ATHEARN GENESIS EMD SD50 LOCOMOTIVE OVERVIEW:

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
• Fine-scale Celcon handrails for scale appearance
• Body-mounted McHenry® operating scale knuckle couplers
• 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