Athearn Genesis - HO Scale - EMD SD-50 Diesel Locomotive - with DCC & Tsunami2 Sound - Missouri Pacific (MP) #5014 - Yellow/Gray/Red with Red Lettering & Blue, Red/White Striped Logo (Era: 1984+) (SKU 141-1864)
Available On: December 1, 2025
PROTOTYPE SPECIFIC INFORMATION
EMD introduced the new 3,500 horsepower SD50 in May of 1981 as part of their planned “50 Series”. The SD50 was, in essence, a transition model of the 1970s era Dash 2 series of locomotive.
Originally produced by EMD as an immediate response to General Electric’s Dash 7 line of locomotives which were becoming more favorable with current roads—providing more competition for EMD. While EMD’s current SD40-2 model provided a reliable locomotive for most class 1 railroads at the time, GE Transportation was gaining more inroads with the 3,600hp Dash 7s. The Dash 7s boasted more modern technology and GE Transportation was providing competitive financing and maintenance programs to assist purchasers of their offerings. While EMD’s SD45 and SD45-2s - with their 3,600 horsepower were successful, the large 20-cylinder engines were not fuel-efficient. This lack of efficiency, alongside reported issues of reliability, caused many railroads to rethink their motive power provder. This was further magnified in the 1970s when the fuel crisis impacted general transportation as well as the railroad industry.
In May of 1981, EMD unveiled the new SD50 which would feature an updated version of the V16 645 from the venerable SD40-2, upgraded to 3,500 hp at 900rpm. The SD50 had a longer frame and much longer long hood than its predecessors. Other improvements came from moving the dynamic brake resistors for the dynamic brake grid from the traditional location above the prime mover to a cooler temperature location in front of the engine compartment air intakes, closer to the electrical switchgear. This, in turn, separated them from other systems, resulting in simplified maintenance for both the prime mover as well as the electrical system. A grand total of 426 units were produced when production ceased in Feb of 1986.
SD50 SERIES LOCOMOTIVE NEW FEATURES:
SOUND-EQUIPPED MODELS ALSO FEATURE
Missouri Pacific
When the Missouri Pacific took delivery of its 60 SD50s in November and December of 1984, #5000 – 5059, the as delivered units wore the corporate colors of Armour yellow and Harbor Mist Gray. MP was now part of the Union Pacific family in one of the largest mergers in history at that point. These “Canaries” as they were to be known by railfans looked to share the same color scheme as the Union Pacific, however there were some distinguishing paint differences between MP and UP locomotives. All MP locomotives featured the Missouri Pacific spelled out on the long hood in MP “North Little Rock” font, the trucks were painted gray rather than silver and the anti-glare panel on top of the short hood painted gray rather than the UP’s green. After 1986, operations between the MP and UP consolidated and complete control was acquired by the UP in 1997 and the units were eventually repainted with full UP lettering.
MP FEATURES:
Looking for more Athearn SD-50 Diesel Locomotives? Click here!