Missouri Pacific

Missouri Pacific was the largest buyer of the GP15-1, purchasing 160 examples from EMD starting in 1976. In 1982, they purchased 30 GP15AC’s (MP 1715-1744) which use AC power for the traction motors instead of the traditional DC power. Other than 4 units built for Venezuelan National Railways, MP was the only other purchaser of this model. Most can still be found working today for their current owner Union Pacific, used in local and yard duties. We are offering an un-numbered version by many customer requests, so you can add as many road numbers of your choice to your fleet!

 

MP FEATURES:

• Operating class lights (DCC only)

• Blomberg B trucks

• Leslie 3-chime horn

• Front and rear small EMD plows

• Lit number boards

• 4 spark arrestors

• Rounded front anticlimber

 

Norfolk Southern

With the 1998 split of Conrail, Norfolk Southern acquired 58% of the former railroad conglomerate’s assets. With Conrail having bought 100 GP15-1s, 58 of these were transferred to NS ownership. They continued to be used in switching, local, and secondary service. NS retired the GP15-1s in 2007, but many of the reliable units survived and found further employment.

 

NS FEATURES:

• Class lights

• Leslie RS3L horn on low-profile bracket

• Ditch lights on both ends (alternate when horn blown on DCC+sound version)

• Ex-Conrail units

 

ROAD NUMBER SPECIFIC FEATURES:

• #1432 No cab signal box, rear plow, exposed axle bearings

• #1440 Cab signal box, rear grab irons

 

Larry’s Truck & Electric

Larry’s Truck and Electric is a large locomotive parts supplier and rebuilder based out of McDonald Ohio. They purchase locomotives second hand from railroads that deem them too expensive to repair, or want to upgrade to newer models. LTEX will in-turn, rebuild and lease these units back to power-needed railroads on a short-term or long-term basis. With a simple splash of fresh paint and initials on the long hood, they are leased where they are needed and could be found just about anywhere within the US. We are offering 3 different schemes to choose from.

 

LTEX FEATURES:

• Ex-CR

• Blunt style front anticlimber

• Blomberg B trucks

• Front and rear alternating flashing ditch lights (DCC only)

• Removed nose class lights

• Lit number boards

• Road number specific details

 

ROAD NUMBER SPECIFIC FEATURES:

• #1414 Ex-CR #1634, Blue/Black scheme, front and rear small EMD plows, Nathan P-3 horn

• #1427 Ex-CR #1654, Red/Grey scheme, front and rear small EMD plows, Leslie 3-chime horn

• #1441 Ex-CR #1679, Orange/Green scheme, removed plows, Nathan K-3 horn mounted on long hood, cab mounted A/C

 

Southern

Southern Railway was a loyal EMD customer for many years. With the majority of their diesel locomotive roster comprised of EMD products, it would have been very plausible for the carrier to order GP15-1’s to help with their aging fleet of first generation locomotives. Ordered with the then-standard high short hood and long hood forward operation, these would fit right in with other EMD models of the era. Painted in the SOU “tuxedo” scheme, they would make a great addition to your fleet!

 

SOU FEATURES:

• Operating class lights (DCC only)

• Blomberg M trucks

• Nathan 3-chime horn on both ends

• Long hood forward operation (DCC)

• Lit number boards

• High short hood

• No front anticlimber

 

 

PROTOTYPE SPECIFIC INFORMATION

The EMD GP15-1 is a 4-axle diesel-electric locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between June 1976 and March 1982. Intended to provide an alternative to the rebuilding programs that many railroads were applying to their early road switchers, it is generally employed as a yard switcher or light road switcher. A total of 310 units were built for American railroads. A number of GP15-1s remain in service today for yard work and light road duty.

 

GP15 SERIES LOCOMOTIVE FEATURES:

• Operating Class Lights (DCC only) *If equipped

• Operating Number boards

• Coupler cut levers

• Trainline hose

• Full cab interior

• Windshield wipers

• Wire grab irons

• MU hoses

• See-through cab windows

• Walkway tread

• Lift rings

• Sander lines

• DCC-ready features Quick Plug plug-and-play technology with 21-pin NEM connector

• Fine-scale Celcon handrails for scale appearance

• Detailed fuel tank with fuel fillers, fuel gauges, & breather pipes

• Body-mounted McHenry operating scale knuckle couplers

• Genesis driveline with 5-pole skew wound motor, precision machined flywheels, and multi-link drivetrain for trouble free operation

• 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

• LED Lighting for trouble free operation

• Heavy die-cast frame for greater traction and more pulling power

• Scaled from prototype resources including drawings, field measurements, photographs, and more

• Accurately-painted and –printed paint schemes

• Fully-assembled and ready-to-run

• Packaging securely holds the model for safe storage

• Minimum radius: 18” — Recommended radius: 22”

 

SOUND-EQUIPPED MODELS ALSO FEATURE

• Onboard DCC decoder with SoundTraxx Tsunami2 sound

• Dual cube speakers for optimal sound quality

• 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

• Precision slow speed control

• 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 in the box

 

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?”

 

 

Order Due Date: August 30, 2024

Anticipated Delivery Date: January 2026

 

Looking for more Athearn EMD GP-15 Diesel Locomotives? Click here!

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