HO G2 AC4400CW w/DCC & Sound, SP #239 Overview
Built between April and Nov of 1995, SP placed an order for 279 AC4400CW's from General Electric. Not only was this SP's first dive into AC technology but was their largest single locomotive order (and last) in history. GE set up a maintenance shop in Denver CO to support these units. They featured Harris Locotrol II equipment for use in DPU service; although they were used for dedicated power on Colorado coal trains, they could also be found roaming the system wherever they were needed
Introduced by GE in 1993 and built until 2004, when it was replaced by the Evolution Series Tier II compliant model, the AC4400CW is a staple of modern railroading. 2,834 examples were built with many still plying the rails in their as delivered configurations or as rebuilt variations. Many Class 1, regional, and foreign railroads purchased the AC4400CWs. Ownership spanned the North American Continent and with their long lives, have seen numerous paint scheme variations and ownership changes through the years. The AC4400CW went through many changes during its production. Some are easily noticeable; early units being delivered with GE's Hi-Adhesion Trucks, while later units that had the option for newly developed GE Steerable Truck. Other details are smaller and takes a careful eye to see; the addition of a door stop, how the step wells are reinforced, or the number and positioning of panels and doors.
Athearn has captured all these details thorough research and precision tooling to reproduce dozens of variations. The newly tooled Genesis AC4400CW takes its reign as the new flagship model for Athearn.