PROTOTYPE AND BACKGROUND INFO:
In 1949, EMD introduced the GP7. The basic design followed most diesel switchers with the addition of a short hood instead of an end-cab. The hoods were also full height to better accommodate the diesel engine and mechanical and electrical components.
Many railroads chose to rebuild their GP7s and GP9s for continued service. Often times, it was cheaper to do this rather than purchasing brand-new locomotives. Some railroads adopted a GP7R designation to indicate a rebuilt unit.
The EMD GP18 began production in late 1959 and was based on the builders extraordinarily successful GP9, although the latter model was still in production at the time. The GP18 is considered the last of the builders first generation models. Similar in appearance to the GP7 and GP9, the GP18 was slightly more powerful and came with the option of a low or high short cab hood, something that had only been upon special request with EMDs first two road switcher models. It used the final version of General Motors first locomotive prime mover, the 16-cylinder model 567D1 which could produce 1,800 horsepower, the most powerful in the series up to that time. At just over 56 feet in length the GP18 was the same length as its predecessor models and was visually very similar, with the exception of new radiator grills which were also used on the GP20.
While thousands of GP7s and GP9s were produced just a few hundred GP18s were ultimately built for a little more than two dozen railroads. Today, several GP18s remain in operation on numerous shortlines and industrial operations around the country.
GP7/GP18 SERIES LOCOMOTIVE FEATURES:
Coupler cut levers
Flexible Trainline and MU hoses
Drop steps unless noted
MU stands
Nub style walkway tread
Windshield wipe
Lift rings
Wire grab irons
Windshield wipers
Sander lines
NEW! Roof access hatches on non-dynamic units per prototype
Bell placement & type per prototype
Blomberg-B trucks with appropriate bearing caps
Speed recorder unless noted
See-through cab windows and full cab interior
Fine-scale Celcon handrails for scale appearance
Etched metal radiator intake grilles and fan grilles
Air tanks mounted below sill unless noted
Body-mounted McHenry scale knuckle couplers - Kadee compatible
DCC-ready features Quick Plug plug-and-play technology with 21-pin NEM connector
Scaled from prototype resources including drawings, field measurements, photographs, and more
Accurately-painted and printed paint schemes
Genesis driveline with 5-pole skew wound motor, precision machined flywheels, and multi-link drivetrain
All-wheel drive with precision gears for smooth & quiet operation
All-wheel electrical pickup provides reliable current flow
Wheels with RP25 contours operate on all popular brands of track
Bidirectional constant LED lighting so headlight brightness remains constant
Heavy die-cast frame for greater traction and more pulling power
Packaging securely holds model for safe storage
Minimum radius: 18 Recommended radius: 22
SOUND-EQUIPPED MODELS ALSO FEATURE:
Onboard DCC decoder with SoundTraxx Tsunami2 so
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
