AC-12 4-8-8-2

Southern Pacific  No. 4277

Limited Run!

From the very beginning of WWII, the Southern Pacific Railroad faced perhaps the most formidable challenge of any US railroad.

With the port of San Diego being the jumping off point for the war effort in the Pacific, Southern Pacific required motive power that could handle very long freight drags as well as passenger trains.

These locomotives had to traverse the rugged terrain from the Gulf of Mexico to Utah and Northern California, passing through numerous tunnels, snow sheds and steep grades made the the intelligent choice.

With this in mind, Southern Pacific acquired permission from the War Production Board to purchase a group of 20 AC-12 locomotives from Baldwin.

Beginning with No. 4275, Baldwin delivered the initial group of AC-12's to El Paso, Texas in the fall of 1943 with the balance being delivered in March of 1944.

In fact, No. 4294 was the last new steam locomotive ever to be purchased by Southern Pacific.

Baldwin utilized the same newer semi-streamlined cab shape that was practically identical to some of the earlier cab forward classes and many consider the AC-12's – equipped with both the conventional steam whistle as well as a single note "fog" horn – to be the most attractive of all the AC series.

• Beautifully detailed, accurately modeled locomotive and tender body
• Authentic design, paint and color schemes
• Authentic sounds with articulated chuff (sound equipped units only) and prototypical operation
• Many separately applied details including brass bell/rails
• Detailed backhead
• Operating cab-roof vents
• Constant intensity directional lighting
• Lighted number boards
• Factory installed painted fireman and engineer figures
• Fan driven smoke unit with user controlled on/off
• Heavy weight pulling power with metal wheel tire (no traction tires)
• Locomotive composition: die cast metal
• Tender composition: die cast metal
• Locomotive length: 10.8"
• Tender length: 6.35"
• Total coupler-to-coupler length: 17.68"
• Motor type: 5-pole can with skewed armature & dual fly wheels
• Couplers: one Kadee® compatible; one Kadee® #58
• Compatible tracks: code 70, 83, 100 rail
• Recommended minimum radius: 18"

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