Description
Railroad Short Name: NS
Prototype Information:
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 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.
NS was an important customer with over 1,000 DASH 9s on the roster. They preferred customized models in the form of 100 spartan-cab equipped, 4,000hp C40-9s (nicknamed “Top Hats”) and numerous examples of safety cab-equipped versions rated at 4,000hp, and designated as C40-9Ws. All C40-9/Ws would eventually be uprated to 4,400hp with their designations changed accordingly.
Features:
- New road numbers
- Era: 2000 – 2013
- Series 9535 to 9694, built 2000
- Road numbers 9535 and 9593
- Original NS Scheme with Solid Frame Stripe
- Fully-assembled
- Multiple road numbers
- Operating LED-illuminated front and rear deck-mounted alternating ditch lights*
- Printed and LED-illuminated number boards*
- Factory-applied detail parts: wire grab irons, trainline hoses with silver gladhands, 3-hose MU clusters with silver gladhands, MU cable, uncoupling levers, windshield wipers, mirrors, sunshades, brake wheel, and more
- Tall snow plow with open doors and grab irons
- Semi-scale Type E knuckle couplers – Micro-Trains® compatible
- Body mounted coupler box – accepts Micro-Trains® 1015/1016 type couplers without modification
- 5-step stepwells
- Walkway with front and rear anti climbers
- GE “nub” pattern walkway tread
- Wide profile end handrails
- Nose door without window
- Front LED-illuminated headlight with lenses on number board housing
- GE safety cab with three (3) side windows
- Detailed cab interior with floor, rear wall, seats, and desktop
- Tinted cab side windows
- Large Sinclair “ice skate” communication antenna and small Sinclair “ice skate” End of Train (EOT) telemetry antenna
- Dayton Phoenix (DPG) Model 280260 HVAC Unit
- Late (angled) engine cab profile
- Late non-flanged exhaust stack housing
- “Bathtub” exhaust silencer
- Late radiator door grilles in alternating heights
- Low-mounted rear sand filler
- Late lifting lugs on ends of radiator wings
- Rear LED-illuminated vertical headlight with lenses
- Accurately profiled frame with separately applied plumbing and traction motor cabling
- GE Hi-Ad trucks with separately applied brake cylinders and air plumbing
- Separate air tanks with lower mounting brackets
- Fuel tank mounted electronic bell
- 5,000 gallon fuel tank
- Single fuel fills per side
- Motor with 5-pole skew wound armature
- Dual flywheels
- All-wheel drive
- All-wheel electrical pick-up
- Printing and lettering legible under magnification
- Operates on Code 55 and 80 rail
- Packaging safely stores model
- Minimum Radius: 9 ¾”
- Recommended Radius: 11”
DC Features:
- Operates on DC layouts
- DCC ready with E24 connector
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