Athearn Genesis G13123 HO GP15-1 - DCC Ready - Chicago North Western No.4405

GP15-1 - DCC Ready - Chicago North Western No.4405 In the mid-1970s EMD developed the new GP15-1 model in an effort to offer their customers a replacement for their medium sized road switchers which were wearing out. Many railroads (i.e. ATSF, SP & ICG) were rebuilding their older road switchers and EMD wanted to offer them a different option. Unfortunately there were not a lot of takers and only 310 units were built for US railroads. This small 1,500 horsepower unit came with a radiator intake section similar in appearance to the special one that EMD was using on the larger SD40/45T-2 models being produced for the Rio Grande and Southern Pacific to alleviate overheating issues in their many tunnels. Railfans dubbed these lager units Tunnel Motors which led to the smaller GP15-1s receiving the moniker -Baby Tunnel motors.- Many GP15-1s remain in service today for major Class 1 railroads, regional railroads and shortlines. LOCOMOTIVE FEATURES: 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 Accurately-painted and –printed paint schemes Coupler cut levers Flexible rubber MU hoses Flexible rubber 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 LED bulbs for realistic appearance Heavy die-cast frame for greater traction and more pulling power Packaging securely holds model for safe storage CNW purchased 25 GP15-1s in 1976 to supplement their collection of used and original road switcher fleet. They could be found in local service in the Chicago area and other upper Midwest points on the CNW system. By the time of the UP merger in 1995 there were only 10 of them left in service. CNW FEATURES: Nose mounted Gong style bell Nose Gyralight 1990s Traditional yellow paint scheme ATS shoes Separate Switch Broom included Operating beacon ROAD NUMBER SPECIFIC FEATURES: No.4405 Operation Lifesaver paint scheme No.4410 Operation Lifesaver paint scheme No.4409 1990s Traditional yellow paint scheme