Train Addiction Help Line: 1.866.840.7777
Jun 16, 2025 - HO Scale
Athearn Genesis - HO Scale - EMD MP15AC Diesel Locomotives
Dear HO Scale Customers;
Athearn Genesis is excited to announce New EMD MP15AC Diesel Locomotives
Southern Pacific
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.
SP FEATURES:
- SP Speed Lettering paint scheme
- Cab-face mounted vent
- Road number specific features
- Ground lights
- Large fuel tank
ROAD NUMBER SPECIFIC FEATURES:
- #2720 Cab-mounted 3-chime horn, SP style number boards, hood-mounted bell, large fuel tank, brake wheel, beacon (Flash function in DCC only.)
- #2724 Cab-mounted 3-chime horn, SP style number boards, hood-mounted bell, large fuel tank, brake wheel, front & rear Gyralights & Red Emergency “Big Hole” Emergency Lights (flashing effect in DCC only)
- #2747 Cab-mounted 3-chime horn, SP style number boards, hood-mounted bell, large fuel tank, brake wheel, front & rear Gyralights & Red Emergency “Big Hole” Emergency Lights (flashing effect in DCC only)
Soo Line
Soo Line’s fleet of 1975-built MP15AC’s joined their roster as a result of the 1985 acquisition of the bankrupt Milwaukee Road. Some of them, like #1532 were repainted into Soo Line’s red paint scheme. Many of them, however, received hurried and varied patched paint jobs that were often referred to as “bandits” due to the prominent use of black paint mixed with whatever was left of Milwaukee’s original orange paint.
SOO FEATURES:
- Multiple paint schemes
- Ground lights
- Cab-mounted 3-chime horn
- Front and rear ditch lights
- Road number specific features
ROAD NUMBER SPECIFIC FEATURES:
- #1532 Ex-MILW, Repainted in Soo red scheme, cab-mounted 3-chime horn, frame-mounted bell, small fuel tank, ratchet 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, ratchet style brake, whip antenna, all-weather cab window, EOTD antenna, spare coupler knuckle, cab, separate, optional waste retention tank, mounted beacon (flashing effect in DCC only). Primed For Grime.
- #1538 Ex-MILW, Patched for Soo Line, cab-mounted 3-chime horn, frame-mounted bell, small fuel tank, ratchet style brake, whip antenna, all-weather cab window, EOTD antenna, spare coupler knuckle, cab, separate, optional waste retention tank, mounted beacon (flashing effect in DCC only). Primed For Grime.
Wisconsin Southern
Wisconsin Southern’s 1975-built MP15AC’s came from the Soo Line who got them as a result of the 1985 acquisition of the bankrupt Milwaukee Road. While on the Soo they received hurried and varied patched paint jobs that were often referred to as “bandits” due to the prominent use of black paint mixed with whatever was left of Milwaukee’s original orange paint. W&S initially followed suit and just patched the units with their basic markings. One of them, #1501, was painted in a primer “mustard” color in preparation for new paint, and we have many requests to make it along with a bandit style one.
WSOR FEATURES:
- Two different paint schemes
- Front and rear ditch lights
- Road number specific features
- Ground lights
- Whip Antenna
ROAD NUMBER SPECIFIC FEATURES:
- #1501 Primer “mustard” paint scheme, cab-mounted 3-chime horn, frame-mounted bell, small fuel tank, ratchet 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, ratchet style brake, whip antenna, all-weather cab window, EOTD Antenna, Primed For Grime.
Transportacion Ferroviaria Mexicana (TFM)
TFM’s MP15AC’s were originally purchased by N de M in the summer of 1982. The original group of 24 units were built by Electro-Motive at their La Grange, IL plant.
TFM FEATURES:
- Grey & Yellow paint scheme
- Ground lights
- Exhaust muffler
- Rachet brake
- Small fuel tank
PROTOTYPE SPECIFIC INFORMATION
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 buying AC road locomotives. 36 more units were sold to 8 other customers.
This information is based on the copyrighted Wikipedia article “EMD MP15AC”; it is used under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License (CC-BY-SA https:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:CCBYSA). You may redistribute it, verbatim or modified, providing that you comply with the terms of the CC-BY-SA.
MP15AC LOCOMOTIVE FEATURES:
- Full cab interior
- Coupler cut levers
- Flexible rubber trainline hose
- Windshield wipers
- Blomberg-B trucks
- Directional constant lighting
- Wire grab irons
- See-through cab windows
- Flexible rubber MU hoses
- Lift rings
- Sander lines
- Walkway Tread
- Operating ditch lights (if equipped)
- Operating ground lights
- 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
- 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
- Replacement parts available
- 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
- 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
- CV chart included in the box
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 rust
Tacoma Rail
Tacoma Rail received two refurbished MP15AC’s in 2021. They were originally built by EMD in their La Grange, IL plant in the summer of 1982 for the N de M in Mexico.
TMBL FEATURES:
- Exhaust muffler
- Ground lights
- Large fuel tank
- Cab-mounted A/C
- Cab-mounted 3-chime horn
Order Due Date: July 25, 2025
Anticipated Delivery Date: January 2027
Looking for more Athearn MP15AC Diesel Locomotives? Click here!
Product Details
© 2026 Pacific Western Rail Systems
Train Addiction Help Line: 1 866 840 7777