Athearn ATHG71810 GP38-2 - Florida East Coast #505 Locomotive w/ DCC & Sound HO Scale

FEC FEATURES: 
Era-specific details
Mid/Late Phase body
Blomberg B trucks
Horns on both ends
Large 3800 gallon fuel tank
Non-dynamic brakes
Both mid and late paint scheme versions offered!
Starting in 1972, the FEC acquired 11 of these GP38-2s.  These locomotives came equipped with Oscitrol lighting and Leslie RS3L horns.   These GP38-2s are still in service today having gone through several rebuilds.  Taking off the Oscitrol lighting from their nose and adding front and rear ditch lights, and RV AC units to their roof.

ROAD NUMBER SPECIFIC FEATURES: 

#505
“Hurricane” scheme, “weedcutter” front plow
Oscitrol nose lights (operational in DCC)
Front and rear horns

#509
“Hurricane” scheme, “weedcutter” front plow
Oscitrol nose lights (operational in DCC)
Front and rear horns

#501
Solid blue scheme,  “weedcutter” front plow
Front and rear horns and ditch lights
RV-style rooftop A/C’s
Rear spare knuckles
Rebuilt nose with removed lights

#507
Solid blue scheme,  “weedcutter” front plow
Front and rear horns and ditch lights
RV-style rooftop A/C’s
Rear spare knuckles
Rebuilt nose with removed lights

GP38-2 LOCOMOTIVE FEATURES: 
Coupler cut levers
Flexible rubber MU hoses
Flexible rubber trainline hose
See-through cab windows
Full cab interior
Walkway tread
Windshield wipers
Lift rings
Wire grab irons
Sander lines
Fine-scale Celcon handrails for scale appearance
Detailed fuel tank with fuel fillers, fuel gauges, & breather pipes
McHenry® scale knuckle couplers - Kadee® compatible
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
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 Lighting for realistic appearance
Heavy die-cast frame for greater traction and more pulling power
Packaging securely holds for the model for safe storage
Fully-assembled and ready-to-run
Minimum radius: 18”
 
PRIMED FOR GRIME MODELS FEATURE
Duplicated look and feel of “In Service” equipment
Faded base colors matched to the prototype
Perfect starting point for adding grime and rust
 
SOUND-EQUIPPED MODELS ALSO FEATURE
Onboard DCC decoder with SoundTraxx Tsunami2 sound
Sound units operate in both DC and DCC
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
 
PROTOTYPE SPECIFIC INFORMATION
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 main line freights, locals, switching jobs, yard service, helpers, snow fighting trains, and hump power. Many remain in service today.

Specifications
DCC: Ready/21-Pin NEM
SOUND: Ready
PROTOTYPE MANUFACTURER: EMD
Axles: 6
LIGHTED: LED Lighting
Minimum Age Recommendation: 14 years
Is Assembly Required: No