In 2002, GE introduced the “Evolution Series” of locomotives. Better known as “GEVOs” or ES44s, this series has become the best-selling line of diesel locomotives of all time with production nearing 8,000 units. Scale Trains Rivet Counter series model renders the numerous variations of cabs, dynamic brakes, doors, grilles, trucks, etc. Scale Trains also incorporated LED lighting effects including front, rear, and side walkway lights; ground lights; printed and lighted number boards; and ditch lights.

PROTOTYPE HISTORY

A “heritage unit" is a locomotive that has been painted in a distinctive, classic design to pay homage to a predecessor railroad that has merged with or been acquired by the present company. This concept was pioneered by Union Pacific in 2006, introducing six EMD SD70ACe locomotives featuring commemorative schemes of defunct railroads. Emulating Union Pacific, Amtrak painted several passenger locomotives in heritage schemes for its 40th anniversary in 2011. Norfolk Southern, the first Class I Railroad east of the Mississippi River to do so, announced its heritage fleet by adorning ten GE ES44ACs and ten EMD SD70ACes in historically accurate liveries for its 30th anniversary celebration. In recent years, Canadian Pacific and Canadian National have also revealed their heritage units.

The latest addition to the heritage trend is CSX, which began unveiling its specially-painted units in May 2023, starting with Baltimore & Ohio #1827. Unlike Norfolk Southern’s approach, where 20 units are fully adorned in historically accurate predecessor schemes, CSX's heritage units feature a unique "faded" design. The front of each heritage locomotive resembles a standard CSX locomotive with the YN3 paint scheme by encompassing the nose and crew cab. The rear two-thirds of each heritage locomotive’s engine cab and radiator section are painted in predecessor designs. The concept was developed under the influence of the company’s current CEO, Joe Hinrichs, and Jamie Boychuk, the former Executive Vice President of Operations.

The announcement of the heritage fleet corresponds with the company's "ONE CSX" program – an initiative to foster collaboration and teamwork among employees, encouraging everyone to work together towards a common goal. The program emphasizes unity and collective effort, aiming to enhance the company's overall performance and success. Likewise, the unique faded heritage paint scheme emulates the goal of the program by connecting the company’s triumphant past with its bright future.

As of fall 2023, CSX Waycross Locomotive Shop employees continue to create unique faded designs for predecessor roads, with new heritage units expected to be unveiled throughout 2024.

PRODUCT DETAILS

Road Number Specific ScaleTrains

• Era: 2016 to Present
• Series: 8091 to 8140, built 1-3/12
• Interstate Railroad heritage paint scheme
• Designated ES44AC
• Front high (cab) mounted headlight
• Cab roof JEM Communications PTC antenna farm with single large Sinclair antenna
• Fully assembled
• Multiple road numbers
• Operating LED front and rear deck-mounted alternating ditch lights**
• Operating LED front, rear, and rectangle side walkway lights*
• Operating LED ground lights on both sides of locomotive*
• Printed and LED lighted number boards*
• Sill-mounted brake stick holder
• Single trainline hose with silver gladhand
• Front and rear raised pilot-mounted Multiple Unit (MU) receptacles
• Front dummy Multiple Unit (MU) receptacles mounted to pilot face
• Front and rear single ECP brake equipment box and cable mounted on pilot face
• Pilot-mounted battery charging receptacles
• See-through round-hole stepwell steps
• Walkway with front anticlimber and no support brackets
• GE “nub” tread plate on walkways
• Late handrails with U-bolt caps and narrow rear most stanchion on long side rails
• Front straight grab irons mounted directly to the nose
• Front right side mounted narrow nose drop grab iron
• Right nose door without window
• Wide profile end handrails
• Front high-mounted (cab) numberboard housings
• Left side under cab front access bolted X panel; rear door with square
• Late cab with barrel bolt latches on subbase doors
• Detailed cab interior with separate floor, rear wall, seats, control stand, and grade crossing camera
• Dual cab side blue flag holder
• LSL (Locomotive Speed Limiter) indicator lights on cab sides (Non-operating)
• Tinted cab side windows
• Tall mirror mounted in front of sliding cab side windows on both sides; additional small mirror on right side
• Sand box clean out door with knuckle buster latch and hinge
• Small hinged inverter cabinet door
• Etched metal see-through dynamic brake intake grilles with blower motors visible inside
• Left side dynamic brake cab: tri blower dynamic brake with flush exhaust
• Right side dynamic brake cab: door with grille, small grille, door with grille, and door with grille
• See-through dynamic brake exhaust
• Short right side air intake grille
• Left side auxiliary cab: 3 tall doors with latches on the #2 door and long auxiliary cab filter box door
• Right side auxiliary cab: 4 doors with latches on #1 and #4 doors
• Lost wax brass cast Nathan AirChime K5HLR2 horn mounted on engine cab roof
• ES44 style engine cab doors: latched first door in each set of three
• Left side exhaust cab doors: latched last door in set of three
• Flush heat exchanger housing with two piece wide slot grille
• 22 individually applied etched metal see-through radiator intake and exhaust grilles on sides and top of radiator compartment
• Raised radiator grille
• Left side radiator cab grille arrangement: Raised doors. Grilles – Tall-Short-Tall-Short-Tall, no grille under brake wheel short front angled grille and two-piece rear angled grille
• Right side radiator cab grille arrangement: Raised doors. Grilles – tall, short, tall, tall, short, tall, short, tall, short front angled grill, two-piece rear angled grille
• Flat water fill box with sight glass
• High mounted horizontal rear headlight
• Rear anticlimber without support brackets
• Rear wide-spaced dual dummy Multiple Unit (MU) receptacles
• Accurately profiled frame with separately applied plumbing and cabling
• AEI tag mounted on bracket below the right sidesill
• Toilet drain with interior handle
• Dual Graham-White (Prime) finned 075 air filters
• Graham-White 994-500 air dryer
• GE Hi-Ad trucks with caped electric parking brake mounting brackets on right front and left rear side frames and separately applied brake cylinders, air plumbing, and rotating bearing caps
• Triangular handbrake chain bracket
• 5,300-gallon fuel tank with internal waste retention tank, digital fuel gauge, vertical fuel gauge, and round fuel gauge
• Dual fuel fills per side with rear fill “blanked”
• Angled top left side fuel tank top box
• Short crankcase drainpipe
• Semi-scale coupler buffers equipped with die-cast metal semi-scale standard Type E knuckle couplers
• Factory-applied wire grab irons, snowplow with grab irons, spare knuckles, 3-hose Multiple Unit (MU) clusters with silver gladhands, uncoupling levers, windshield wipers, mirrors, sunshades, air tanks, fuel tank mounted electronic bell, brake wheel, and more
• Motor with 5-pole skew-wound armature
• Balanced 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 & Sound decoder with “Full Throttle” feature
• Dual cube-type speakers
• Accurate GEVO-12 prime mover sound plus auxiliary, 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:

• Operable using a DC power pack
• DCC ready with 21-pin connector

* Lighting features operate when using an ESU decoder with appropriate programming while operating using DCC

** During DC operation, class lights illuminate in white. Access to other colors and the ability to change colors requires an ESU DCC decoder while operating in DCC

*** Compatible with appropriately programmed ESU decoders while operating using DCC

Order Due Date: June 24, 2024

Anticipated Delivery Date: January 2025