Prototype History
General Electric wrestled the title of top domestic locomotive builder from EMD during the late 1980s with their Dash-8 series. GE once again positioned themselves to shakeup the locomotive world yet again less than a decade later. Entering the 1990s, GE completely revamped their locomotive lineup by utilizing customer feedback, learning from experience gained from previous locomotive series, and improvements in technology.
A single C44-9W demonstrator unit, numbered 8601, made its debut in 1993 (and later became C&NW 8601). While similar at first glance to predecessor models like the C40-8 and C40-8W, the Dash-9 series featured a few notable physical differences. Built on a slightly longer platform that allowed for a massive 5,000 gallon fuel tank, Dash-9s also featured thicker radiator “wings” at the rear of the carbody. This is usually the quickest way to differentiate them from previous models.
Thanks to its long production span and customer options, small detail differences could be noted between various customer orders. This includes changes with HVAC system vendors (the large “A/C” box behind the cab on the conductors side), engine cab profile, radiator lifting lugs, hood end, trucks, fuel tank, stepwells, operator’s cab, and even handrail profiles.
The C44-9W proved to be extremely popular over its production span with over 3,500 locomotives being sold new to ATSF, BC Rail, BNSF, CN, C&NW, NS (including 100 spartan cab equipped versions, nicknamed “Top Hats”), QNS&L, SP, and UP.
NS was an important customer with over 1,000 Dash-9s on the roster. They preferred customized models in the form of 100 spartan-cab equipped, 4,000hp C40-9s (nicknamed “Top Hats”) and numerous examples of safety cab-equipped versions rated at 4,000hp, and designated as C40-9Ws. All C40-9/Ws would eventually be uprated to 4,400hp with their designations changed accordingly.
Over the years, the Dash-9s could be found in a variety of assignments. Santa Fe’s C44-9Ws were delivered in the famed red and silver “Superfleet” scheme and could be found hurtling across the southwest with hot piggyback trailer and container trains in tow.
Southern Pacific’s units were some of the first new six-axle power on the beleaguered railroad’s roster in more than a decade. They were pressed into a variety of assignments ranging from hot intermodal trains to coal and iron ore drags.
Chicago & North Western’s units made their debut in flashy “lightning stripe” livery and handled numerous assignments during their brief tenure before being absorbed by Union Pacific
The Dash-9 series remained in production until the early 2000s when it was superseded by GE’s “Evolution Series” ES40/44-series models. Age has begun to catch up with the earliest C44-9W and related models so some railroads are storing and/or rebuilding these veteran units. NS’s oldest units, the spartan-cab C40-9s, are being rebuilt with the latest GE safety cab for increased crew comfort and safety plus AC-traction for increased performance.
Originally built in the early 1990s, some of BNSF’s former Santa Fe fleet are also in the process of being rebuilt with AC-traction to extend their service lives and improve their performance.
Built over a long timeframe, and proving to be a solid, upgradeable platform, the C44-9W family of locomotives including rebuilds is sure to remain a fixture on today’s railroads for the foreseeable future.
Road Number Specific ScaleTrains
- Era: early 2000s to 2010s
- Series 8764 to 8888, built 1/95 to 4/95
- Road number 8774
- Roof top mounted Dayton-Phoenix 2807000 HVAC painted white
- Small Sinclair antenna mounted on top of clean air cab
- Lost-wax brass Nathan AirChime K5LAR24 horn with debris covers mounted on engine cab
- Cast handbrake wheel with release lever painted gray
- End of Train Device (EOTD) hanger bracket painted yellow on left front truck sideframe
- Road numbers 8786
- Roof top mounted Dayton-Phoenix 2807000 HVAC painted black
- Small Sinclair antenna mounted on top of clean air cab
- Lost-wax brass Nathan AirChime K5LAR24 horn with debris covers mounted on engine cab
- Stamped handbrake wheel
- End of Train Device (EOTD) hanger bracket painted black on left front truck sideframe
- Road number 8814
- Roof top mounted Dayton-Phoenix 2807000 HVAC painted black
- No Sinclair antenna mounted on top of clean air cab
- Lost-wax brass Nathan AirChime P5 horn with debris covers mounted on engine cab
- Stamped handbrake wheel
- No End of Train Device (EOTD) hanger bracket
- Road number 8828
- Roof top mounted Dayton-Phoenix 2807000 HVAC painted white
- Small Sinclair antenna mounted on top of clean air cab
- Lost-wax brass Nathan AirChime K5LAR24 horn with debris covers mounted on engine cab
- Stamped handbrake wheel
- End of Train Device (EOTD) hanger bracket painted yellow on left front truck sideframe
- Road number 8831
- Roof top mounted Dayton-Phoenix 2807000 HVAC painted black
- Small Sinclair antenna mounted on top of clean air cab
- Lost-wax brass Nathan AirChime K5LAR24 horn with debris covers mounted on engine cab
- Cast handbrake wheel with release lever painted gray
- No End of Train Device (EOTD) hanger bracket
- Road number 8844
- Roof top mounted Dayton-Phoenix 2807000 HVAC painted black
- Large Sinclair antenna mounted on top of clean air cab
- Lost-wax brass Nathan AirChime P5 horn with debris covers mounted on engine cab
- Cast handbrake wheel with release lever pained black
- End of Train Device (EOTD) hanger bracket painted yellow on left front truck sideframe
- Fully-assembled
- Multiple road numbers
- Operating LED front, rear, and side walkway lights*
- Operating front and rear deck mounted alternating LED ditch lights**
- Operating LED ground light on right side of locomotive*
- Printed and operating LED lighted number boards*
- GE spartan cab with cab-face condensation drain line and operating cab side windows
- Late flat-top low hood
- Tall snowplow with open doors and grab irons
- 4-step stepwells with see through steps
- Walkway with front and rear anticlimber
- GE “nub” pattern walkway tread
- Wide profile end handrails
- Battery box doors with barrel bolt latches
- Detailed cab interior with standard control stand for engineer, desktop for conductor, seats, floor, and rear wall
- Dual Motorola ASP-16 “Firecracker” antennas mounted on clean air cab
- Late dynamic brake exhaust
- Late electrical cabinet with step on rear and Barrel Bolt Latches
- Early curved engine cab profile
- Early flanged exhaust stack housing
- “Bathtub” exhaust silencer
- 26 individually-applied etched metal see-through radiator intake and exhaust grilles on sides and top of radiator compartment
- Late radiator door grilles in alternating heights
- High-mounted rear sandfiller
- Early lifting lugs on ends of radiator wings
- Accurately profiled frame with separately applied plumbing and traction motor cabling
- Semi-scale coupler buffer equipped with durable metal semi-scale Type E knuckle couplers
- Separate air tanks with lower mounting brackets, connector pipe and connector pipe cover
- Dual Graham-White (Prime) air filters
- Graham-White (Salem) 975-100-Twin-Tower-Dryer
- Fuel tank mounted steel bell
- 5,000-galon fuel tank with vertical weld seam
- Single fuel fills per side
- Round and vertical analog fuel gauge
- Hi-Ad trucks with separately applied brake cylinders, air plumbing, and non-cantilevered struts on all four sideframes
- Rotating axle bearing caps
- Early, square handbrake chain bracket
- Spare coupler knuckle holders on rear pilot face
- Factory-applied detail parts: wire grab irons, snowplow, spare knuckles, trainline hoses, 3-hose MU clusters, uncoupling levers, windshield wipers, mirrors, sunshades, air tanks, fuel tank mounted bell, brake wheel, exhaust stack and more
- Motor with 5-pole skew wound armature
- Dual flywheels
- All-wheel drive
- All-wheel electrical pick-up
- Directional LED headlights
- Printing and lettering legible under magnification
- Operates on Code 70, 83, and 100 rail
- Packaging safely stores model
- Minimum Radius: 18”
- Recommended Radius: 22”
DCC & sound equipped locomotives also feature:
- ESU-LokSound 5 DCC and Sound decoder with “Full Throttle”
- Two (2) cube-type speakers
- Accurate FDL-16 prime mover and auxiliary sounds, horn, bell, and more
- ESU-designed PowerPack with two (2) super capacitors***
- Operates on both DC and DCC layouts
DCC & sound ready locomotives also feature:
- Operate on DC layouts
- DCC ready with 21-pin connector
* Lighting features operate when using an ESU decoder with appropriate programming while operating using DCC
** In DC operation, both front ditch lights illuminate; rear ditch lights (if equipped) do not illuminate
*** Compatible with appropriately programmed ESU decoders while operating using DCC
Order Due Date: April 26, 2021
Anticipated Delivery Date: December 2021
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