Bachmann - 66851 - Locomotive, Diesel, EMD GP38-2 - Burlington Northern Santa Fe - 2081

Specific Item Information: EMD’s diesel-electric road switcher, the GP38-2, began production in 1972 as an upgraded model of the earlier GP38. Looking almost identical to its predecessor thanks to a standard body and cab design used throughout the 1980s, the GP38-2 became widely used on railways across the country and can still be found in service today. Equipped with an EconamiTM SoundTraxx® sound decoder and factory-set for GP38-2 realism, the diesel package offers a choice of 5 prime movers, 16 airhorns, multiple variations of 7 bell types, 2 air compressors, 3 couplers, plus a function-activated grade-crossing signal—all in 16-bit polyphonic sound. The EconamiTM sound system includes adjustable auto-notching sensitivity for prototypical operation, adjustable master volume, individual sound effect volume levels, advanced consisting, and more. Additional features include: • DCC sound-equipped with EconamiTM Sound Value package • dual-mode NMRA-compliant decoder • directional headlights with Rule 17 dimming • precision motor • flywheel • die-cast frame • fine-scale handrails • separately applied detail parts • E-Z Mate® Mark II couplers, front and rear

Model Information: EMD’s diesel-electric road switcher, the GP38-2, began production in 1972 as an upgraded model of the earlier GP38. Looking almost identical to its predecessor thanks to a standard body and cab design used throughout the 1980s, the GP38-2 became widely used on railways across the country and can still be found in service today. Equipped with an EconamiTM SoundTraxx® sound decoder and factory-set for GP38-2 realism, the diesel package offers a choice of 5 prime movers, 16 airhorns, multiple variations of 7 bell types, 2 air compressors, 3 couplers, plus a function-activated grade-crossing signal—all in 16-bit polyphonic sound. The EconamiTM sound system includes adjustable auto-notching sensitivity for prototypical operation, adjustable master volume, individual sound effect volume levels, advanced consisting, and more. Additional features include: • DCC sound-equipped with EconamiTM Sound Value package • dual-mode NMRA-compliant decoder • directional headlights with Rule 17 dimming • precision motor • flywheel • die-cast frame • fine-scale handrails • separately applied detail parts • E-Z Mate® Mark II couplers, front and rear

Prototype History: The EMD GP38-2 is a four-axle diesel-electric locomotive of the road switcher type built by General Motors, Electro-Motive Division. Part of the EMD Dash 2 line, the GP38-2 was an upgraded version of the earlier GP38. Power is provided by an EMD 645E 16-cylinder engine, which generates 2000 horsepower (1.5 MW). Most built still remain in service in the modern era due to ease of maintenance and exceptional reliability.

The GP38-2 differs externally from the earlier GP38 only in minor details. Its most distinctive identifying feature is the cooling water level sight glass on the right side of the long hood. The battery box covers of the Dash 2s are bolted down instead of hinged. It can be distinguished from the contemporary GP39-2 and GP40-2 in that its Roots blown engine had two exhaust stacks, one on each side of the dynamic brake fan, if equipped, while the turbocharged GP39-2 and GP40-2 has a single stack. The GP39-2 has two radiator fans on the rear of the long hood like the GP38-2, while the GP40-2 has three. It was also available with either a high-short-hood, common on Norfolk Southern units, or a low-short-hood, which is found on most other railroads.

From Wikipedia

Road Name History: The BNSF Railway (reporting mark BNSF) is one of the largest freight railroad networks in North America, second to the Union Pacific Railroad (UP) (its primary competitor for Western U.S. freight), and is one of seven North American Class I railroads. It has 48,000 employees, 32,500 miles (52,300 km) of track in 28 states, and over 8,000 locomotives. It has three transcontinental routes that provide high-speed links between the western and eastern United States. BNSF trains traveled over 169 million miles in 2010, more than any other North American railroad.[2] The BNSF and UP have a duopoly on all transcontinental freight rail lines in the Western U.S. and share trackage rights over thousands of miles of track.

According to corporate press releases, the BNSF Railway is among the top transporters of intermodal freight in North America. It also hauls bulk cargo. For instance, the railroad hauls enough coal to generate roughly ten percent of the electricity produced in the United States.

Headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, the railroad is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc.

The creation of BNSF started with the formation of a holding company, the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corporation on September 22, 1995. This new holding company then purchased the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway (often called the "Santa Fe") and Burlington Northern Railroad, and formally merged the railways into the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway on December 31, 1996. On January 24, 2005, the railroad's name was officially changed to "BNSF Railway," using the initials of its original name.

In 1999, Burlington Northern Santa Fe and the Canadian National Railway announced their intention to merge and form a new corporation entitled North American Railways to be headquartered in Montreal, Canada. The United States' Surface Transportation Board (STB) placed a 15-month moratorium on all rail mergers, which ended this merger.

On November 3, 2009, Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway announced it would acquire the remaining 77.4 percent of BNSF it did not already own for $100 per share in cash and stock - a deal valued at $44 billion. The company is investing an estimated $34 billion in BNSF and acquiring $10 billion in debt. On February 12, 2010, shareholders of Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corporation voted in favor of the acquisition.

Brand/Importer Information: Bachmann Industries (Bachmann Brothers, Inc.) is a Bermuda registered Chinese owned company, globally headquartered in Hong Kong; specializing in model railroading.

Founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the home of its North American headquarters, Bachmann is today part of the Kader group, who model products are made at a Chinese Government joint-venture plant in Dongguan, China. Bachmann's brand is the largest seller, in terms of volume, of model trains in the world. Bachmann primarily specializes in entry level train sets, and premium offerings in many scales. The Spectrum line is the high quality, model railroad product line, offered in N, HO, Large Scale, On30, and Williams O gauge all aimed for the hobbyist market. Bachmann is the producer of the famous railroad village product line known as "Plasticville." The turnover for Bachmann model trains for the year ended 31 December 2006 was approximately $46.87 million, a slight increase of 3.36% as compared to 2005.