Athearn Genesis - HO Scale - EMD GP38-2 Diesel Locomotive - w/o Sound - Chicago & North Western (CNW) #4616 - Yellow/Dark Forest Green/Black-Red-White "Ball and Bar" Logo w/White "NORTHWESTERN EMPLOYEE OWNED" Text/Black Numbering & Underframe (Era: 1981+) (SKU 141-3391)
Available On: March 1, 2028

PROTOTYPE SPECIFIC INFORMATION
By the early 1970s, many first generation diesels were reaching the end of their service lives. The most common replacement locomotive became the GP38-2. EMD began production of the 16-cylinder, non-turbocharged, 2000 horsepower engine in 1972. Unlike the GP38’s engine, which drove a generator to supply power to the traction motors, the GP38-2s prime mover drove an alternator which produced AC electrical current that was rectified to DC to power the four traction motors. Another major change for the GP38-2 was the introduction of the “dash 2” modular electrical cabinet. For more than 40 years, the GP38- 2 has worked main line freights, locals, switching jobs, yard service, helpers, snow fighting trains, and hump power. Many remain in service today.
GP38-2 SERIES LOCOMOTIVE NEW FEATURES:
GENESIS DIESEL LOCOMOTIVE FEATURES:
SOUND-EQUIPPED MODELS ALSO FEATURE
PRIMED FOR GRIME MODELS FEATURE
Chicago & North Western
The Chicago and North Western Railway (CNW) operated a fleet of EMD GP38-2 four-axle, 2,000-horsepower diesel-electric locomotives that became dependable performers in all types of service, including transfer runs, industrial switching, and yard assignments. Among the most notable were a group of 35 GP38-2s, numbered 4600–4634, built by EMD in late 1979. These locomotives had originally been ordered by the financially troubled Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad (RI), but following the railroad’s collapse, the order was diverted and the units were delivered to the CNW. These 35 locomotives were unique within the CNW fleet because they were the only GP38-2s that the railroad acquired new from EMD. Other CNW GP38-2s were obtained secondhand during the 1990s through purchases and leasing arrangements, making the former Rock Island order a distinctive and historically significant part of the CNW roster.
CNW FEATURES:
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