Athearn Genesis G30728 HO Scale EMD GP18 Rock Island RI 1340 DCC and Sound

The EMD GP18 began production in late 1959 and was based on the builder’s extraordinarily successful GP9, although the latter model was still in production at the time. The GP18 is considered the last of the builder’s “first generation” models. Similar in appearance to the GP7 and GP9, the GP18 was slightly more powerful and came with the option of a low or high short cab hood, something that had only been upon special request with EMD’s first two road switcher models. It used the final version of General Motors first locomotive prime mover, the 16-cylinder model 567D1 which could produce 1,800 horsepower, the most powerful in the series up to that time. At just over 56 feet in length the GP18 was the same length as its predecessor models and was visually very similar, with the exception of new radiator grills which were also used on the GP20.

While thousands of GP7s and GP9s were produced just a few hundred GP18s were ultimately built for a little more than two dozen railroads. Today, several GP18s remain in operation on numerous short lines and industrial operations around the country.

Rock Island’s 1300-series GP18s came from EMD in 1960 (1333-1343) and 1961 (1344-1353). The units joined GP7 and GP9 examples on the road’s roster, in addition to many more uncommon early diesels that served Rock Island. From main line power used across the 14-state system in their early years to local power, the GP18s saw much use and many miles on the fabled Rock Island.

FEATURES:

As-delivered and one repaint version
5-chime horn
Non dynamic brakes
As-delivered paint scheme
Pilot mounted foot boards
Off-white stripes to simulate early scotchlite color
Full cab interior
Wire grab irons
Coupler cut levers
See-through cab windows
Flexible rubber trainline hose
Flexible rubber MU hoses
Drop steps unless noted
“Nub” style walkway tread
Lift rings
Sander lines
Windshield wipers
MU stands
Bell placement & type per prototype
Etched metal radiator intake grilles and fan grilles
Air tanks mounted below sill unless noted
Blomberg-B trucks with appropriate bearing caps
Speed recorder unless noted
Accurately-painted and –printed paint schemes
Body-mounted McHenry® operating scale knuckle couplers
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, and retention tanks
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
Bidirectional constant LED lighting so headlight brightness remains constant
Heavy die-cast frame for greater traction and more pulling power
Packaging securely holds model for safe storage
Minimum radius: 18” — Recommended radius: 22”