Kato USA - 176-053L - Locomotive, Diesel, Alco PA/PB - Santa Fe - 53L

Model Information: Model introduced in 1998 and re-run in 2004, 2008, 2018 and 2019.
The 1998 model was fitted with dummy knuckle couplers that were replaced from the 2004's run by Kato automatic knuckle couplers. Printed and lighted number boards appeared as of model year 2008. Since 2018, the model is offered in factory DCC-equipped versions in addition to the usual DC version.

The model sports everything that you can expect from a modern model engine: hefty metal chassis, 5-pole motor, dual flywheels, all-wheel drive and pickup, low-friction current collection, directional LED lighting, low-profile / blackened wheels. A and B model share the same chassis, the only difference being the lack of LED on the circuit board of the B units.
The couplers are truck-mounted, except for the front coupler of the A units that is body-mounted.
The model comes in different variations depending on the roadname:
- large or small light boards.
- single or dual headlights.

DCC Information: Since 2018, the models are offered factory-equipped with a TCS DCC decoder (model suffixed -DCC) in addition to the DC version.
Models accept the following plug-in decoders:
- Digitrax DN163K0a : 1 Amp N Scale Mobile Decoder for Kato N scale P-42, PA-1 & E-8. Note: This decoder has a front and a rear LED that need to be turned off as appropriate for the PA or PB unit; no need to remove the unnecessary LEDs, as they fit under the shell.
- TCS K0D8-A: 8 Function Drop-In for Kato PA1, E8A/E9A and P42 Genesis. Note: Front and rear LEDs.
- TCS K0D8-E: 8 Function Drop-In for Kato PA-1, E5A, E6A, E8A and E9A. Note: One front LED only.
- TCS K0D8-D: 8 Function Drop-In for Kato PB-1, F3B, F7B and E9B. Note: No LED.
- NCE N12K0A: Plug and play decoder for Kato N-Scale E8, PA1, etc. Note: One front LED only.

Prototype History: ALCO PA (DL-304/DL-305) refers to a family of A1A-A1A diesel locomotives built to haul high-speed passenger trains that were built in Schenectady, New York, in the United States by a partnership of the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) and General Electric (GE) between June, 1946 and December, 1953. They were of a cab unit design, and both cab-equipped lead A unit PA and cabless booster B unit PB models were built. ALCO's beautiful PA-1 is one of America's most famous locomotives. It was ALCO's entry into the passenger train diesel craze, competing directly with the E-Units from EMD. The first PA1 celebrated Alco's 75,000th loco to roll out of the erecting shop.

The PAs, as well as their cousins, the ALCO FAs, 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. In 1946, this new locomotive made its debut on the Texas and New Orleans Railroad. Southern Pacific PA's #6055 and 6056 were later put into service on the SP's coastal division, pulling trains such as the Morning Daylight.
Having more horsepower than their leading competitor, Alco felt that they had a fleet-ready competitive product. PA1's were sleek, stylish, powerful, and were very well suited for America's passenger and fast freight trains. Additionally, their 65' 8" bodies became excellent billboard advertising for the railroads that they served with pride.
The PA-1/PB-1 were rated 2,000 hp (1,490 kW) and the PA-2/PB-2 2,250 hp (1,680 kW). A total of 297 PA/PB have been built between 1946 and 1953.

ALCO locomotives were also used in service with the famous "California Zephyr" passenger train, adopting a number of paint schemes, the most famous of which was perhaps the "Prospector" paint scheme. This paint scheme was a striking two-tone silver and gold arrangement, highlighted by a series of four black stripes going down the side of the body.

Read more on Wikipedia
and on American-Rails.com

Road Name History: The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway (reporting mark ATSF), often abbreviated as Santa Fe or AT&SF, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. Chartered in February 1859, the railroad reached the Kansas-Colorado border in 1873 and Pueblo, Colorado, in 1876. To create a demand for its services, the railroad set up real estate offices and sold farm land from the land grants that it was awarded by Congress. Despite the name, its main line never served Santa Fe, New Mexico, as the terrain was too difficult; the town ultimately was reached by a branch line from Lamy.

The Santa Fe was a pioneer in intermodal freight transport, an enterprise that (at one time or another) included a tugboat fleet and an airline (the short-lived Santa Fe Skyway). Its bus line extended passenger transportation to areas not accessible by rail, and ferryboats on the San Francisco Bay allowed travelers to complete their westward journeys to the Pacific Ocean. The ATSF was the subject of a popular song, Harry Warren & Johnny Mercer's "On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe", written for the film, The Harvey Girls (1946).

The railroad officially ceased operations on December 31, 1996, when it merged with the Burlington Northern Railroad to form the Burlington Northern & Santa Fe Railway.

Read more on Wikipedia.

Brand/Importer Information: KATO U.S.A. was established in 1986, with the first U.S. locomotive model (the GP38-2, in N-Scale) released in 1987. Since that time, KATO has come to be known as one of the leading manufacturers of precision railroad products for the modeling community. KATO's parent company, Sekisui Kinzoku Co., Ltd., is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.

In addition to producing ready-to-run HO and N scale models that are universally hailed for their high level of detail, craftsmanship and operation, KATO also manufactures UNITRACK. UNITRACK is the finest rail & roadbed modular track system available to modelers today. With the track and roadbed integrated into a single piece, UNITRACK features a nickel-silver rail and a realistic-looking roadbed. Patented UNIJOINERS allow sections to be snapped together quickly and securely, time after time if necessary.

The Kato U.S.A. office and warehouse facility is located in Schaumburg, Illinois, approximately 30 miles northwest of Chicago. All research & development of new North American products is performed here, in addition to the sales and distribution of merchandise to a vast network of wholesale representatives and retail dealers. Models requiring service sent in by hobbyists are usually attended to at this location as well. The manufacturing of all KATO products is performed in Japan.

Supporters of KATO should note that there is currently no showroom or operating exhibit of models at the Schaumburg facility. Furthermore, model parts are the only merchandise sold directly to consumers. (Please view the Parts Catalog of this website for more specific information.)