NS FEATURES:
- Dash 9-40C
- As-delivered paint scheme
- Ditch lights both ends (flash when horn is blown on DCC/sound models)
- Nathan K5LAR24 horn
- Two “firecracker” antennas
- Spare knuckle box on walkway
The last stand of the “Standard Cab”, these 4000hp, 1995-built units have earned the railfan nickname of “Top Hats” due to their rooftop mounted air conditioners. NS 8764-8888, a total of 125 units, were the first in a series of yearly NS orders from 1995 to 2005. They have since been retired, with some being used for the AC44C6M rebuild program.
AC4400CW SERIES LOCOMOTIVE FEATURES:
- 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
- LED lighting adjusted to lifelike settings.
- Illuminated number boards
- Illuminated ground lighting above the front truck (per prototype)
- Illuminated front and rear walkway lights
- Illuminated marker lights (where applicable)
- Etched, see-through walkway steps
- Animated roller bearing caps
- Coupler cut levers
- Flexible rubber MU hoses for durability
- Flexible rubber trainline hose
- See-through cab windows
- Full cab interior
- Walkway tread
- Fine-scale Celcon handrails for scale appearance
- Windshield wipers
- Lift rings
- Wire grab irons
- Detailed fuel tank with fuel fillers, fuel gauges, & breather pipes
- Sander lines
- Brass horns correct to the prototype
- McHenry® scale knuckle couplers - Kadee compatible
- 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
- Heavy die-cast frame for greater traction and more pulling power
- Packaging securely holds model for safe storage
PROTOTYPE AND BACKGROUND INFO:
Introduced by GE in 1993 and built until 2004, when it was replaced by the Evolution Series Tier II compliant model, the AC4400CW is a staple of modern railroading. 2,834 examples were built with many still plying the rails in their as delivered configurations or as rebuilt variations. Many Class 1, regional, and foreign railroads purchased the AC4400CWs. Ownership spanned the North American Continent and with their long lives, have seen numerous paint scheme variations and ownership changes through the years. The AC4400CW went through many changes during its production. Some are easily noticeable; early units being delivered with GE’s Hi-Adhesion Trucks, while later units that had the option for newly developed GE Steerable Truck. Other details are smaller and takes a careful eye to see such as the addition of a door stop, how the step wells are reinforced, or the number and positioning of panels and doors.
Athearn has captured all these details thorough research and precision tooling to reproduce dozens of variations. The newly tooled Genesis AC4400CW takes its reign as the new flagship model for Athearn.
