Burlington Northern

Burlington Northern was introduced to the EMD GP50 by way of the Frisco since they had ordered some from EMD before their merger into the BN and one of them was delivered in Frisco colors. BN had EMD paint the rest of the order in their standard paint scheme.

BN considered the GP50 a worthwhile upgrade over their GP40-2s. Mainly used in high-speed piggyback service, the units gave good service on this road and most survived to the BNSF merger.

 

BN FEATURES:

• Early phase 1 body
• Leslie 5-chime horn
• Small EMD front plow
• Stratolite cab beacon (Effect in DCC)
• 3600-gallon fuel tank
• Large front anticlimber

 

Southern

Southern purchased the GP50 model in 1980-1981, and they were immediately put to work on fast piggyback trains. The most common configuration was a set of three units. They were the only eastern carrier to order this model; the units were at least moderately successful, with most surviving well into NS ownership.

 

SOU FEATURES:

• Phase 1 body with corrugated grilles and Q fans
• 3600-Gallon fuel tank
• 2 Nathan P-5 horns
• Front and rear tall EMD snowplows
• High nose configuration
• Firecracker antennas

 

ROAD NUMBER SPECIFIC FEATURES:

• #7004 Three firecracker antennas and associated conduit, walkway light fixtures
• #7009 Three firecracker antennas and associated conduit, walkway light fixtures
• #7077 Two firecracker antennas, walkway light fixtures

 

Chessie System

The Chessie was a prolific user of the GP40-2 ; they found it ideal for most types of service. For heavy-haul applications, the road also owned a group of SD50s. Interestingly, they did not order the corresponding GP50 model - these units are our take on what might have been.

 

CO FEATURES:

• Early phase 1 body
• Nathan K5LA horn
• Chessie style “Rock” pilot
• 3600-gallon fuel tank
• Large front anticlimber

 

 

PROTOTYPE SPECIFIC INFORMATION

The EMD GP50 is a 4-axle diesel road switcher locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between 1980 and 1985. It is powered by a 16-cylinder EMD 645F3B diesel engine, which can produce between 3,500 and 3,600 hp.

A total of 278 examples of this locomotive were built. The GP50 retains the same overall length of 59 feet 2 inches as the other GP dash-2 series locomotives built in the same era. It utilized GM’s D87 traction motor enabling it to produce a starting tractive effort of 65,000 pounds, with a continuous rating of 62,400 pounds.

The most significant difference in the GP50 from earlier designs like the GP40 was upgraded components (like a turbocharger silencer and new type of blower housing) and increased horsepower. The locomotive also introduced a new “anti-wheel-slip” technology where the locomotive horsepower output was reduced if a wheel slip condition was introduced. It also included features already common on earlier models such as dynamic braking (a system for temporarily employing traction motors as generators and using the resulting electromotive force to slow the train), and an airtight hood that kept out dust, dirt and other particles from reaching internal components.

All the companies that purchased the GP50 have now been absorbed into other systems. However, a few of their successors continue to operate the units. A number GP50s have rebuilt for better fuel economy and continue in service today.

This page is based on the copyrighted Wikipedia article “EMD GP50” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EMD_GP50); it is used under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License (CC-BY-SA). You may redistribute it, verbatim or modified, providing that you comply with the terms of the CC-BY-SA.

 

GP50 LOCOMOTIVE FEATURES:

• Full cab interior
• Coupler cut levers
• Flexible rubber trainline hose
• Etched see-through steps
• Lift rings
• Wire grab irons
• See-through cab windows
• Flexible rubber MU hoses
• Walkway tread
• Sander lines
• Windshield wipers
• McHenry scale knuckle couplers - Kadee compatible
• Accurately-painted and –printed paint schemes
• Fully-assembled and ready-to-run
• DCC-ready features Quick Plug plug-and-play technology with 21-pin NEM connector
• Scaled from prototype resources including drawings, field measurements, photographs, and more
• Fine-scale Celcon handrails for scale appearance
• Detailed fuel tank with fuel fillers, fuel gauges, & breather pipes
• 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
• LED lighting for realistic appearance-including lit number boards, ground lights, and marker lights (if applicable)
• Heavy die-cast frame for greater traction and more pulling power
• Packaging securely holds model for safe storage
• Minimum radius: 18” — Recommended radius: 22”

 

SOUND-EQUPPED 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

 

LEGENDARY LIVERIES

What are Legendary Liveries? An Athearn exclusive, they are the ultimate answer to “What if?” Featuring some of the most popular railroad paint schemes of all time, these models are perfect for collecting, protofreelancing, or just plain fun! Whether company proposed paint schemes, canceled locomotive orders, or alternate takes on history, Legendary Liveries are fun and unique additions to any roster. Enjoy these items, and answer the ultimate railroad question of: “What if?”

 

 

Order Due Date: May 2, 2025

Anticipated Delivery Date: December 2026

 

Looking for more Athearn EMD GP-50 Diesel Locomotives? Click here!

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