This Car & Locomotive Shop (C+LS) Southern Pacific No. 4815 is an O-scale brass model of the Fairbanks-Morse H-24-66 Train Master. Factory painted in Southern Pacific’s distinctive Black Widow scheme, the model was built in Korea by Boo-Rim Precision.
TrainReference’s original photographs clearly identify the locomotive as SP No. 4815 and provide detailed views of the body, cab, running gear, cooling fans and Black Widow paint scheme.
At a Glance
- Importer: Car & Locomotive Shop (C+LS)
- Builder: Boo-Rim Precision
- Scale: O scale
- Prototype: Fairbanks-Morse H-24-66 Train Master
- Railroad: Southern Pacific
- Road number: 4815
- Paint scheme: Black Widow
- Construction: Brass
- Finish: Factory painted
- Drive: Can-motor drive
- Special feature: Five operating cooling fans
C+LS Southern Pacific 4815
Car & Locomotive Shop imported this highly detailed O-scale brass reproduction of Southern Pacific’s Fairbanks-Morse Train Master. The model was manufactured by Boo-Rim Precision and factory painted as SP No. 4815.
The model’s Black Widow finish combines a predominantly black body with silver ends, orange striping, red sill stripe and large white SOUTHERN PACIFIC lettering. The TrainReference photographs clearly show the road number 4815 on the cab and illuminated-style number boards.
Model Features
Documented examples of the C+LS No. 4815 include an unusually elaborate collection of operating and detail features:
- Brass construction
- Factory-painted Black Widow finish
- Can-motor drive
- Five operating cooling fans
- Directional headlights
- Marker lights
- Illuminated number boards
- Window glazing
- Detailed cab interior
- Detailed trucks and underbody equipment
- Separately applied handrails and body details
The five powered cooling fans are an especially distinctive feature of the C+LS model. They are visible beneath the screens along the roof of the long hood in the original TrainReference photographs.
Fairbanks-Morse H-24-66 Train Master
The prototype H-24-66 was Fairbanks-Morse’s six-axle road-switcher locomotive better known as the Train Master. Introduced in 1953, it used Fairbanks-Morse’s opposed-piston diesel engine and produced 2,400 horsepower.
The H-24-66 rode on two three-axle trucks in a C-C arrangement. Its 2,400-horsepower output made the Train Master exceptionally powerful for a single-engine road locomotive when introduced.
Southern Pacific No. 4815
Southern Pacific acquired a fleet of Fairbanks-Morse Train Masters during the 1950s. No. 4815 was one of the final pair, Nos. 4814 and 4815, completed in February 1954.
- Original road number: 4815
- Builder: Fairbanks-Morse
- Model: H-24-66
- Fairbanks-Morse construction number: 24L801
- Built: February 1954
- Later SP number: 3035
Southern Pacific renumbered its Train Masters into the 3020–3035 series in 1965, with No. 4815 becoming SP 3035.
Southern Pacific’s Train Masters
Southern Pacific ultimately operated sixteen Train Masters when two former Fairbanks-Morse demonstrators were combined with fourteen locomotives purchased new by the railroad. The fleet became particularly associated with commuter service in the San Francisco Bay Area.
The imposing H-24-66 was well suited to the heavy acceleration demands of commuter operation, where its high horsepower and pulling power could be put to use repeatedly between station stops.
Identifying This Model
The TrainReference example can be identified by several features visible in the photographs:
- C+LS / Car & Locomotive Shop O-scale brass model
- Boo-Rim construction
- Southern Pacific No. 4815
- Fairbanks-Morse H-24-66 Train Master body
- Black Widow paint scheme
- Five roof cooling fans
- Silver ends with orange and black striping
- Large white SOUTHERN PACIFIC lettering
No catalog number or individual production number has been established from the available TrainReference photographs, so none is assigned here.
Original Photos
These photographs show the C+LS Southern Pacific No. 4815 Train Master as originally documented by TrainReference, including the Black Widow paint scheme, cab and nose details, running gear and roof equipment.
References and Further Reading
- BrassTrains – C+LS Southern Pacific 4815 Train Master
- Canadian Rail – Fairbanks-Morse Train Master History and Roster
Related O Scale References
Current Southern Pacific Train Master Listings
Current eBay listings related to Southern Pacific Train Masters are shown below. For the model documented here, look for C+LS or Car & Locomotive Shop, Boo-Rim, 4815, H-24-66 and O scale.
