Athearn ATHG-1156 GEN EMD SD70ACU With DCC & Sound, CP/Military Tribute #6644 Diesel Locomotive

SD70ACU SERIES LOCOMOTIVE FEATURES:

• Illuminated truck lights
• See-through air intakes
• Illuminated number boards
• Minimum radius: 18” — Recommended radius: 22”

GENESIS DIESEL LOCOMOTIVE FEATURES:

• CP #6644 completes the collection of Armed Forces series
• First time all Armed Forces locomotives have been offered as a set!
• Animated Roller Bearing Trucks
• Coupler cut levers
• Flexible trainline hose
• Full cab interior
• Windshield wipers
• Lift rings
• Flexible MU hoses
• See-through cab windows
• Walkway tread
• 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, and 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
• Eight-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

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

PROTOTYPE AND BACKGROUND INFO:

In September of 2014, Norfolk Southern purchased 100 ex-Union Pacific SD90MAC locomotives from EMD/Progress Rail to assist in the high volume traffic that NS was experiencing. As AC traction was being more accepted by the railroad, which previously had relied solely on DC power, the 90MACs fit the new direction of motive power for the railroad.

Starting in 2016, NS began the SD70ACU capital rebuild program using the SD90MAC units as cores. All major components were either overhauled or replaced, including an overhaul of the 710G3C prime mover. Most notable in the rebuild is that from the electrical cabinet forward, all new components were used, including a new ACe style isolated cab with AAR-style control stand. The new electrical cabinet contains Mitsubishi electronics, replacing the 90MAC’s original Siemens equipment.

Later, starting in 2018, Canadian Pacific announced a plan to acquire 30 SD70ACU units from EMD/Progress Rail using their laid up fleet of SD90MAC locomotives as core units. That number was later increased from 30 to 60. They also acquired 2 ex-Union Pacific units, in 2019.

In November of 2019, CP painted 5 SD70ACU’s into 5 separate military inspired paint schemes. These units commemorate the armed forces and a special tribute locomotive for D-Day wearing camo and the Allied invasion stripes used on June 6, 1944.

All Canadian Pacific units were completed by 2020, including CP 7030 which features the Lord Strathcona’s Herald. The CP Rail units can be seen plying the rails of Canada and the US, with a few having even reached Mexico!