Description

Detailed Information

NEW FEATURES FOR ALL GP50S IN THIS ANNOUNCEMENT:

All-new LED lighting
Rubber MU hoses for durability

UP FEATURES:

First time offered: Ex-MP late 1980’s, two digit series
Long hood mounted bell
Leslie RS3L horn mounted per prototype
Firecracker antenna
Classlights removed or painted over per prototype
Cab mirrors
Conductor side cab vent
Sunshades
Extra Jacking pad side sill
Small EMD style snow plow
Blomberg “M” truck sideframes

After the UP/MP merger, the numbers of the combined locomotive roster went through many changes. In the mid 1980s, UP initially numbered their ex-MP GP50s in a two-digit series, starting with MP 3507 which was renumbered to UP 57. Only twelve units were ever renumbered to the original UP two-digit numbers. Adjusting their direction almost midway through the process, UP later decided to renumber the entire GP50 fleet to the 960 series. This wasn’t completed until 1992. The 960 series didn’t last long either as the UP again adjusted for the addition of the C&NW GP50s from the 1995 merger.

For more information: http://utahrails.net/articles/up-gp50-letter.php

BNSF FEATURES:

Front & rear ditch lights
All lights illuminated by LEDs
RV style air conditioners
Roof antennas per prototype
Spare knuckles on rear pilot

#3125:

Nose-mounted headlight. Cab headlight plated over
“GP25” on frame (de-rated)

#3153:

Front nose mounted headlight
No roof strobes

#3110:

Dual cab mounted strobe beacon, effect on DCC+Sound version
Remote Control markings
“GP25” on frame (de-rated)

IC FEATURES:

Ex CNW GP50 rebuilt by IC into a GP40-3
Nathan P5 air horn
Sinclair antenna
No snow plow
Pointed style anticlimber
Coupler cut levers with loops
Illuminated forward and reverse ditchlights
All lights illuminated by LEDs

I&O FEATURES:

All lights illuminated by LEDs
Leslie S3L air horn on bracket
Can style antenna
Small EMD or weed cutter style plow per prototype
Large anticlimber
Coupler cut levers with loops

TP&W FEATURES:

All lights illuminated by LEDs
Leslie S3L air horn on bracket
Antenna style per prototype
Small EMD or weed cutter style plow per prototype
Large anticlimber
Coupler cut levers with loops

LOCOMOTIVE FEATURES:

Fully-assembled and ready-to-run
DCC-ready features Quick Plug™ plug-and-play technology with 21-pin connector
Scaled from prototype resources including drawings, field measurements, photographs, and more
Accurately painted and printed paint schemes
Coupler cut levers
MU hoses
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
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
New LED Lighting for realistic appearance
Heavy die-cast frame for greater traction and more pulling power
Packaging securely holds for the model for safe storage

SOUND EQUIPPED MODELS ALSO FEATURE

Onboard DCC decoder with SoundTraxx Tsunami2 sound
Sound units operate in both DC and DCC
Full DCC functions available when operated in DCC mode
Engine, horn, and bell sounds work in DC
All functions NMRA compatible in DCC mode
Excellent Slow speed control
Operating lighting functions with F5 and/or F6 (Flashing ditch lights, beacon, etc)
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

PRIMED FOR GRIME MODELS FEATURE:

Duplicated look and feel of “In Service”equipment; “Tattered and Torn” just like the real thing
Faded base colors matched to the prototype
Patches applied and shaped per road number matching each corresponding side to the prototype
Perfect starting point for adding grime and rust

PROTOTYPE SPECIFIC INFORMATION:

The EMD GP50 is a 4-axle diesel road switcher locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between 1980 and 1985. It is powered by a 16-cylinder EMD 645F3B diesel engine, which can produce between 3,500 and 3,600 hp.

A total of 278 examples of this locomotive were built. The GP50 retains the same overall length of 59 feet 2 inches as the other GP dash-2 series locomotives built in the same era. It utilized GM’s D87 traction motor enabling it to produce a starting tractive effort of 65,000 pounds, with a continuous rating of 62,400 pounds.

The most significant difference in the GP50 from earlier designs like the GP40 was upgraded components (like a turbocharger silencer and new type of blower housing) and increased horsepower. The locomotive also introduced a new “anti-wheel-slip” technology where the locomotive horsepower output was reduced if a wheel slip condition was introduced. It also included features already common on earlier models such as dynamic braking (a system for temporarily employing traction motors as generators and using the resulting electromotive force to slow the train), and an airtight hood that kept out dust, dirt and other particles from reaching internal components.

All the companies that purchased the GP50 have now been absorbed into other systems. However, a few of their successors continue to operate the units. A number GP50s have rebuilt for better fuel economy and continue in service today.

This page is based on the copyrighted Wikipedia article “EMD GP50” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EMD_GP50); it is used under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License (CC-BY-SA). You may redistribute it, verbatim or modified, providing that you comply with the terms of the CC-BY-SA.