HO GEN MP15AC Locomotive, SP 'Speed Letter' #2720
Pre-Order | Releasing November 2026

HO GEN MP15AC Locomotive, SP 'Speed Letter' #2720

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Athearn Genesis - ATHG-2508
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ATHEARN EMD MP15AC DIESEL LOCOMOTIVE PROTOTYPE AND BACKGROUND INFO:

The EMD MP15 is a light road switcher that was built between 1974 and 1980. It came in two designs, the MP15DC and the MP15AC. It was billed as replacement for the EMD SW1500

The MP15DC’s standard Blomberg B trucks were capable of transition and road speeds up to 60 mph (97 km/h), allowing use on road freights. Soon there was a demand for a model with an advanced AC drive system. The MP15AC replaced the MP15DC’s DC generator with an alternator producing AC power which is converted to DC for the traction motors with a silicon rectifier. The MP15AC is 1.5 ft (457 mm) longer than an MP15DC, the extra space being needed for the rectifier equipment. The alternator-rectifier combination is more reliable than a generator, and this equipment became the standard for new diesel-electric locomotive designs.

The MP15AC is easily distinguished from the DC models. Instead of the front-mounted radiator intake and belt-driven fan used on all previous EMD switchers, these have intakes on the lower forward nose sides and electric fans. Side intakes allowed the unit to take in cooler air, and the electric fans improved a serious reliability issue found in its earlier DC sisters.

In the early 1970s railroads were starting to convert to AC power, the six largest buyers, Milwaukee (64), Southern Pacific (58), Seaboard Coast Line Railroad (45), Nacionales de México (25), Long Island (23), and Louisville & Nashville (10), were all buyingAC road locomotives. 36 more units were sold to 8 other customers.

ATHEARN EMD MP15AC DIESEL LOCOMOTIVE FEATURES:

  • Full cab interior
  • Coupler cut levers
  • Flexible rubber trainline hose
  • Windshield wipers
  • Blomberg-B trucks
  • Directional constant lighting
  • Operating ditch lights (if equipped)
  • Fine-scale Celcon handrails for scale appearance
  • Headlight brightness remains constant
  • Separately applied photo-etched metal and injection molded detail parts
  • Detailed fuel tank with fuel fillers, fuel gauges, breather pipes
  • DCC-ready features Quick Plug™ plug-and-play technology with 21-pin NEM connector
  • Accurately-painted and - printed paint schemes
  • McHenry® scale knuckle couplers - Kadee® compatible
  • Fully-assembled and ready-to-run
  • Replacement parts available
  • Wire grab irons
  • See-through cab windows
  • Flexible rubber MU hoses
  • Lift rings
  • Sander lines
  • Walkway Tread
  • Operating ground lights
  • Scaled from prototype resources including drawings, field measurements, photographs, and more
  • Genesis driveline with 5-pole skew wound motor, precision machined flywheels, and multi-link drivetrain
  • All-wheel drive with precision gears for smooth & quiet operation
  • All-wheel electrical pickup provides reliable current flow
  • Wheels with RP25 contours operate on all popular brands of track
  • Heavy die-cast frame for greater traction and more pulling power
  • Packaging securely holds model for safe storage
  • Minimum radius: 18”

SOUND-EQUIPPED MODELS ALSO FEATURE:

  • Onboard DCC decoder with SoundTraxx Tsunami2 sound
  • Dual cube speakers for optimal sound quality
  • Sound units operate in both DC and DCC
  • Full DCC functions available when operated in DCC mode
  • Engine, horn, and bell sounds work in DC
  • CV chart included in the box
  • All functions NMRA compatible in DCC mode
  • Precision slow speed control
  • Program a multiple unit (MU) lashup with lead unit only horn, bell, and lights
  • Many functions can be altered via Configuration Value (CV) changes

PRIMED FOR GRIME MODELS FEATURE:

  • Duplicated look and feel of “In Service” equipment
  • Faded base colors matched to the prototype
  • Perfect starting point for adding grime and rus

ROAD NUMBER SPECIFIC FEATURES:

  • #1532: Ex-MILW, Repainted in Soo red scheme, cab-mounted 3-chime horn, frame-mounted bell, small fuel tank, rachet style brake, whip antenna, All Weather cab windows, Spare Coupler Knuckle.
  • #1537: Ex-MILW, Patched for Soo Line, cab-mounted 3-chime horn, frame-mounted bell, small fuel tank, rachet style brake, whip antenna, All Weather cab window, EOTD Antenna, Spare Coupler Knuckle, cab, separate, optional waste retention tank, mounted beacon (Function in DCC only.). Primed For Grime.
  • #1538: Ex-MILW, Patched for Soo Line, cab-mounted 3-chime horn, frame-mounted bell, small fuel tank, rachet style brake, whip antenna, All Weather cab window, EOTD Antenna, Spare Coupler Knuckle, cab, separate, optional waste retention tank, mounted beacon (Function in DCC only.). Primed For Grime.
  • #2720: Cab-mounted 3-chime horn, SP style number boards, blanked SP light package, hood-mounted bell, large fuel tank, brake wheel, Beacon (Flash function in DCC only.)
  • #2724: Cab-mounted 3-chime horn, SP style number boards, blanked SP light package, hood-mounted bell, large fuel tank, brake wheel, front & rear Gyralights & Red Emergency “Big Hole” Emergency Lights (Function in DCC only.)
  • #2747: Cab-mounted 3-chime horn, SP style number boards, blanked SP light package, hood-mounted bell, large fuel tank, brake wheel, front & rear Gyralights & Red Emergency “Big Hole” Emergency Lights (Function in DCC only.)

ROAD FEATURES:

  • #1501: Primer “mustard” paint scheme, cab-mounted 3-chime horn, frame-mounted bell, small fuel tank, rachet style brake, whip antenna, All Weather cab window, EOTD Antenna, waste retention tank
  • #1502: Ex-MILW, Patched for W&S, cab-mounted 3-chime horn, frame-mounted bell, small fuel tank, rachet style brake, whip antenna, All Weather cab window, EOTD Antenna, Primed For Grime.

SP FEATURES:

  • SP Speed Lettering paint scheme
  • Ground lights
  • Road number specific features
  • Cab-face mounted ven
  • Large fuel tank

SOO FEATURES:

  • Multiple paint schemes
  • Ground lights
  • Road number specific features
  • Cab-mounted 3-chime horn
  • Front and rear ditch lights

WSOR FEATURES:

  • Two different paint schemes
  • Ground lights
  • Road number specific features
  • Whip Antenna
  • Front and rear ditch lights

TFM FEATURES:

  • Grey & Yellow paint scheme
  • Ground lights
  • Exhaust muffler
  • Rachet brake
  • Small fuel tank

CLXX FEATURES:

  • Ground lights
  • Cab-mounted 3-chime horn
  • SP style number boards
  • Hood-mounted bell
  • Brake wheel
  • Cab-mounted A/C
  • Front and rear ditch lights
  • Blanked SP light package
  • Large fuel tank

SBD FEATURES:

  • Cab front-mounted 5-chime horn
  • Ground lights
  • Ratchet handbrak
  • Hood-mounted bell
  • Large fuel tank

TMBL FEATURES:

  • Exhaust muffler
  • Ground lights
  • Large fuel tank
  • Cab-mounted A/C
  • Cab-mounted 3-chime horn

Product Specs

Axles
4
Coupler Style
McHenry Scale Knuckle
DCC
Ready/21-Pin NEM
Era
1991-2009,2010-Present Day
Full Road Name
Southern Pacific
Lighting
LED
Minimum Radius
18
Prototype Manufacturer
EMD
Reporting Mark
SP
Scale
HO
Sub Brand
GENESIS
Wheel Configuration
B-B

Compatibility

No results for your given fitment filters

Athearn May / June 2025 Announcements: Athearn Genesis EMD MP15AC Diesel Locomotive Video

Train Tuesday 03/25/25: Athearn Genesis EMD MP15AC Video

SP began receiving their MP15AC’s from EMD in the late Summer & early Fall of 1975. They were assigned to service on the eastern half of the railroad, including on the Cotton Belt, where they spent the spent the majority of their SP service careers. After the merger with the Rio Grande in 1989, SP adopted the Speed Lettering paint scheme and applied it to some of their MP15AC’s.