Dear HO Scale Customers;

Athearn Genesis is excited to announce New EMD (Electro-Motive Division) GP7 / GP9 Diesel Locomotives

Santa Fe - GP7u

Santa Fe’s GP7u program, launched in 1972, rebuilt EMD GP7 locomotives to extend their operational life. The rebuild included chopped front hoods to improve visibility and new cabs, commonly known as “Topeka Cabs,” named for Santa Fe’s Topeka shops, where the work was performed. The locomotives also received upgraded prime movers with new components and four exhaust stacks. Units originally equipped with dynamic brakes had that equipment deactivated as part of the program. These modifications significantly extended the service life of the locomotives, and many remained in service through the BNSF merger.

 

ATSF FEATURES:

• Blanked-dynamic or non-dynamic hatch (per prototype)
• Three-chime horn (mounted per prototype)
• Antenna on ground plane (positioned per prototype)
• Stratolite Beacon (flashing in DCC mode)
• All-weather cab window (on right side of cab, if applicable, per prototype)
• Fuel tank skirts (if applicable, per prototype)
• 1200-gallon fuel tank
• Drop steps (if applicable, per prototype)
• Handrails, MU stands, pilot (per prototype)

 

ROAD NUMBER SPECIFIC FEATURES:

• #1313 Non-dynamic brake hatch, solid front handrails (no drop step), short MU stands, pointed pilot
• #1324 Non-dynamic brake hatch, all-weather cab window, drop step, short MU stand, pointed pilot
• #2008 Blanked-dynamic brake hatch, all-weather cab window, drop step, tall MU stands, flat pilot
• #2198 Non-dynamic brake hatch, solid front handrails (no drop step), short MU stands, pointed pilot

 

Santa Fe ‘Kodachrome’ - GP7u

The “Kodachrome” paint scheme was a striking red, yellow, and black livery applied to hundreds of locomotives in the 1980s. It was created for the anticipated merger of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe (ATSF) and the Southern Pacific (SP) railroads into the Santa Fe Southern Pacific (SPSF). Railfans dubbed the scheme “Kodachrome” because the bright red and yellow colors heavily resembled the iconic yellow, red, and black boxes of Kodak film. Locomotives featured yellow fronts (often retaining the classic Santa Fe warbonnet shape), red along the body, and black trim along the roofline. Because the railroads were legally required to operate separately until the merger was finalized, they only painted their own initials, either “SP” or “SF” on the hood sides. A large gap was left adjacent to the letters to allow “SPSF” to be completed after official approval. Both railroads were confident that the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) would approve the merger that they painted numerous locomotives before the official ruling. After the ICC rejected the merger, railfans humorously reinterpreted the “SPSF” acronym as “Shouldn’t Paint So Fast”. According to our research, six GP7u locomotives received the “Kodachrome” scheme.

 

ATSF FEATURES:

• Blanked-dynamic or non-dynamic hatch (per prototype)
• Three-chime horn (mounted per prototype)
• Antenna on ground plane (positioned per prototype)
• Stratolite Beacon (flashing in DCC mode)
• No fuel tank skirting
• 1200-gallon fuel tank
• Drop steps
• MU stands (per prototype)
• Pilot (per prototype)

 

ROAD NUMBER SPECIFIC FEATURES:

• #1316 Blanked-dynamic hatch, short MU stands, flat Pilot
• #2126 Non-dynamic hatch, tall MU stands, pointed Pilot

 

Burlington Northern Santa Fe ‘H1’ - GP7u

The BNSF Railway “Heritage 1” (H1) paint scheme, introduced in 1996 following the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe merger, was the company’s first unified livery. Inspired by the historic Great Northern Railway colors, it features “Omaha Orange” and “Pullman Green” separated by yellow pinstriping. The nose prominently displayed the original BNSF circular emblem, while “BNSF” appeared on the long hood. Trucks and fuel tanks were typically painted dark green. A few BNSF GP7u Locomotives received H1 repaints, and Athearn is pleased to offer these unique and eye-catching models.

 

BNSF FEATURES:

• Blanked-dynamic or non-dynamic hatch (per prototype)
• Three-chime horn (mounted per prototype)
• Single note rear-facing horn (if applicable, per prototype)
• Antenna on ground plane (positioned per prototype)
• Fuel tank skirts (if applicable, per prototype)
• 1200-gallon fuel tank w/ 1200-gallon water tank (if applicable, per prototype)
• Roof mounted air reservoirs (if applicable, per prototype)
• Drop steps
• Tall MU stands
• Flat pilot
• Ditch lights (if applicable, per prototype)

 

ROAD NUMBER SPECIFIC FEATURES:

• #1313 Non-dynamic hatch, single note rear-facing horn, no fuel tank skirts, ditch lights
• #1317 Non-dynamic hatch, no fuel tank skirts, ditch lights
• #1336 Blanked-dynamic hatch, no fuel tank skirts, ditch lights
• #3837 Non-dynamic hatch, fuel tank skirts, 1200-gallon water tank, roof mounted air reservoirs

 

Chicago and North Western - GP7R

The Chicago and North Western’s Oelwein shops were known for turning out a variety of rebuilt locomotives. A total of 74 GP7 locomotives were rebuilt between 1971 and 1981. The rebuild included chopped front hoods to improve visibility. The locomotives also received overhauled prime movers and electrical equipment. These modifications significantly extended the service life of the locomotives.

 

CNW FEATURES:

• Non-dynamic hatch
• Three-chime horn (mounted per prototype)
• Beacon (per prototype, flashing in DCC mode)
• All-weather cab window (on right side of cab)
• Fuel tank skirts (if applicable, per prototype)
• 1200-gallon fuel tank
• Drop steps
• Short MU
• Front snowplow
• Rear hose trays

 

ROAD NUMBER SPECIFIC FEATURES:

• #4281 Xenon strobe beacon (flashing in DCC mode)
• #4282 Western Cullen beacon (flashing in DCC mode)

 

Chicago and North Western - GP9R

The Chicago and North Western’s Oelwein shops were known for turning out a variety of rebuilt locomotives. A total of 55 GP9 locomotives were rebuilt between 1971 and 1981. The rebuild included chopped front hoods to improve visibility. The locomotives also received overhauled prime movers and electrical equipment. These modifications significantly extended the service life of the locomotives.

 

CNW FEATURES:

• Non-dynamic hatch
• Three-chime horn (mounted per prototype)
• Xenon beacon (flashing in DCC mode)
• All-weather cab window (on right side of cab)
• Fuel tank skirts
• 1200-gallon fuel tank w/ 1200-gallon water tank
• Drop steps
• Short MU
• Front snowplow
• Rear hose trays

 

 

PROTOTYPE AND BACKGROUND INFO:

In 1949, EMD introduced the GP7. The basic design followed most diesel switchers with the addition of a short hood instead of an end-cab. The hoods were also full height to better accommodate the diesel engine and mechanical and electrical components.

In 1954 EMD upgraded the GP7 to become the 1,750 horsepowerGP9. Externally, the first GP9s were virtually unchanged from the last GP7s. Later versions would include different louver arrangements, andthe last ones would come without the frame skirting. The GP9 was available with all fuel tank, steam generator, and dynamic brake options as the GP7, including roof mounted “torpedo tube” air tanks.

Many railroads chose to rebuild their GP7s and GP9s for continued service. Often times, it was cheaper to do this rather than purchasing brand-new locomotives. Some railroads adopted a GP7R or GP7udesignation to indicate a rebuilt unit.

 

GP7 SERIES LOCOMOTIVE FEATURES:

• DCC-ready features Quick Plug plug-and-play technology with 21-pin NEM connector
• Coupler cut levers
• Flexible rubber trainline and MU hoses
• Lift rings
• Wire grab irons
• Windshield wipers
• See-through cab windows and full cab interior
• “Nub” style walkway tread
• Drop steps unless noted
• MU stands
• Sander lines
• Roof access hatches on non-dynamic units per prototype
• Bell placement & type per prototype
• Detailed fuel tank with fuel fillers, fuel gauges, breather pipes, and retention tanks
• Fine-scale Celcon handrails for scale appearance
• Etched metal radiator intake grilles and fan grilles
• Air tanks mounted below sill unless noted
• LED Lighting for realistic appearance
• Speed recorder unless noted or shown elsewhere
• Blomberg-B trucks with appropriate bearing caps
• Body-mounted 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
• 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
• Packaging securely holds for 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
• 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

 

PRIMED FOR GRIME MODELS FEATURE

• Duplicated look and feel of “In Service” equipment
• Faded base colors matched to the prototype
• Perfect starting point for adding grime and rust

 

 

Order Due Date: August 31, 2026

Anticipated Delivery Date: December 2027

 

Looking for more Athearn EMD (Electro-Motive Division) GP-7 / GP-9 Diesel Locomotives? Click here!

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