NEW FEATURES FOR ALL GP50S IN THIS ANNOUNCEMENT:

• All-new LED lighting
• Rubber MU hoses for durability

SLSF FEATURES:

• Front nose mounted gyra-light, effect on DCC+Sound version
• Cab mounted Strato-lite beacon, effect on DCC+Sound version
• Leslie 5-chime horn
• Whip antenna
• Cab mirrors
• Sunshades
• Small “weed cutter” style snow plow
• Frisco 3100-3109 were ordered by St. Louis – San Francisco Railway, but delivered to BN. The 3100 was the only GP50 that received Frisco colors; it was to be originally numbered 791 as part of the 790-799 series. The merger into the Burlington Northern system in November 1980 changed the outcome of the Frisco GP50s. Emerging from La Grange one month after the merger into BN, in December 1980, the 3100 was BN’s number assigned for this GP50. The rest of the delivery came online in BN’s Cascade Green scheme and was initially assigned to Springfield, MO as the Frisco originally intended. A short time later, the BN restenciled the road number on #3100 adding a BN sublettering. Photos show that #3100 lasted in SLSF livery into 1985.

BN FEATURES:

• Front nose mounted gyra-light, effect on DCC+Sound version
• Cab mounted Strato-lite beacon, effect on DCC+Sound version
• Leslie 5-chime horn
• Whip antenna
• Cab mirrors
• Sunshades
• Small “weed cutter” style snow plow
• LED lighting

DAIR FEATURES:

• Ex CNW
• Nathan P3 air horn
• Firecracker antenna
• Small EMD style plows
• Pointed style anticlimber
• Coupler cut levers with loops
• Winterization hatch
• Illuminated forward ditchlights w/ LED

• Ex CNW low nose mounted gong style bell

• Removed nose bell with blank plate
• Bell relocated to frame

ATSF FEATURES:

• LED illuminated headlights and strato-lite beacon
• Nathan K3LA air horn on bracket
• Sinclair antenna on antenna plane
• Cab mounted air conditioner
• Small EMD style plow
• Large anticlimber
• Coupler cut levers with loops
• ATSF style rear high hood with no class lights or number boards

CNW FEATURES:

• Low nose mounted Gong style bell
• Leslie 3-chime air horn
• Sinclair antenna
• Small EMD style plow on front
• Pointed style anticlimber
• Coupler cut levers with loops
• Winterization hatch
• Illuminated xenon strobe beacon w/ LED

LOCOMOTIVE FEATURES:

• Fully-assembled and ready-to-run
• DCC-ready features Quick Plug™ plug-and-play technology with 21-pin connector
• Scaled from prototype resources including drawings, field measurements, photographs, and more
• Accurately painted and printed paint schemes
• Coupler cut levers
• MU hoses
• Trainline hose
• See through cab windows
• Full cab interior
• Walkway tread
• Fine-scale Celcon handrails for scale appearance
• Windshield wipers
• Lift rings
• Wire grab irons
• Detailed fuel tank with fuel fillers, fuel gauges, & breather pipes
• Sander lines
• McHenry scale knuckle couplers - Kadee compatible
• 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
• New LED Lighting for realistic appearance
• Heavy die-cast frame for greater traction and more pulling power
• Packaging securely holds for the model for safe storage

SOUND EQUIPPED MODELS ALSO FEATURE

• Onboard DCC decoder with SoundTraxx Tsunami2 sound
• Sound units operate in both DC and DCC
• Full DCC functions available when operated in DCC mode
• Engine, horn, and bell sounds work in DC
• All functions NMRA compatible in DCC mode
• Excellent Slow speed control
• Operating lighting functions with F5 and/or F6 (Flashing ditch lights, beacon, etc)
• Program a multiple unit (MU) lashup with lead unit only horn, bell, and lights
• Many functions can be altered via Configuration Value (CV) changes
• CV chart included

PRIMED FOR GRIME MODELS FEATURE:

• Duplicated look and feel of “In Service”equipment; “Tattered and Torn” just like the real thing
• Faded base colors matched to the prototype
• Patches applied and shaped per road number matching each corresponding side to the prototype
• Perfect starting point for adding grime and rust

PROTOTYPE SPECIFIC INFORMATION:

The EMD GP50 is a 4-axle diesel road switcher locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between 1980 and 1985. It is powered by a 16-cylinder EMD 645F3B diesel engine, which can produce between 3,500 and 3,600 hp.

A total of 278 examples of this locomotive were built. The GP50 retains the same overall length of 59 feet 2 inches as the other GP dash-2 series locomotives built in the same era. It utilized GM’s D87 traction motor enabling it to produce a continuous tractive effort of 62,400 pounds and 65,000 pounds continuous.

The most significant difference in the GP50 from earlier designs like the GP40 was upgraded components (like a turbocharger silencer and new type of blower housing) and increased horsepower. The locomotive also introduced a new “anti-wheel-slip” technology where the locomotive horsepower output was reduced if a wheel slip condition was introduced. It also included features already common on earlier models such as dynamic braking (a system for temporarily employing traction motors as generators and using the resulting electromotive force to slow the train), and an airtight hood that kept out dust, dirt and other particles from reaching internal components.

All the companies that purchased the GP50 have now been absorbed into other systems. However, a few of their successors continue to operate the units. A number GP50s have rebuilt for better fuel economy and continue in service today.

This page is based on the copyrighted Wikipedia article “EMD GP50” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EMD_GP50); it is used under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License (CC-BY-SA). You may redistribute it, verbatim or modified, providing that you comply with the terms of the CC-BY-SA.