Athearn Genesis G82368 HO Scale EMD GP9 Chesapeake & Ohio C&O 6168 DCC and Sound

In 1949, EMD introduced the GP7. The basic design followed most diesel switchers with the addition of a short hood instead of an end-cab. The hoods were also full height to better accommodate the diesel engine and mechanical and electrical components.

In 1954 EMD upgraded the GP7 to become the 1,750 horsepower GP9. Externally, the first GP9s were virtually unchanged from the last GP7s. Later versions would include different louver arrangements and the last ones would come without the frame skirting. The GP9 was available with all of the fuel tank, steam generator, and dynamic brake options as the GP7, including “torpedo tube” air tanks mounted on the roof.

Many railroads chose to rebuild their GP7s and GP9s for continued service. Often times, it was cheaper to do this rather than purchasing brand-new locomotives.

Between 1955 and 1957 C&O bought 363 GP9’s. These units were the backbone of the fleet, used on both road trains as well as local service. In the mid 60’s C&O adopted a new simplified paint scheme with the large C&O initials on the long hood. Although the purchase of newer high horsepower units displaced many GP9’s to secondary service, most of the fleet soldiered on into the mid 80’s. Many units were retired in this version of C&O dress. These road numbers lasted into the mid 1980’s which allow the widest range of modelers to benefit from this release.

FEATURES:

Short hood mounted bell
Forward 5-chime horn
Dynamic brakes
Tall exhaust covers
Expert approved art
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
See-through cab windows
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
Body-mounted McHenry® operating scale knuckle couplers
DCC-ready features Quick Plug™ plug-and-play technology with 21-pin NEM connector
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
Scaled from prototype resources including drawings, field measurements, photographs, and more
Accurately-painted and –printed paint schemes
Fully-assembled and ready-to-run
Packaging securely holds model for safe storage
Minimum radius: 18” — Recommended radius: 22”
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