Customers have reported increasing rates of “porch pirate” package thefts. Extend™ Shipping Protection replaces any lost, damaged, or stolen packages, and we recommend adding this protection to your order. FDH is unable to recover lost, damaged, or stolen packages that are not covered by Extend™ Shipping Protection.
EMD introduced the new 3,500 horsepower SD50 in May of 1981 as part of their planned “50 Series”. The SD50 was, in essence, a transition model of the 1970s era Dash 2 series of locomotive. The microprocessor-equipped SD60 and SD70 would continue through the end of the 1980s and into the 1990s.
The SD50 was originally produced by EMD as an immediate response to General Electric’s Dash 7 line of locomotives, which were becoming more favorable with current roads--providing more competition for EMD. While EMD’s current SD40-2 model provided a reliable locomotive for most class 1 railroads at the time, GE Transportation was gaining more inroads with the 3,600hp Dash 7s. The Dash 7s boasted more modern technology and GE Transportation was providing competitive financing and maintenance programs to assist purchasers of their offerings. While EMD’s SD45 and SD45-2s- with their 3,600 horsepower- were successful, the large 20-cylinder engines were not fuel-efficient. This lack of efficiency- alongside reported issues of early reliability-caused many railroads to rethink their motive power support. This was further magnified in the 1970s when the fuel crisis impacted general transportation as well as the railroad industry.
In May of 1981, EMD unveiled the new SD50 which would feature an updated version of the V16 645 from the venerable SD40-2, upgraded to 3,500hp at 900rpm. The SD50 had a longer frame and much longer long hood than its predecessors. Other improvements came in the way of moving the dynamic brake resistors for the dynamic brake gride from the traditional location above the prime mover to a cooler temperature location in front of the engine compartment air intakes, closer to the electrical switchgear. This, in turn, separated them from other systems, resulting in simplified maintenance for both the prime mover as well as the electrical system.
In all, nine class 1 and one international railroad ordered the EMD SD50 including; Baltimore and Ohio (Chessie System), 20 unit numbers 8576 – 8595; Chicago & Northwestern, 35 unit numbers 7000 – 7034; Chesapeake & Ohio (Chessie System), 43 unit numbers 8553 – 8575 and 8624 – 8643; Conrail, 135 unit numbers 6700 – 6834; Denver & Rio Grande Western, 17 unit number 5501 – 5517; Kansas City Southern, 10 unit numbers 704 – 713; Missouri Pacific, 60 unit numbers 5000 – 5059; Seaboard System, 81 unit numbers 8500 – 8552 and 8596 – 8623; Norfolk Southern, 20 unit numbers 6506 – 6525 and 5 units were built for export to Australia for the Hamersly Iron railroad. A grand total of 426 units were produced when production ceased in Feb of 1986.
The Athearn Genesis SD50 fills a void for the modeler of the 1980s and 1990s and is a direct response to the requests we have received over the years. The model will feature Genesis-level detailing such as a detailed cab interior, truck side frames with animated Timken or static Hyatt bearings, LED headlights operating class-lights (where applicable), operating ditch lights (where applicable), operating number boards, operating ground lights, prototype specific antennas, horns, bells, and other road name-specific spotting features. The Athearn Genesis SD50 will also serve to fill the void between the Dash 2 models of the late 1970s and the modern microprocessor locomotives of the later 20th Century and beyond.
PROTOTYPE SPECIFIC INFORMATION:
EMD introduced the new 3,500 horsepower SD50 in May of 1981 as part of their planned “50 Series”. The SD50 was, in essence, a transition model of the 1970s era Dash 2 series of locomotive.
Originally produced by EMD as an immediate response to General Electric’s Dash 7 line of locomotives which were becoming more favorable with current roads—providing more competition for EMD. While EMD’s current SD40-2 model provided a reliable locomotive for most class 1 railroads at the time, GE Transportation was gaining more inroads with the 3,600hp Dash 7s. The Dash 7s boasted more modern technology and GE Transportation was providing competitive financing and maintenance programs to assist purchasers of their offerings. While EMD’s SD45 and SD45-2s - with their 3,600 horsepower were successful, the large 20-cylinder engines were not fuel-efficient. This lack of efficiency, alongside reported issues of reliability, caused many railroads to rethink their motive power provder. This was further magnified in the 1970s when the fuel crisis impacted general transportation as well as the railroad industry.
In May of 1981, EMD unveiled the new SD50 which would feature an updated version of the V16 645 from the venerable SD40-2, upgraded to 3,500 hp at 900rpm. The SD50 had a longer frame and much longer long hood than its predecessors. Other improvements came from moving the dynamic brake resistors for the dynamic brake grid from the traditional location above the prime mover to a cooler temperature location in front of the engine compartment air intakes, closer to the electrical switchgear. This, in turn, separated them from other systems, resulting in simplified maintenance for both the prime mover as well as the electrical system. A grand total of 426 units were produced when production ceased in Feb of 1986.
ATHEARN GENESIS EMD SD50 LOCOMOTIVE FEATURES:
New tooling from the rails up!
New bodies with correct door placement and weld marks
Early or late handrail placement
HTC or Flexicoil trucks with Hyatt or animated Timken bearings
Correct dymanic brake intake and exhaust grille placement
Single or dual conduit fans
Rounded or blunt anticlimbers with or without MU cutouts
4000 or 4500 gallon fuel tanks with fuel fillers, fuel gauges, & breather pipes; correct gauge and filler placement
Operating Class Lights (Where equipped based on prototype)
Operating Number boards
Coupler cut levers
Trainline hose
Full cab interior
Windshield wipers
Wire grab irons
MU hoses
Lift rings
DCC-ready features Quick Plug™ plug-and-play technology with 21-pin NEM connector
Genesis driveline with 5-pole skew wound motor, precision machined flywheels, and multi-link drivetrain for trouble free operation
All-wheel drive with precision gears for smooth and quiet operation
All-wheel electrical pickup provides reliable current flow
Wheels with RP25 contours operate on all popular brands of track
LED Lighting for trouble free operation
Heavy die-cast frame for greater traction and more pulling power
Scaled from prototype resources including drawings, field measurements, photographs, and more
Accurately-painted and –printed paint schemes
Packaging securely holds the model for safe storage
See-through cab windows
Walkway tread
Sander lines
Minimum radius: 22”
SOUND-EQUIPPED MODELS ALSO FEATURE:
Onboard DCC decoder with SoundTraxx Tsunami2 sound
Dual cube speakers for optimal sound quality
Sound units operate in both DC and DCC
Full DCC functions available when operated in DCC mode
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
ROAD NUMBER SPECIFIC FEATURES:
#8556 Huntington repaint with black anticlimbers, lower “CSX” body placement, removed class lights on both ends, original style number board font
#8563 EMD repaint with blue anticlimbers, upper “CSX” body placement, class light plates on both ends, CSX replacement style number board font
#8564 EMD repaint with blue anticlimbers, upper “CSX” body placement, class light plates on both ends, CSX replacement style number board font
#8567 EMD repaint with blue anticlimbers, upper “CSX” body placement, class light plates on both ends, CSX replacement style number board font
MP FEATURES:
As-delivered appearance
Frame-mounted bell
4500 gallon fuel tank
Truck mounted spare knuckles
Xenon strobe light (Effect in DCC)
Newly-tooled Leslie 3-chime horn
EMD HTC trucks with animated Timken bearings
Late EMD battery box doors with dual louvers
Late frame with vertical pilot cutouts and blunt anticlimbers
BO FEATURES:
As-delivered appearance
4000 gallon fuel tank
Nathan K5 horn
Long hood-mounted bell
EMD HTC trucks with animated Timken bearings
Chessie “mail slot” battery box doors
Early frame with diagonal pilot cutouts and rounded anticlimbers
Art and colors depicted with cooperation from Chessie System resources
CNW FEATURES:
As-delivered appearance
Leslie 3-chime horn
CNW triangular antenna
Frame-mounted bell
EMD HTC trucks with Hyatt bearings
4500 gallon fuel tank
IXenon strobe (Effect in DCC)TEM
Late EMD battery box doors with dual louvers
Late frame with vertical pilot cutouts and blunt anticlimbers
CSXT FEATURES:
Ex-C&O (Chessie)
Nathan K5 horn
Long hood-mounted bell
Chessie “mail slot” battery box doors
Freshly repainted appearance (1991+)
EMD HTC trucks with animated Timken bearings
Art and colors depicted with cooperation from CSX resources
Early frame with diagonal pilot cutouts and rounded anticlimbers
KCS FEATURES:
As-delivered appearance
Frame-mounted bell
4500 gallon fuel tank
Leslie 5-chime horn
Newly-tooled offset cab headlight with warning light (Effect in DCC)
EMD HTC trucks with Hyatt bearings
Early EMD battery box doors with single louvers
Dual Xenon strobe lights (Effect in DCC)
Early walkway with notched frame and rounded blower housing
Large exhaust stack
DRGW FEATURES:
Nathan K5 horn
4000 gallon fuel tank
Nose gyralight (Effect in DCC)
EMD HTC trucks with animated Timken bearings
Chessie “mail slot” battery box doors with added screens
Early frame with diagonal pilot cutouts and rounded anticlimbers
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Refund Policy
Factory Direct Hobbies has a 30-day return policy, which means you have 30 days after your item has shipped to request a return.
To be eligible for a return, your item must be in the same condition that you received it and in its original packaging.
To start a return, click to our Returns Center. If your return is approved, we'll send you emailed instructions on how and where to send your package. You will be responsible for return shipping costs, unless Factory Direct Hobbies made an error in the fulfillment of your order. Items sent back to us without first requesting a return will not be accepted and will be returned to sender.
Damages and issues
Please inspect your order upon receipt and contact us immediately if the item is defective, damaged, or if you receive the wrong item, so that we can evaluate the issue and make it right.
Exceptions / non-returnable items Unfortunately, we cannot accept returns on gift cards.
Exchanges The fastest way to ensure you get what you want is to return the item you have, and make a separate purchase for the new item on our website. Please note that we cannot process manual exchanges over the phone.
Refunds We will notify you once we’ve received and inspected your return, and let you know if the refund was approved or not. If approved, you’ll be automatically refunded on your original payment method. In certain instances, store credit may be provided instead of a refund. Please remember it can take some time for your bank or credit card company to process and post the refund too.
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Preorder FAQs
How preorders work
Guarantee your reservation on any item marked with the red "Preorder item" flag, by paying just 10% down. Preorder items also display a date badge indicating the anticipated arrival.
We will email your invoice approximately 30-45 days before your preorder item lands at the warehouse. This interactive invoice will allow you to select your preferred shipping method, and pay the balance of your order, right online!
We'll ship you your preorder once your item arrives at our warehouse. Preorder fulfillments are queued in the order in which they were paid for.
Recently, our suppliers have made a major policy change and are no longer accepting product returns for non-paying end customers. After much consideration, we unfortunately must also change our policies to align with the realities our suppliers have created.
As our preorder offerings have grown, we’ve found that a large percentage of preorder reservations are canceled or left unpaid without notice. We pay our suppliers for every preorder item that arrives at our warehouse, so when a customer does not pay for their item, we are left no choice but to absorb that cost. We have tried our best to cope with the effects of this change; however, after more than a year of trying, we have found we cannot continue to do so.
We understand that this is an unwelcome change, and no one wants to pay earlier than necessary. However, this is unavoidable in order for us to be able to continue to offer the wide variety of preorder options you’re used to getting from Factory Direct Hobbies. We must now ask that customers pay a 10% good-faith down payment toward the price of their item. This non-refundable good-faith payment is applied to the price of the product, and the balance (plus shipping and any applicable taxes) will be invoiced approximately 30-45 days before the item is slated to arrive at our warehouse.
We thank you for your patience and understanding. If you have questions or would like further clarification, feel free to contact us through the gold chat bubble.
The good-faith down payment is not refundable if you choose to cancel your preorder or do not pay your invoice.
However, if a manufacturer cancels a project for which you have made a down payment, you will receive a refund for your down payment.
Yes. We know that paying ahead of time can be unnerving when delivery dates are distant, and not every project makes it to the production line. Rest assured that, in the event the manufacturer cancels your preorder project, you will be refunded your 10% down payment.
Hobbies should be fun, not stressful!
The manufacturing process involves many different moving parts, and this complexity often renders production timelines unpredictable. Therefore, some level of unpredictability in timing is inherent to preordering hobby products. Down payments are not refundable in cases of routine manufacturing, delivery, or other short-term delays.
However, we know it can be frustrating when a project gets delayed for many months. In the event a project is delayed more than 6 months beyond the delivery window originally estimated by the manufacturer, we will handle refunds of down payments on a case-by-case basis.
Friendly Reminder: Should you choose to cancel a preorder, it will no longer be reserved for you; in the event the item becomes available on our website, all customers will have equal access to purchase the item.
Nope! The policy is not retroactive: if you already made a preorder reservation before this policy update, you do not owe a down payment for that reservation. However, any future preorders you make will require the 10% good-faith down payment.
We make every effort to keep our website updated with information that reflects manufacturers' current estimated delivery schedules. To find the estimated delivery month of an item, you can visit our Preorder Section and use the filters to narrow down your selection.
However, we encourage you to directly visit the manufacturer's site for the most current delivery dates.
Approximately 30-45 days before your preorder items land at the warehouse, we'll email your invoice to you to pay in full. At this point, you'll be able to provide your shipping address and select your preferred shipping method.
Your item will be reserved for 7 days, beginning when your invoice is sent. After 7 days, your preorder will be canceled.
Recently, our suppliers have made a major policy change and are no longer accepting product returns for non-paying end customers. We have tried our best to absorb the effects of this change; however, after more than a year of trying, we have found we cannot continue to do so. After much consideration, we unfortunately must also change our policies to align with the realities our suppliers have created.
As a result, we must now ask that customers pay in full prior to the supplier finalizing shipment to FDH, about 30-45 days ahead of product arrival. This gives us the time we need to cancel with our suppliers any unpaid orders prior to shipment.
We understand that this is an unwelcome change and no one wants to pay earlier than necessary. However, this is unavoidable in order for us to be able to continue to offer the wide variety of preorder options you’re used to getting from Factory Direct Hobbies.
One silver lining is that this change will result in preorder items getting to your door even faster, as all payment processing will be well out of the way and the usual several day wait after product has arrived will be eliminated. We thank you for your patience and understanding. If you have questions or would like further clarification, feel free to contact us through the gold chat bubble.
Manufacturing schedules can sometimes be unpredictable. In the event your preorder item does not arrive at our warehouse within 60 days of your invoice payment, then you will have the option to cancel your preorder and receive a refund OR you may elect to continue waiting for the item.
Friendly Reminder: Should you choose to cancel a preorder, it will no longer be reserved for you; in the event the item becomes available on our website, all customers will have equal access to purchase the item.
We know life happens, and missing out on a great item can be a drag!
We're here to help; just contact us via the gold chat bubble and we'll do all we can to work with you!
If you have an account with factorydirecthobbies.com, you can view all your preorders, as well as your active orders. Login to your account, and select the “My orders” option. All your preorders and active orders will be listed along with the current status of each order. If you have further questions about your order, please feel free to reach out to us through the gold chat bubble.
Although we try to keep our preorder arrival estimates as accurate as possible, we encourage you to visit each manufacturer’s website to find the most up-to-date delivery information.
For instance, with Athearn and Walthers, you can enter the part number into their websites and navigate to the item. Most of the time, the delivery date will be listed there. Broadway Limited has a published delivery schedule, as does Rapido.
Rewards and Preorders
Yes. Rewards can be used on both your 10% good-faith down payment and on the balance of your preorder at invoicing time.
Yes! Preorders are awarded reward dollars at the same 5% rate. You'll receive your reward within several days of paying the balance of your preorder invoice.
Still more questions?
If we still haven't answered your question, please click the gold messaging bubble in the bottom right of our site, and we'll help in any way we can!
