Athearn Genesis HO G71737 GP38-2, Union Pacific #2047

By the early 1970s, many first generation diesels were reaching the end of their service lives. The most common replacement locomotive became the GP38-2. EMD began production of the 16-cylinder, non-turbocharged, 2000 horsepower engine in 1972. Unlike the GP38’s engine, which drove a generator to supply power to the traction motors, the GP38-2s prime mover drove an alternator which produced AC electrical current that was rectified to DC to power the four traction motors. Another major change for the GP38-2 was the introduction of the “dash 2” modular electrical cabinet. For more than 40 years, the GP38-2 has worked main line freights, locals, switching jobs, yard service, helpers, snow fighting trains, and hump power. Many remain in service today.

UP FEATURES:
Newly tooled roof conduit and coupler levers
Lighted class lights
Lighted number boards
Leslie 3-chime horn
Xenon beacon
Large fuel tank
Firecracker antenna
Truck mounted re-railers

UP’s initial order for GP38-2’s in 1974 for 40 units (#2000-2039) ushered a new batch of road switchers for the carrier. This first order included the common regular EMD steps, Beacon, Canvas style sun shades, and large front EMD plow. UP went back the following year and ordered 20 more. The second batch had switcher steps which gave them a distinct different look. By the late 1970s, UP started to adopt a larger font name on the sides of their locomotives. One of the most notable detail changes was the horn being moved to the front roof of the cab and a piping conduit running along the roof of the unit. We have added this feature including UP’s modified coupler levers on both ends and the pilot mounted lifting lugs. These were originally assigned to the pacific north west, but could be found all over the system. Most of these are still earning revenue for UP today.

ROAD NUMBER SPECIFIC FEATURES:
#2016
1980s repaint
Larger lettering along the hood
Numbers on the cab
Regular EMD steps

#2022
1980s repaint
Larger lettering and numbers along the hood
UP shield on the cab
Regular EMD steps

#2047
1980s repaint
Larger lettering and numbers along the hood
UP shield on the cab
Switcher style EMD steps

GP38-2 SERIES LOCOMOTIVE FEATURES:
Operating Class Lights
Operating Number boards

GENESIS DIESEL LOCOMOTIVE FEATURES:
Coupler cut levers
MU hoses
Trainline hose
See-through cab windows
Full cab interior
Walkway tread
Windshield wipers
Lift rings
Wire grab irons
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
Minimum radius: 18″ – Recommended radius: 22″