Atlas - 52621 - Locomotive, Diesel, EMD GP15-1 - Apalachicola Northern - 722

Model Information: This model is part of the Atlas Trainman line and it features:

• Directional lighting;
• DCC Ready;
• Blackened metal wheels;
• Dual flywheel equipped 5-pole skewed armature motor with a low friction mechanism.

DCC Information: This model is DCC ready. It accepts the following plug-in decoders (non-sound):
- Digitrax DN163A2: 1 Amp N Scale Board Replacement Mobile Decoder for Atlas GP30 (retired)
- Digitrax DN163A4: 1.5 Amp N Scale Board Replacement Mobile Decoder for Atlas GP30
- TCS ASD4: N-scale drop-in decoder for Atlas locomotives GP7/9, GP15, GP30, GP35
- NCE A12A2: N Scale Plug and Play decoder for the new Atlas "Classic" locomotives GP30, GP35, GP7, GP9

Prototype History: The EMD GP15-1 is a 4-axle diesel-electric locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between June 1976 and March 1982. Intended to provide an alternative to the rebuilding programs that many railroads were applying to their early road switchers, it is generally employed as a yard switcher or light road switcher. This locomotive is powered by a 12-cylinder EMD 645E engine, which generates 1,500 hp (1,119 kW). The GP15-1 uses a 50-foot-9-inch (15.47 m) frame, has a wheelbase of 29 ft 9 in (9.07 m) and has a length over couplers of 54 ft 11 in (16.74 m). A total of 310 units were built for American railroads. A number of GP15-1s remain in service today for yard work and light road duty. The radiator section is similar to those found on the EMD SD40T-2 and EMD SD45T-2 "tunnel motors," leading some observers to incorrectly identify the units as such or as GP15Ts, and giving them the nickname "baby tunnel motors".

From Wikipedia

Road Name History: The Apalachicola Northern Railroad has been operating in the Florida Panhandle for more than 100 years running from the Gulf Coast to the Georgia border along a system that is nearly 100 miles in length. Today, The Port St. Joe Route is known as the AN Railway and owned by the Genesee & Wyoming. Amongst railfans the Apalachicola is perhaps best known for using a rare Electro-Motive road-switcher, all three of which are still in use on the property. In recent years it has struggled to survive after the loss of paper traffic, which made up a majority of its annual carloads for decades. However, to date it has persevered and still moves a fair amount of wood-related products. Additionally, the railroad has been able to find other sources of freight in recent years to diversify its traffic base, which will hopefully allow to carry on as a successful shortline for many years.

The history of the Apalachicola Northern Railroad begins on April 7, 1903 when it was chartered to construct a route north of Apalachicola to Chattahoochee where an interchange would be made with the Atlantic Coast Line as well as the Seaboard Air Line. After roughly two years construction on the line finally began on March 21, 1905 although it took two additional years until the route was finally opened, 76.5 miles. The road's owners were soon after looking to complete the line to Port St. Joe, just west of Apalachicola along the coast. However, it fell into bankruptcy in July of the same year it opened, 1907, due to construction costs and initial lack of traffic. A year later it had exited receivership in October of 1908 and by May 10, 1910 had finally completed its long sought extension, 19.8 miles, which earned it the name as The Port St. Joe Route and gave it a total system.

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.