Athearn has also
released GP35 loco-
motives in its eco-
nomically priced
Ready To Roll®
series. Road names
include Soo Line,
Seaboard Air Line,
Chessie/C&O, and the BNSF Heritage I scheme shown here.
F59PHI commuter locomotives are also available now. Check the
above website for full details including pricing.
Scheduled for arrival in July is a new group of Southern GP39X/
Norfolk Southern GP49 locomotives. The Genesis series mod-
els are based on a group of six GP39 (above left) 2600 hp loco-
motives EMD built in the late 1980s as test beds (note the X
designation) for future medium-horsepower locomotives. In
accordance with Southern Railway practice, locomotives 4600-
4605 were built with 81” high short hoods with control stands
positioned for operation with the long-hood forward. EMD
upgrades in 1982, including rebuilding the prime movers to 2800
hp, made the six units true GP49s. After ownership switched
to Norfolk Southern, they retained their original road numbers
while receiving a black “Thoroughbred” paint job (above right).
The Genesis series models will be available without sound at an
MSRP of $169.98 and with Tsunami® sound at $269.98.
