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While Electro-Motive’s four-unit FT is often touted as "the diesel that did it" — vanquished the steam locomotive — it was the lowly switcher that launched the initial assault on steam and made the FT’s victory possible. The first commercially successful diesel-electric, Central of New Jersey No. 1000, was a 300 hp boxcab switcher; it came off the American Locomotive Company’s Schenectady, N.Y. erecting floor in 1925. To make that landmark engine possible, Alco, the nation’s second-largest steam locomotive builder, had teamed up with Ingersoll-Rand, which supplied the diesel motor, and General Electric, which built the generator and traction motors.

Three years later, Alco acquired an established diesel motor company; its largest steam competitor, Baldwin, would later make the same move. In Alco’s case the firm was McIntosh & Seymour of Auburn, N.Y., an industry leader in stationary and marine engines. While the nascent diesel technology was not yet ready to power road locomotives, the early 300-600 hp motors proved ideal for yard work. Compared to the 0-6-0s and similar switchers they replaced, the new diesels were easier to operate and fuel, required significantly less down time for maintenance, and spewed a lot less soot into the urban areas where most of them worked.

Almost from the beginning, Alco recognized the need to give its new technology a semblance of style. Later dubbed "HH" models by railfans (for "high hood"), Alco switchers of the mid and late 1930s were styled by industrial designer Otto Kuhler. The high hood, which reached almost to the cab roof, was necessitated by the height of the McIntosh & Seymour model 531 and 538 inline 6-cylinder four-stroke diesel motors, which displaced 1,595 cubic inches per cylinder. (Compare this with 567 cu.in. per cylinder in the Electro-Motive FT’s 16-cylinder two-stroke diesel.) In those early days of a radical new technology, it was not uncommon for Alco HH engines to demonstrate on a new railroad and be purchased almost immediately.


Built for loads that comprise a large number of heavy pieces, bulkhead flat cars provide the security of strong end walls to prevent a load from shifting. Common cargos include utility poles, structural steel, pipe, steel plate, and packaged lumber. Our modern-era model features roller-bearing trucks and a removable load simulating dozens of packages of lumber, colorfully shrink-wrapped to advertise the lumber company that produced them.

Did you know? Because of their light weight, empty bulkhead flats are often restricted to a train speed of 50 mph. Above that speed, "hunting" can occur, in which the car's trucks wobble side to side and could possibly derail.

High quality, traditionally sized RailKing Freight Cars provide detailed bodies and colorful paint schemes for the O Gauge railroader. MTH makes an enormous variety of RailKing Freight Cars, including many different car types and roadnames. No matter what era or part of the country you are modeling, RailKing is sure to have something for you.

2018 Volume 2 Catalog

Click HERE to see it online.


It's Easy To Add WiFi To Your DCS Layout

Check Out The Quick Start Video

Click HERE To Learn More About DCS and WiFi Control


M.T.H. Electric Trains is releasing a limited run of smartphone cases for popular iPhone and Samsung Galaxy models this Fall. Club Members save $5.00 off the regular suggested retail of $15.99 each.

These durably constructed cases feature a reinforced corner design for drop protection. Its flexible sides, knurled grip, and integrated buttons provide you with an elevated, rugged look while providing complete protection for your device.

Click HERE to learn more. Don't miss this opportunity to show off your M.T.H. pride. To order your case today, call the M.T.H. Sales Department at 410-381-2580 (option 1) and reserve yours.


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