Of course, I wasn’t driving and didn’t have a camera with me. Or even a screwdriver (if you know what I mean). And I didn’t want to alarm the guys I was with, so the only images I have of the encounter are in my mind, not on Kodacolor. This O gauge Air Force VO-1000 takes steps to refresh that undocumented memory – at least a little bit.
In a nutshell, the Baldwin VO-1000 was a sturdy switcher, with more than 540 made from 1939 through 1946. In the 1970s, the Baldwin-Hamilton Corp. (the last vestige of the locomotive production division of Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton) offered a rebuild and upgrade program for switcher owners that extended the lives of many of these diesels
Exclusive to subscribers, check out a video of MTH’s Baldwin VO-1000 running on our roller base and test track.
Opening the box
The MTH model is pretty much as I had hoped: a squat, blue brick replete with Baldwin’s distinctive long-hood air intake cast into the nose of the hood. It has full-scale dimensions and a RailKing “scale” product.
The cast-in body detail is good, with the typical blend of hatch, hinge, latch, and seam detail. The decks have cast-in safety-tread pattern as well.
Add-on pieces, while well done, are minimal. The model has yellow handrails and grab irons as well as yellow uncoupler arms.
The model’s paint is pretty straightforward – Air Force blue body, yellow safety stripe along the frame, and solid yellow accents on steps. On the cab sides you’ll find a nice Strategic Air Command logo, along with an American flag.
On the test track
This switcher packs the full ProtoSound 2.0 system and two coil couplers and offers sturdy performance. Our low-speed test average was 4.5 scale mph, while the high-speed test average was 55.9 scale mph. Drawbar pull for the locomotive was 1 pound 9 ounces.
This model is equipped with MTH’s ProtoSound 2.0 Digital Command System (DCS). The motor response was smooth in both DCS and conventional modes, and the two can-style motors were fairly quiet. For me, the highlight is the speed control, which was flawless.
The sound package is also great, with the high point being the start-up sounds that suggest the motor is about to rattle apart into 1,242 pieces!
I was a bit surprised that the model didn’t have a smoke unit, especially since the RailKing Baldwin AS-616 with LocoSound (reviewed in the May 2007 issue) did possess one. Oh, well.
The VO-1000 meets all my expectations. Wrap it in Air Force blue, and I’ll salute as it rolls past!
Price: $299.95 (no. 30-2642-1)
Features: O-31 operation, two can-style motors, ProtoSound 2.0, coil couplers
Pros: Nice appearance, good puller
Cons: No smoke unit
Made in the People’s Republic of China for MTH
