Prototype Profile
Learn the in-depth history of the actual real-world prototype trains that inspired your favorite scale models.
January 5, 2021
Prototype Profile: Espee’s 100-plus C44-9Ws
Among Southern Pacific’s last locomotive purchases was a group of 101 General Electric C44-9Ws.
December 25, 2020
Prototype Profile: EMD’s Elegant E8
After several early efforts EMD’s E-unit series came into wide-spread use with models like the E8 in the 1950s.
December 7, 2020
Prototype Profile: Toronto, Hamilton & Buffalo Diesels
Among Athearn November 2020 announcements are all three GP7s owned by Toronto, Hamilton & Buffalo. This small Canadian railroad makes for an interesting road to model.
November 9, 2020
Canadian National and Norfolk Southern SD70ACU
The SD70ACU is a rebuilt six-axle diesel locomotive that utilizes SD90MAC cores.
October 5, 2020
Rio Grande’s Famous 5771
Rio Grande’s 5771 may be the photographed F-unit of all time.
September 24, 2020
Four EMD GP38-2s for Illinois Terminal
Illinois Terminal added four EMD GP38-2s to its roster in the late 1970s and Athearn included them in a Genesis-series production of HO-scale models.
September 21, 2020
Santa Fe’s SD40-2s and Kato’s N-scale model
Santa Fe’s SD40-2 fleet joined the roster in the late 1970s and saw several modifications later in their careers.
August 20, 2020
Reading’s Five EMD GP40-2s
Reading’s Five GP40-2s were among the last new power for the railroad, and the subject of an Athearn Genesis HO-scale model.
August 6, 2020
86-foot High-Cube Boxcars
The development of 86-foot high-cube boxcars was a joint venture between several U.S. railroads and freight car builder American Car & Foundry.
February 16, 2018
Prototype Profile: EMD FP7 Diesels
During the years General Motors’ Electro-Motive Division (EMD) produced F-units (1939–1960), the diesel builder and its Canadian counterpart General Motors Diesel (GMD), sold approximately 4,700 examples of the iconic streamlined locomotives.
