledo.

The Nickel Plate Railroad was constructed in 1881 along the South Shore of the Great Lakes connecting Buffalo and Chicago to compete with the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway. In 1964 the Nickel Plate Road and several other mid-western carriers were merged into the larger Norfolk and Western Railway (N&W). The goal of the N&W expansion was to form a more competitive and successful system serving 14 states and the Canadian province of Ontario on more than 7,000 miles (11,000 km) of railroad. The profitable N&W was itself combined with the Southern Railway, another profitable carrier, to form Norfolk Southern Corporation (NS) in 1982.

At the end of 1960 NKP operated 2,170 miles (3,490 km) of road on 4,009 miles (6,452 km) of track, not including the 25 miles (40 km) of Lorain & West Virginia. That year it reported 9758 million net ton-miles of revenue freight and 41 million passenger-miles.

The Nickel Plate Historical and Technical Society works to preserve the memory of the Nickel Plate Road.

From WIkipedia
Brand/Importer Information:
In 1924 Stephan Schaffan, Sr. founded the Atlas Tool Company in Newark, New Jersey. In 1933 his son, Stephan Schaffan, Jr., came to work for his father at the age of sixteen. Steve Jr. built model airplanes as a hobby and frequented a local hobby shop. Being an enterprising young man, he would often ask the owner if there was anything he could do to earn some extra spending money. Tired of listening to his requests, the hobby-store owner threw some model railroad track parts his way and said, "Here, see if you can improve on this".

In those days, railroad modelers had to assemble and build everything from scratch. Steve Jr. created a "switch kit" which sold so well, that the entire family worked on them in the basement at night, while doing business as usual in the machine shop during the day.

Subsequently, Steve Jr. engineered the stapling of rail to fiber track, along with inventing the first practical rail joiner and pre-assembled turnouts and flexible track. All of these products, and more, helped to popularize model railroading and assisted in the creation of a mass-market hobby. The budding entrepreneur quickly outgrew the limitations of a basement and small garage operation. Realizing they could actually make a living selling track and related products, Steve and his father had the first factory built in Hillside, New Jersey at 413 Florence Avenue in 1947. On September 30, 1949, the Atlas Tool Company was officially incorporated as a New Jersey company.

In 1985, Steve was honored posthumously for his inventions by the Model Railroad Industry Association and was inducted into the Model Railroad Industry Hall of Fame in Baltimore, Maryland. In addition, Steve was nominated and entered into the National Model Railroad Association Pioneers of Model Railroading in 1995.

In the early 1990s, the Atlas Tool Company changed its name to Atlas Model Railroad Company, Inc.
Item created by: gdm on 2018-08-11 12:42:42. Last edited by CNW400 on 2020-09-23 09:04:19

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