NEW FEATURES FOR ALL GP50S IN THIS ANNOUNCEMENT:

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

UP FEATURES:

• First time offered: Ex-MP late 1980’s, two digit series
• Long hood mounted bell
• Leslie RS3L horn mounted per prototype
• Firecracker antenna
• Classlights removed or painted over per prototype
• Cab mirrors
• Conductor side cab vent
• Sunshades
• Extra Jacking pad side sill
• Small EMD style snow plow
• Blomberg “M” truck sideframes

After the UP/MP merger, the numbers of the combined locomotive roster went through many changes. In the mid 1980s, UP initially numbered their ex-MP GP50s in a two-digit series, starting with MP 3507 which was renumbered to UP 57. Only twelve units were ever renumbered to the original UP two-digit numbers. Adjusting their direction almost midway through the process, UP later decided to renumber the entire GP50 fleet to the 960 series. This wasn’t completed until 1992. The 960 series didn’t last long either as the UP again adjusted for the addition of the C&NW GP50s from the 1995 merger.

For more information: http://utahrails.net/articles/up-gp50-letter.php

BNSF FEATURES:

• Front & rear ditch lights
• All lights illuminated by LEDs
• RV style air conditioners
• Roof antennas per prototype
• Spare knuckles on rear pilot

• Nose-mounted headlight. Cab headlight plated over
• “GP25” on frame (de-rated)

• Front nose mounted headlight
• No roof strobes

• Dual cab mounted strobe beacon, effect on DCC+Sound version
• Remote Control markings
• “GP25” on frame (de-rated)

IC FEATURES:

• Ex CNW GP50 rebuilt by IC into a GP40-3
• Nathan P5 air horn
• Sinclair antenna
• No snow plow
• Pointed style anticlimber
• Coupler cut levers with loops
• Illuminated forward and reverse ditchlights
• All lights illuminated by LEDs

I&O FEATURES:

• All lights illuminated by LEDs
• Leslie S3L air horn on bracket
• Can style antenna
• Small EMD or weed cutter style plow per prototype
• Large anticlimber
• Coupler cut levers with loops

TP&W FEATURES:

• All lights illuminated by LEDs
• Leslie S3L air horn on bracket
• Antenna style per prototype
• Small EMD or weed cutter style plow per prototype
• Large anticlimber
• Coupler cut levers with loops

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 starting tractive effort of 65,000 pounds, with a continuous rating of 62,400 pounds.

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.