Athearn Genesis HO GP38-2 w/DCC & Sound, BNSF/Wedge #2079

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 mainline freights, locals, switching jobs, yard service, helpers, snow fighting trains, and hump power. Many remain in service today.

LOCOMOTIVE FEATURES:

• Fully-assembled and ready-to-run
• DCC-ready features Quick Plug™ plug-and-play technology with both 8- and 9-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
• Incandescent bulbs for realistic appearance
• Heavy die-cast frame for greater traction and more pulling power
• Packaging securely holds for the model for safe storage

BNSF FEATURES:

• Illuminated front & rear ditch lights
• Updated body with no class lights or numberboards
• Blanked cab headlight; headlight moved to nose per prototype
• 4-stack liberated exhaust
• Etched cab mirrors
• Nose vent
• Spare knuckles on rear pilot
• Built out cab doors
• Retrofitted with E-bell
• Electronic parking brake

#2079:

• Former BN unit
• Phase I body with widely-spaced fans & chickenwire grills
• Early dynamic brakes
• RS3L Horn on long hood
• RV style air conditioners positioned per prototype
• No cab armrests
• Large & small Sinclair antennas on ground planes
• Separate modeler-installed retention tank included in poly bag*
• Front & Rear MU receptacles with MU cables
• Blomberg-M trucks

On a large mainline railroad such as the BNSF, there is still a home for smaller, reliable, utilitarian locomotives that can fill in on branch line, secondary or transfer assignments. The GP38-2 is the perfect locomotive for these assignments. The units running on BNSF have widely varying histories, making them all the more interesting to watch.

* Installation of the retention tank on locomotives with the 3600 gallon fuel tank may interfere with truck swivel on tight radius curves; we elected to leave installation up to the modeler.

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
• Precision slow speed control
• 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 in the box