{"product_id":"athg41181-athearn","title":"ATHG41181 Athearn HO U50 with DCC \u0026 Sound - SP #9952","description":"\u003ch3 class=\"product-title\"\u003eHO U50 Locomotive with DCC \u0026amp; Sound, SP #9952\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eSP FEATURES:\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSP Style “Big Hole” Emergency light\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eClassification lights\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWorking Truck lights\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNumber board lights\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMU hoses\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSeparate see-through air intake grills\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDue to the increase of better highways in the 1950’s the trucking industry was beginning to siphon off time sensitive traffic from the railroads. Consequently, in the late 1950’s the Southern Pacific and the Union Pacific railroads were seeking ways to increase the horsepower of their locomotives to help improve train speeds without having to add more locomotives to their trains. The SP was striving to improve transit times on their Sunset Route freights and was utilizing large groups of lower horsepower locomotives to do so. One method to achieve these goals was to mount two complete prime movers on one chassis. UP asked the 3 major locomotive builders at that time to submit proposals using this concept. In response, General Electric created their 5,000-horsepower U50 model, a design which utilized two 2500-horsepower prime movers. SP decided to give 3 of them a try, receiving them in the summer of 1964, but chose not to order any others. They spent most their early service lives working on SP’s Sunset Route and ended their SP careers in the 1970’s working in drag freight service in the Los Angeles Basin in California. All three were scrapped by 1979.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eU50 SERIES LOCOMOTIVE FEATURES:\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIlluminated truck lights\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIlluminated classification lights\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIlluminated number boards\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSee-through air intakes\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e4-cube speakers\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMinimum radius: 18” — Recommended radius: 22”\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eGENESIS DIESEL LOCOMOTIVE FEATURES:\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCoupler cut levers\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMU hoses\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTrainline hose\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSee-through cab windows\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFull cab interior\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWalkway tread\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWindshield wipers\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWire grab irons\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFine-scale Celcon handrails for scale appearance\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDetailed fuel tank with fuel fillers, fuel gauges, breather pipes, and retention tanks\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBody-mounted McHenry® operating scale knuckle couplers\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGenesis driveline with 5-pole skew wound motor, precision machined flywheels, and multi-link drivetrain for trouble free operation\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAll-wheel drive with precision gears for smooth and quiet operation\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAll-wheel electrical pickup provides reliable current flow\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWheels with RP25 contours operate on all popular brands of track\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLED Lighting for trouble free operation\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHeavy die-cast frame for greater traction and more pulling power\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eScaled from prototype resources including drawings, field measurements, photographs, and more\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAccurately-painted and –printed paint schemes\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFully-assembled and ready-to-run\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePackaging securely holds the model for safe storage\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eSOUND-EQUIPPED MODELS ALSO FEATURE\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOnboard DCC decoder with SoundTraxx Tsunami2 sound\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFour cube speakers for optimal sound quality\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSound units operate in both DC and DCC\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFull DCC functions available when operated in DCC mode\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEngine, horn, and bell sounds work in DC\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAll functions NMRA compatible in DCC mode\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePrecision slow speed control\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eProgram a multiple unit (MU) lash up with lead unit only horn, bell, and lights\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMany functions can be altered via Configuration Value (CV) changes\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCV chart included in the box\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003ePROTOTYPE SPECIFIC INFORMATION\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 1963, the diesel horsepower race had just reached 2,500 horsepower and the only way to get 5,000 horsepower was by putting two diesel engine and generator sets onto one chassis. Given the wheel slip and traction motor technology at the time, eight traction motors and powered axles were needed to convert the horsepower into pulling power. EMD had already produced the DD35, two cab less GP35s on one chassis. General Electric’s answer was to do the same with two U25Bs, which created the U50.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe U50 was 83 feet 6 inches long and towered over most contemporary locomotives at 15 feet 10 inches tall. They weighed in at 559,620 pounds and produced 139,175 pounds of starting tractive effort. Inside the hood were two FDL-16 diesel engines, each with a generator, full radiator, and dynamic brake setup. The U50 rode on two sets of two-axle AAR-B trucks mounted on a span bolster. The trucks were recycled from the scrapped gas turbines. Up front was a tall, blunt nose cab without a front walkway, which gave the U50 its unique appearance.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Athearn","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51799058874647,"sku":"ATHG41181","price":469.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0903\/5923\/4839\/files\/ATHG41181.jpg?v=1768343958","url":"https:\/\/reeds-hobbies.com\/products\/athg41181-athearn","provider":"Reed's Hobby Shop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}