Following the success of the EMD E7, the E8 and E9 locomotives gained equal popularity among many Class 1 railroads. The E8 and E9 marked the culmination of the "E-Unit" series of passenger locomotives produced by General Motors' Electro-Motive Division in La Grange, Illinois. The E8 was capable of producing 2,250 horsepower, thanks to its two 12-cylinder model 567B engines, each driving a generator to power the two traction motors on one truck. From August 1949 to January 1954, a total of 450 cab versions, or E8As, were manufactured, with 447 for the U.S. and 3 for Canada. Additionally, 46 E8Bs were built exclusively for the U.S. from December 1949 to January 1954.

The E9 followed the success of the E8. These locomotives produced slightly more horsepower than their predecessors, the E8s (2,400 compared to 2,250), and featured a different, flusher-fitting mounting for the headlight glass as the only visible difference. E9s powered American passenger and mail trains from the 1950s through the late 1970s. E9s were frequently seen pulling some of America's most iconic trains, including Union Pacific Railroad's "City" fleet, Burlington's "Zephyr" fleet, and Southern Pacific Railroad's Coast Daylight and Sunset Limited. Between April 1954 and January 1964, 100 cab-equipped A units and 44 cabless booster B units were produced, all for service in the United States.

E9s, along with their E7 and E8 predecessors, traversed the country on lesser-known passenger trains, Chicago's commuter train network, and various mail and express trains. As America's passenger train network diminished due to declining ridership, Union Pacific, Rock Island, and Illinois Central repurposed E9s for freight trains. Burlington Northern and Chicago and North Western upgraded their fleets of E9s with Head-end power and EMD 645 power assemblies for commuter operations in the Chicago metropolitan area, a practice that continued into the early 1990s.

Numerous examples of E8s and E9s are preserved across the country. Many are still operational at museums and tourist railroads nationwide. Union Pacific, in particular, maintains a fleet of three E9s, occasionally deploying them for excursion services or for transporting railroad executives across the Union Pacific system.

 

Our Stealth Series offering will consist of No-Sound / DCC-Ready single A-units and single B-units. All of our models have road-specific details.

 

Road-specific detail options in this production, prototypically accurate for each road name:

• Pilot prototypical per prototype
• Operating Mars Light where prototypical (with decoder installed)
• Large 45-degree number boards where prototypically accurate
• Prototypical horn detail and location on model
• Accurate air intake behind cab side doors
• Prototypical porthole locations
• Dynamic Brake Hatch location per the prototype
• Dual or Single Steam Generator per the prototype
• Cooling fans and exhaust hatch accurate per each prototype
• Rotary Beacon where appropriate
• Accurate position of lift lugs per the prototype
• Accurate headlight positioning per the prototype
• Multiple MU door options on front of model
• Prototypically accurate truck sideframes
• Ladder rest grab irons present where prototypically accurate
• Eyebrow grab irons present where prototypically accurate
• Grab irons above cab side windows where prototypically accurate
• Roof antenna present and correct where prototypically accurate
• Front and Rear lift lug present where accurate
• Nose door number plate present where accurate
• Trainphone antenna present where accurate
• Cab Window wind deflector where accurate

Industry-leading Model Features:

·  Stealth Series - Model is DCC-Ready out of the box. No sound.

·  Out of the box, front and rear lights are directional. Other lights are ON with track power.

·  Model comes with an 8 ohm speaker installed for easy installation of DCC/Sound decoder.

·  Precision Drive Mechanism Engineered for Heavy Towing and Smooth Slow Speed Operation

·  All Wheel Electrical Pick-up

·  ABS Body with Die Cast Chassis for Maximum Tractive Effort

·  Premium Caliber Painting

·  Prototypically Accurate Paint Schemes and Road Numbers

·  Many Separately Applied Details such as Grab Irons, Horns, and Bell

·  MicroTrains-compatible Couplers (2)

·  Will Operate on Code 55, Code 70 and Code 80 Rail

·  Minimum Operating Radius: 9 inches