Rapido HO 37017 ALCo FA-1, Great Northern #276A

Between January 1946 and October 1950 a total of 440 FA-1s and 240 FB-1s were built by the American Locomotive Company (ALCo) and their Canadian subsidiary, the Montreal Locomotive Works (MLW). They were originally sold to twenty-five railroads in the US, Canada and Mexico. The FA-1 (and its matching booster, the FB-1) was rated at 1500 horsepower and was designed primarily as a freight hauler.

In a market that was becoming dominated by EMD products, the FA-1 came in a distant second due in part to reliability issues with its rushed-to-market 244 prime mover. Still, they were popular with several roads and could be found at the head of freights into the late 1960s.

Features:
Correct nose and windshield contours
Flat or angled number boards as appropriate
Dynamic and non-dynamic brake versions
Etched side and fan screens
Heavy, die-cast chassis
5-pole motor with dual flywheels
Operating headlights, class lights and back-up lights
Full underbody piping and conduit
Separate free-standing grab irons and handrails
Many railroad-specific details installed or included
Full, multi-color cab interior
DC/Silent (21-pin DCC Ready)