Inspiration and Prototype Research
$20 Thrift Store Loco – Testing the FEC SW1200
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$20 Thrift Store Loco – Testing the FEC SW1200
Picked up a $20 thrift store find—an FEC SW1200 HO scale locomotive. In this post, I walk through my power test, check the current draw, and share first impressions before the teardown and DCC upgrade.
Every now and then you get lucky. I found this Florida East Coast SW1200 locomotive at a thrift store for twenty bucks—and honestly, I couldn’t pass it up. Before diving into upgrades or tearing anything apart, I like to run a basic power test. Just to get a baseline.
I don’t really know the full story behind this loco, but it looks like it should work. Still, I’ve learned that it’s always better to verify. Saves time down the road and gives me a better idea of what I’m working with.
So I hooked it up to the bench power supply and started slow, bringing the voltage up gradually. Around 8 volts the motor kicked in and the wheels started turning. By 12 volts, it was running smooth. Pretty quiet too, which is a good sign.
The current draw was right where I’d expect—about 130 to 140 milliamps free running. That’s normal for a locomotive this size with a five-pole motor. Front headlight didn’t work, but the rear one did. Doesn’t matter—I’m planning to replace those with LEDs anyway.
Reverse direction showed similar performance, with just a slight difference in current draw, but again—totally normal.
Overall, it’s in better shape than I expected. The gearbox sounds good, no binding, motor runs quiet. For $20, this feels like a solid win.
Next step? Tear it down and start upgrading it for DCC.