{"product_id":"mth-20-20136-1-norfolk-western-gp-9-diesel-engine-w-ps2-502-ex","title":"MTH 20-20136-1 Norfolk \u0026 Western GP-9 Diesel Engine w\/PS2 #502 EX","description":"Electro-Motive Division's GP (for General Purpose) engines were the brainchild of project engineer Dick Dilworth. In the late 1940s, Dilworth saw that America's 30,000 miles of main line rail had been virtually dieselized, but the 130,000 miles of secondary lines that carried half of the nation's freight traffic were still largely steam powered. He viewed that as a huge marketing opportunity. In The Dilworth Story, a book published by Electro-Motive Division in 1954, Dilworth explained how he tried to meet that opportunity: In planning the GP, I had two dreams. The first was to make a locomotive so ugly in appearance that no railroad would want it on the main line or anywhere near headquarters, but would keep it out as far as possible in the back country, where it could do really useful work. My second dream was to make it so simple in construction and so devoid of Christmas-tree ornaments and other whimsy that the price would be materially below our standard main-line freight locomotives. Of course, Dilworth's explanation conveniently ignored the fact that Alco's arguably uglier RS-1 had introduced the road switcher concept eight years before EMD. And in one sense, Dilworth's project was a failure. Railroads bought Geeps for mainline service and relegated older power to secondary lines as they had always done. But his brainchild became the runaway best-seller among first-generation diesel power. U.S. and Canadian railroads bought nearly 7,000 copies of the 1500 horsepower GP7, introduced in 1949, and the 1750 horsepower GP9, produced from 1954 through 1963. In those early days of diesel power, experienced engineers loved the Geep cab because, unlike the new streamliners, it felt like home to them. An engineer in a Geep running long hood forward sat near the back of the engine, looking out over the power plant - just as he had in a steam engine. Even running short hood forward, the engineer's view was out past the engine's nose, similar to a steamer. The GP9 returns to the Premier line with the full range of superb detailing you expect in a Premier locomotive: see-through end steps, body side grilles, and roof fan housings; metal side and end handrails; separate metal grab irons; metal lift rings on its roof panels; windshield wipers; and the super-detailed Blomberg trucks introduced earlier on our Premier F-units. Our Geeps also feature authentic first-generation diesel sounds including a single-chime air horn and the throb of an EMD 16-cylinder model 567 prime mover - so named because each of its cylinders displaced 567 cubic inches. Features: •Intricately Detailed ABS Body •Diecast Truck Sides, Pilots and Fuel Tank •Colorful Paint Scheme •Metal Chassis •Metal Handrails and Decorative Horn •(2) Engineer Cab Figures •Metal Body Side Grilles •Operating Smoke Unit •(2) Remotely Controlled Proto-Couplers •1:48 Scale Proportions •Metal Wheels, Axles and Gears •(2) Precision Flywheel Equipped Motors •Locomotive Speed Control In Scale MPH Increments •Lighted Cab Interior •Illuminated Number Boards •Lighted Marker Lights •Moveable Roof Fan Blades •Proto-Sound 2.0 With The Digital Command System Featuring: Freight Yard Proto-Effects •Unit Measures:14 3\/4 x 2 1\/2 x 3 3\/4 •Operates On O-31 Curves.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis item has been graded per TCA standards C-7: Excellent based on visual appearance. Due to the date of manufacture, the buyer may need to replace the battery. Some of the trim pieces are loose but still intact with the unit. The overall appearance of this item may be improved with a gentle and thorough cleaning. There are light rub marks and scratches on the surface of the shell and chassis. The wheels show average run-time. The original box is not included. The instruction manual is not included. Overall condition is Excellent.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCondition:\u003c\/strong\u003e Excellent (\u003ca href=\"#\" title=\"C-7: All original: minute scratches and paint nicks; no rust or missing parts; no distortion of parts. Standards for all toy train related accessory items apply to the visual appearance of the item and do not consider the operating functionality of the equipment. Condition and Grading Standards are subjective, at best, and are intended to act as a guide.\"\u003eC-7\u003c\/a\u003e)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOperational Status:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"#\" title=\"The condition of this item leads us to believe it is fully functional.\"\u003eFunctional\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOriginal Box:\u003c\/strong\u003e No\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eManufacturer:\u003c\/strong\u003e MTH\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eModel Number:\u003c\/strong\u003e 20-20136-1\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRoad Name:\u003c\/strong\u003e Norfolk \u0026amp; Western (NW)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eScale\/Era:\u003c\/strong\u003e O Modern\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eModel Type:\u003c\/strong\u003e Diesel Loco\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Trainz SKU for this item is 6420286. \u003cbr\u003e","brand":"MTH","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44218169524346,"sku":"6420286","price":381.14,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1260\/4747\/files\/U6420286-87BEC42F.jpg?v=1790973405","url":"https:\/\/www.trainz.com\/products\/mth-20-20136-1-norfolk-western-gp-9-diesel-engine-w-ps2-502-ex","provider":"Trainz","version":"1.0","type":"link"}