Pennsylvania HO Scale MTH HO Alco PA B Unit With Proto-Sound 3E+

The PA was Alco's glamour girl. While Electro-Motive's E-units easily outsold Alco's passenger engine, the PA is widely regarded as the most beautiful first-generation diesel - period. Perhaps no other locomotive looked so right at the head of the streamlined trains of the late forties and fifties that were the last hurrah of American long-distance passenger service. The 294 PA's and cabless PB's built between 1946 and 1953 powered some of America's most famous name trains, from the Southern Pacific's Daylight to the Pennsylvania's Broadway Limited. In recognition of its beauty, some fans refer to the PA as an "honorary steam locomotive."

The muscular PA profile and its elegant nose, with the characteristic grille around the headlight, were designed by Ray Patten, General Electric's head of industrial design. At the time, GE and Alco were partners in the locomotive business, with GE making the electrical equipment for all Alco diesels. Patten's design was described as "a locomotive so distinctive and so powerful looking that it actually helps railroads sell their services to passengers and shippers." While Alco would later fall by the wayside, GE went on to become America's largest locomotive builder by the early 1990's.

Under the hood of the PA beat a 16-cylinder model 244 prime mover that developed 2000 hp. Depending on their gearing, PA's could hustle a passenger consist along at up to 100 mph.

Long after all other PA's had gone to scrap, four restored ex-Santa Fe units remained in service on the Delaware & Hudson into the late 1970's. Sold to the Ferrocarriles Nacionales de Mexico (FNM) in 1978, most of the units eventually deteriorated to junk status, although one remained operational. But in April of 2000, Doyle McCormack - who also happens to be the engineer of No. 4449, the restored Southern Pacific Daylight - and the Smithsonian Institution repatriated two of the junked units for rebuilding. One of the units will be restored to Santa Fe livery for static display, while Doyle is bringing the other PA back to life in the Nickel Plate Road "Bluebird" scheme. You can follow the progress of Doyle's labor on the Web site www.nkp190.com.

Recreate the excitement of first-class passenger travel in the middle of the last century, with these Alco PA locomotives and matching passenger sets. Our ProtoSound 3.0 sound and control system brings you the authentic sounds of an Alco prime mover and station announcements for name trains of the 1940s and '50s - along with the ability to start your train so gently you won't spill the water in the diner and then accelerate up to scale speeds of over 100 mph, just like the prototype.

Outfitted with NEM 311 wheels and NEM 365 couplers, each of these engines feature an all-new version of Proto-Sound 3.0, contain a third rail sliding shoe for use with Marklin HO stud rail and can operate on AC or DC power. Like their 3.0 counterparts, Proto-Sound 3E+ locomotives feature full digital sound, speed control, 28 DCC functions, hundreds of DCS sounds and features and a command control receiver for use with Marklin DCC control systems. Unlike their 3.0 counterparts, Proto-Sound 3E+ locomotives cannot operate on standard 2-rail track. They only operate on HO (3-Rail) Stud Rail track (ie: Marklin C or K track).

• Intricately Detailed ABS Body
• Metal Chassis
• Moveable Roof Fans
• Metal Body Side Grilles
• Authentic Paint Scheme
• Metal Wheels and Axles
• NEM 340 Metal Wheels
• (2) NEM 360/362 Coupler & Pocket Assemblies
• (2) Hook & Chain Coupler Assemblies
• #18 U.S. Kadee Coupler Compatible
• Powerful 5-Pole Precision Flywheel Equipped Skew-Wound Balanced Motor
• Locomotive Speed Control In Scale MPH Increments
• 1:87 Scale Proportions

  Proto-Sound 3.0 equipped locomotives can be controlled in command mode with any DCC compliant command control system. While the user won't have access to all of the incredible features of Proto-Sound 3.0, independent control over the locomotive is possible. This means you can continue to use your existing DCC controller to independently control your other DCC equipped locomotives in addition to your Proto-Sound 3.0 locomotive on the same track at the same time.

  When using a DCC controller, the following Proto-Sound 3.0 locomotive features are accessible:

  • F0 Headlight
  • F1 Bell
  • F2 Whistle/Horn
  • F3 Start Up/Shut Down
  • F4 Rear Coupler
  • F5 Front Coupler
  • F6 Engine Sounds On/Off
  • F7 Sound Volume
  • F8 Ditch Lights Auto/On/Off
  • F9 Forward Signal
  • F10 Reverse Signal
  • F11 Grade Crossing Signal
  • F12 Cab Light On/Off
  • F13 Extended Start Up
  • F14 Extended Shut Down
  • F15 Rev Up
  • F16 Rev Down
  • F17 Coupler Slack Sound
  • F18 Coupler Close
  • F19 One-Shot Doppler
  • F20 Feature Reset
  • F21 Idle Sequence 1
  • F22 Idle Sequence 2
  • F23 Idle Sequence 3
  • F24 Ditch Lights Auto/On/Off
  • F25 Brakes Auto/Off
  • F26 Cab Chatter Auto/Off
  • F27 Clickety-Clack Auto/Off
  • F28 Coupler Slack Sound
  • Proto-Sound 3.0 With The Digital Command System Featuring: Passenger Station Proto-Effects
  • Unit Measures:8 3/4" x 1 3/8" x 2 1/8"
  • Only Operates On HO Stud (3-rail) Track (ie: Marklin C or K Track)
  • Operates On R2 (437.5mm) Radius Curves