Rivet Counter HO Scale EMD GP30, Rio Grande/Large Billboard Lettering
A new era continues with the Rivet Counter HO Scale EMD GP30. First introduced in 1961, the GP30 would become one of the most-common locomotives on the rails for the next two decades. Our first run includes classic roadnames and paint schemes from railroading’s golden age - and versions available for the first time in plastic - like Union Pacific’s Freight and Passenger B Units or CSX "RDMT" Slugs.
Our Rivet Counter series model renders the numerous variations of cabs, dynamic brakes, doors, grilles, trucks, etc. We’ve also incorporated LED lighting effects including front, rear, and side walkway lights; ground lights; printed and lighted number boards; and ditch lights. Learn more by clicking the “Product Details” tab below.
Road Number Specific ScaleTrains
- All-new model
- Era: Late 1980s to Late 1990s
- Series D&RGW 3014-3028, built 1-2/63, Phase Id
- D&RGW 3014
- Speed recorders mounted to second axle on right and left front truck sideframes
- D&RGW 3027
- Speed recorder mounted to second axle on right front truck sideframe
- Fully-assembled
- Multiple road numbers
- Operating LED-illuminated Pyle-National (Translite) #20585 Gyralite dual signal light in low short hood*
- Operating LED-illuminated ground lights on both sides of locomotive*
- Operating LED-illuminated “hemisphere” walkway lights on hood ends, and at end of raised walkway duct*
- Operating LED-illuminated tricolor front and rear flush-mounted class lights with lenses and raised gaskets**
- Cab and rear number boards
- “McCarty” type re-rail frogs
- Front DRGW low plow with MU hose openings and wire form grab irons, and rear multiple unit (MU) hose catch boxes with flat debris deflector
- 3-hose multiple unit (MU) hose clusters with silver gladhands
- Semi-scale coupler buffer equipped with durable metal semi-scale Type E knuckle couplers
- Front and rear straight uncoupling levers with retrofitted switchman grab handles
- Pilot faces without uncoupling lever loop notches
- Deck-mounted multiple unit (MU) receptacles
- "Tall" stepwells with see-through steps
- Handrail set with center gangway chains
- Front and rear standard drop steps
- Scale sectioned treadplate detail with EMD early “X” style pattern
- 81” GP30 low short hood with ratchet handbrake and square sand fill
- Hinged battery box doors with early hinges and narrow louvers
- Early cab sub-base doors with early hinges
- Front standard EMD LED-illuminated headlight with lenses on number board housing
- GP30 cab with increased length on left (fireman’s) side and inverted cab heater vents
- Detailed cab interior with separate floor, rear wall, seats, and standard AAR control stand
- No cab vents
- Sliding cab side windows
- Tall clear wind wings mounted fore and aft of cab side window on both sides of cab
- Standard EMD sunshades with long sunshade tracks
- Lost-wax brass cast Nathan M-3 (M3R1 configuration) horn mounted on cab roof
- Standard-height large Sinclair Excalibur “ice skate” antenna mounted on the cab roof
- Accurate hood door and long hood detail
- Late single-panel inertial compartment with blanked filter inspection glasses
- Wire inertial air intake grills
- Tall turbo exhaust stack
- Standard-range dynamic brakes with 48” fan
- Late See-through dynamic brake intake grills with horizontal wires through vertical vanes
- See-through front and rear 48” radiator fan housings with 8-blade fans; 36” pan-top center radiator fan
- 6-horizontal rib radiator intake grills
- Curved radiator fan grab iron
- Square door-style sand fill door on right side hood end
- Rear LED-illuminated horizontal headlight with lenses
- Underbody frame rail with separate plumbing
- Detailed Blomberg-B trucks with mixed square, sloped, and Hyatt bearing housings, elliptical springs, end transom detail, separate sanding lines and brackets, and separate swing hanger detail
- Dimensionally accurate truck centers
- Frame-mounted bronze bell
- 2,600-gallon fuel tank with vertical gauges and fuel fill in sill skirt; round gauges in fuel tank sides
- Factory-applied wire grab irons, photoetched lift rings, windshield wipers, trainline hoses with silver gladhands, air tanks, sand hatch covers and more
- Motor with 5-pole skew wound armature
- Dual flywheels
- All-wheel drive
- All-wheel electrical pick-up
- Directional LED-illuminated headlights
- Printing and lettering legible even under magnification
- Paint colors match Tru-Color Paint color: (note TCP item number and color)
- Operates on Code 70, 83 and 100 rail
- Packaging safely stores model
- Minimum radius: 18”
- Recommended radius: 22”
- DCC & sound equipped locomotives also feature
- ESU LokSound 5 DCC & Sound decoder with “Full Throttle”
- Two (2) cube-type speakers
- Prime mover sound
- 16-cylinder 567D3 prime mover sound
- ESU designed “PowerPack” with two super capacitors***
- Operates on both DC and DCC layouts
- DC/DCC & sound-ready locomotives also feature:
- Operable on DC layouts
- DCC-ready with 21-pin connector
* Lighting features operate when using an ESU decoder with appropriate programming while operating using DCC
** Class lights illuminate in white color only in DC operation. Access and changing colors requires an ESU decoder with appropriate programming while operating using DCC
***“PowerPack” feature only compatible with appropriately programmed ESU decoders operating on a DCC layout
