Union Pacific CA-9 - “Kaiser Coal Service Caboose”
The Green K on cupola ends and sides indicates that these cabooses were assigned to the Kaiser Steel unit coal train that was jointly operated by the Rio Grande, Union Pacific and the Santa Fe between the Sunnyside Mine in Utah and the Kaiser Steel plant in Fontana, CA.
UP FEATURES:
• UP CA-9 Class caboose
• Rotating Roller Bearing Trucks
• Improved light functions in DCC with brightness control
• Whip style antenna
Union Pacific - CA-10 Bicentennial
In 1976 the United States of America celebrated the 200th anniversary of it’s founding and many of the nation’s railroads joined the celebration by painting some of their equipment in patriotic red, white and blue colors. The Union Pacific considered painting one of their DDA40X’s in patriotic dress and commissioned a design proposal that we have reproduced with their permission. Many railroads had cabooses painted up in red, white and blue too. We wondered what would have happened if the UP had decided to have one of their then new CA-10 cabooses to be painted in a patriotic manner to go with their Bicentennial Centennial? So we put the Athearn Art Department to work and they adapted the DDA40X Bicentennial paint scheme to our CA-10 model. After all what’s a train without a caboose…in 1976…
UP FEATURES:
• UP CA-10 Class caboose
• Fire cracker style radio antenna
• Improved lighting functions in DCC with brightness control
• Rotating roller bearings
• Morton style platforms and steps
Western Pacific
In this alternate history, WP was looking for new cabooses in the late 60s, and based on their positive experience with UP cabooses on numerous runthrough trains, they ordered CA-9s built to UP specs. Our WP 490 is numbered in series after the bay-window cars and is decorated to match a late 1960’s appearance in the brown scheme, with an ACI plate.
WP FEATURES:
• Based on UP CA-9 Class caboose
• Conductor’s whistle (Functions in DCC)
• Rotating roller bearings
• Functioning interior lights in DCC
LEGENDARY LIVERIES
What are Legendary Liveries? An Athearn exclusive, they are the ultimate answer to “What if?” Featuring some of the most popular railroad paint schemes of all time, these models are perfect for collecting, proto-freelancing, or just plain fun! Whether company proposed paint schemes, canceled locomotive orders, or alternate takes on history, Legendary Liveries are fun and unique additions to any roster. Enjoy these items, and answer the ultimate railroad question of: “What if?”
PROTOTYPE INFO:
Perhaps one of the most recognizable icons of American railroading, the caboose completed the train. Cabooses provided shelter for the rear end crew. From the cupola or bay windows, the crew could keep a lookout for shifting loads, damaged equipment, and overheating axles. As rail cars became larger in the late 1950s and early 1960s, there was a real need for cabooses to have greater visibility for the crew. In the extended-vision or wide-vision caboose, the sides of the cupola project beyond the side of the car body. This model was introduced by the International Car Company and saw service on most U.S. railroads. The expanded cupola allowed the crew to see past the top of the taller cars that began to appear after World War II, and also increased the roominess of the cupola area.
ICC CABOOSE FEATURES:
• Better than brass detail including roadname and road number specific detail and laser-sharp painting and printing
• Interior seating for the addition of crew figures
• See-through end platforms and steps
• Flush window glazing
• Wire-form grab irons
• Caboose trucks with animated rotating bearing or static friction bearing caps
• Axle generator details
• Body-mounted McHenry scale knuckle-spring Couplers
• Multiple road numbers
• Separate wireform grab irons, etched metal coupler platforms
• Coupler lift bars, trainline hoses, brake hoses, and hardware
• Full underframe detail: air brake reservoir, control valve, and brake cylinder with plumbing and brake rod details
• Machined metal wheels with RP25 contours operate on all popular brands of track
• Weighted for trouble-free operation
• Fully-assembled and ready-to-run out of the box
• Accurately painted and printed for prototypical realism
• Highly-detailed, injection-molded body
• Window packaging for easy viewing, plus interior plastic blister safely holds the model for convenient storage
• Minimum radius: 18”
LED LIGHT-EQUIPPED FEATURES:
• LED lighting for long life and reliable operation
• On-board DCC Decoder by NCE
– Operates in DCC and Analog (DC) with lighting functions controllable in DCC
• Various classes will feature single or dual roof markers, or end-mount marker lights, per prototype and/or era (not all cars have marker lights)
• LED interior and marker lights with brightness control
• All functions NMRA compatible in DCC mode
SOUND-EQUIPPED MODELS ALSO FEATURE:
• Soundtraxx Tsunami SoundCar decoder w/ included sounds:
- Air horn or trainline air whistle as appropriate
- Clickety-clack with optional wheel flat spot sounds
- Brake set/release sounds including retainers and brake squeal
-”Big Hole” emergency brake application sound
- Handbrake tie-down/release
- Adjustable flange squeal
• Air, horn, and bell sounds work seamlessly with Soundtraxx locomotive sound decoders
• Supports advanced consisting in DCC
• Full DCC functions available when operated in DCC mode
• All functions NMRA compatible in DCC mode
Order Due Date: July 29, 2022
Anticipated Delivery Date: September 2023
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