Road. Most modelers will leave it, but one could address this. All the model needs is a layout to run on. Since it was intended for mainline freight service, a consist of two or three would look and sound, if so equipped, great. Our North Western sample came equipped with a Soundtraxx Tsunami sound decoder and it performed flaw- lessly. When the power is turned on there is the familiar sound of an EMD starting up, then idling with the occa- sional “phfft” of condensed water being expelled from the brake system. It makes all the right sounds as the throttle is notched up or down. Out of the box and using an NCE Power Cab, the locomotive began rolling slowly and smooth at the first movement of the thumb dial, accelerating and slow- ing down without a hitch throughout a reasonable speed range. (I “eyeballed” what looked right, which is what most of us do anyway.) A running test was done with a string of freight cars with one gon hav- ing some chunks of metal in it for extra weight, and there was no problem mov- ing the train. DCC or analog d.c., if you are having trouble starting a train or operating it on grades, do what the railroads do: add more units (multiple- unit consisting in DCC), shorten the train, double the hill, or use a pusher out of the yard. You will be fine with this engine–it will move the freight. All the usual DCC features are avail- able with the Tsunami decoder, includ- ing the options to change speed charac- teristics, change horns or the volume, do m.u. consisting and fine tune the speed to run well with its mates, turn the headlights off on trailing units, and the like. DCC locomotives come set to the default address 3, which is easily changed, usually to the engine’s num- ber. Inside, the model contains the ven- erable Athearn power chassis with fly- wheels, lighting wires and, in this case, the decoder and speaker. The head- lights reverse automatically. While a DCC locomotive can be operated with a regular d.c. power pack (preferably
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having filtered d.c. and the pulse power turned off), the full range of features will not work. I prefer not to run them that way.
Athearn released the Chicago &
North Western models in four road numbers: 1725, 1749, 1753, and 1755. DCC-equipped locomotives retail for $289.98, and analog (d.c.) models cost $189.98. Most locomotives in this series were rebuilt and renumbered into the 4500 series beginning around 1980. Re- built units lasted into the UP era. Oth- ers rolled along on CNW until about 1985 before being traded in, and No. 1755 got a chopped short hood in one of its trips to the shop. There are modeling opportunities beyond what comes in the Athearn box, including later paint jobs, and there are resources for those who wish to research the possibilities. Start with the Chicago & North Western His- torical Society and their publications. Athearn also provided a copy of a re- built Southern Pacific, GP9 No. 3778. The SP’s GP9 roster encompassed 15 orders,
well over 300 locomotives
spread over EMD’s 1954-1959 produc- tion when you count subsidiaries T&NO and SSW. There were differ- ences in appliances and equipment from the start, then rebuilding pro- grams and fleet re-numberings. Add to this a long service history and you have a roster that is interesting and varied. To help sort this out, join the Southern Pacific Historical and Techni- cal Society and buy Joseph Strapac’s book, Southern Pacific Historic Diesels, Vol. 7, GP9, still listed as in print at Shade Tree Books. Finally, use the In- ternet with care.
Two rebuilding programs involved the
SP’s GP9 roster between 1970 and 1980, with only about two dozen units missing their turns, and even two consecutive road numbers did not always have the same appearance when they came out of Sacramento Shops. That said, Athearn produced four rebuilt GP9’s, commonly identified as GP9R locomotives in our circles, though GP9E is also seen for some series. Like our diesel “phases,”
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