Scale Trains HO Rivet Counter C44-9W GE Demonstrator “GECX”

Description

Railroad Short Name: GECX

General Electric wrestled the title of top domestic locomotive builder from EMD during the late 1980s with their Dash-8 series. GE once again positioned themselves to shakeup the locomotive world yet again less than a decade later. Entering the 1990s, GE completely revamped their locomotive lineup by utilizing customer feedback, learning from experience gained from previous locomotive series, and improvements in technology.

A single C44-9W demonstrator unit, numbered 8601, made its debut in 1993 (and later became C&NW 8601). While similar at first glance to predecessor models like the C40-8 and C40-8W, the Dash-9 series featured a few notable physical differences. Built on a slightly longer platform that allowed for a massive 5,000 gallon fuel tank, Dash-9s also featured thicker radiator “wings” at the rear of the carbody. This is usually the quickest way to differentiate them from previous models.

Thanks to its long production span and customer options, small detail differences could be noted between various customer orders. This includes changes with HVAC system vendors (the large “A/C” box behind the cab on the conductors side), engine cab profile, radiator lifting lugs, hood end, trucks, fuel tank, stepwells, operator’s cab, and even handrail profiles.

The C44-9W proved to be extremely popular over its production span with over 3,500 locomotives being sold new to ATSF, BC Rail, BNSF, CN, C&NW, NS (including 100 spartan cab equipped versions, nicknamed “Top Hats”), QNS&L, SP, and UP.

Locomotive Features:

• Era: Late 1993 to 1994
• General Electric Dash-9-44CW Demonstrator 8601, built November 1993 (became CNW 8601)
• Fully-assembled
• Operating LED ground lights on both sides of locomotive*
• Operating LED front, rear, and side walkway lights*
• Operating LED front pilot face mounted ditch lights**
• LED-illuminated low-mount cab number boards*
• Tall snowplow with open doors and grab irons
• Semi-scale coupler buffer equipped with durable metal semi-scale Type E knuckle couplers
• 5-step stepwells with see-through steps
• Walkway with front anticlimber
• GE “nub” pattern walkway tread
• Narrow profile end handrails
• Front nose headlight
• Nose door with window
• One-piece nose top grab irons
• Standard electrical cabinet access doors
• Battery cabinet access door with latch
• GE safety cab with three (3) side windows
• Cab interior with detailed back wall and front dash, high-back seats, conductor’s work station, and engineer’s desktop controls
• Tinted cab side windows
• Tall mirror mounted in front of sliding cab side windows on both sides; additional small mirror on right side
• Large Sinclair “ice skate” communication antenna, small Sinclair “ice skate” End of Train (EOT) telemetry antenna and small “cone” antenna
• Electrical cabinet with drop grab irons on rear
• “Blanked” Prime PM5191 HVAC housing
• Alternating reinforcement ribs under dynamic brake intake grilles
• Early dynamic brake exhaust
• Early curved engine cab profile
• Lost-wax brass cast Nathan AirChime K5HAR24 horn mounted on engine cab
• Early flanged exhaust stack housing
• “Bathtub” exhaust silencer
• 26 individually-applied etched metal see-through radiator intake and exhaust grilles on sides and top of radiator compartment
• Early radiator door grille pattern (all the same height)
• Standard brake wheel
• Tall latched access door on long hood end (if applicable)
• Low-mounted rear sand fill
• Early lifting lugs on ends of radiator wings
• Accurately profiled frame with separately-applied plumbing and traction motor cabling
• Early Hi-Ad trucks with reinforcement bulge, and non-cantilevered struts on all four sideframes
• Rotating axle bearing caps
• Speed recorder on second axle both sides
• Dual Graham-White (Salem) 824-100 Centrifugal Air Filters
• No air dryer
• 5,000-gallon fuel tank with vertical weld seams
• Dual fuel fills per side
• Round and vertical analog fuel gauges
• Fuel tank mounted steel bell
• Separate air tanks with lower mounting brackets, connector pipe, and connector pipe cover
• Early, square handbrake chain bracket
• CNW-style spare coupler knuckle holders on rear pilot face
• Factory-applied detail parts: wire grab irons, spare knuckles, trainline hoses with silver gladhands, 3-hose MU clusters with silver gladhands, uncoupling levers, windshield wipers, mirrors, sunshades, and more
• Motor with 5-pole, skew-wound armature
• Dual flywheels
• All-wheel drive
• All-wheel electrical pick-up
• Directional LED headlights
• Printing and lettering legible under magnification
• Operates on Code 70, 83, and 100 rail
• Packaging safely stores model
• Minimum Radius: 18”
• Recommended Radius: 22”

DCC & sound ready locomotives also feature:

• Operate on DC layouts
• DCC ready with 21-pin connector