Athearn Genesis 65539 CSX Ex-RDG Patch GP39-2 DC #4317 HO

Detailed Information

CSX FEATURES: 

• All Ex-Reading. Electrical cabinet door on engineer’s side 
• YN2 repaints feature: Removed nose class lights, K5 horn, front ditch lights, EMD small plow, cab rain gutters, and our most current approved CSX colors. 
• CSX patched units feature: Removed nose class lights, correct horn and patching per road number, EMD small plow, and cab rain gutters. 

In the early 1990’s, CSX acquired ex-Reading GP39-2’s for system-wide service. These locomotives were perfect for local and switching duties. A few of them were merely patched with CSX lettering and renumbered before eventually being repainted into CSX’s “YN2” scheme. They are still being used today with most being repainted into CSX’s latest scheme.

ROAD NUMBER SPECIFIC FEATURES: 

• Replaced CSX K5 chime horn 
• original Blomberg B trucks 
• unique patched art and faded paint effect.

LOCOMOTIVE FEATURES: 

• All units are powered 
• Heavy die-cast frame for greater traction and more pulling power 
• DCC-ready features Quick Plug™ plug-and-play technology with both 21-pin connector (DCC-Ready only) 
• Factory installed SoundTraxx Tsunami2 sound and DCC decoder (DCC+sound units only) 
• Tsunami sounds are compatible with both DCC and DC operation (DCC+sound units only) 
• Genesis driveline with balanced five pole skew wound motor and dual flywheels 
• Directional constant lighting-featuring LEDs; headlight brightness remains constant 
• Scaled from prototype resources including drawings, field measurements, photographs, and more 
• Separately applied photo etched metal and injection molded detail parts: 
• Cab interior • Coupler cut levers • MU and Trainline hoses • Windshield wipers • Lift rings • Wire grab irons • Sander lines 
• Detailed fuel tank with fuel fillers, fuel gauges, breather pipes, and retention tanks 
• Body mounted McHenry scale knuckle couplers - Kadee compatible 
• 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 
• Detailed Blomberg-B trucks with prototype-specific wheel bearings 
• Replacement parts available 
• Minimum radius: 18” 

SOUND EQUPPED MODELS ALSO FEATURE

• Onboard DCC decoder with SoundTraxx Tsunami2 decoder pre-installed 
• Sound units operate in both DC and DCC 
• Individual sound boards installed in both A and B units (sound units only) 
• All functions NMRA compatible in DCC mode 
• Engine, horn, and bell sounds work in DC 
• Some functions are limited in DC 
• Program a multiple unit (MU) lashup with lead unit only horn, bell, and lights 
• Slow speed control 
• Many functions can be altered via Configuration Value (CV) changes 
• CV chart included in the box 
• Lighting effects such as beacons and Gyralight where prototypically accurate 
• A and B units often include sound decoders with different default pitch shift, so MU lashups sound unique 

PROTOTYPE SPECIFIC INFORMATION

In the decade between 1974 and 1984, EMD produced the 

GP39-2 for seven North American railroads. The basic design followed most four axle road diesel switchers for the time. Borrowing improvements from the GP38-2 and GP40-2 designs, this mid-horsepower road switcher utilized a turbocharged 12-cylinder EMD 645E3 diesel engine for it’s prime mover. With 4 fewer cylinders, the smaller engine provided a distinctive long hood on the phase II and phase III bodies, where the clean room/engine compartment doors were set back from the cab further than predecessor locomotives.

Sensitivity to fuel economy in the 1970s justified the GP39-2 in the locomotive market. It also laid the ground work for EMD to start exploring locomotive designs that utilize engines with larger piston displacement yet posess fewer cylinders. This approach has become the foundation to modern locomotive technology. 

Specifications