Northern Alberta Railways rostered eleven total GP9s, numbers 201-211. The paint scheme depicted here was in use from 1965-1975. The road was jointly owned by CP and CN until 1981, when CN bought out CP’s share of ownership. NAR GP9s could be found leading both freight and (with the help of a steam generator car) passenger trains.
GP9 SERIES LOCOMOTIVE FEATURES:
Full cab interior
Wire grab irons
Coupler cut levers
See-through cab windows
Flexible rubber trainline hose
Flexible rubber MU hoses
Drop steps unless noted
“Nub” style walkway tread
Lift rings
Sander lines
Windshield wipers
MU stands
See-through cab windows
Bell placement & type per prototype
Etched metal radiator intake grilles and fan grilles
DCC-ready features Quick Plug™ plug-and-play technology with 21-pin NEM connector
Fine-scale Celcon handrails for scale appearance
Detailed fuel tank with fuel fillers, fuel gauges, breather pipes, and retention tanks
Genesis driveline with 5-pole skew wound motor, precision machined flywheels, and multi-link drivetrain
All-wheel drive with precision gears for smooth & quiet operation
All-wheel electrical pickup provides reliable current flow
Wheels with RP25 contours operate on all popular brands of track
Bidirectional constant LED lighting so headlight brightness remains constant
Heavy die-cast frame for greater traction and more pulling power
Scaled from prototype resources including drawings, field measurements, photographs, and more
Accurately-painted and –printed paint schemes
Fully-assembled and ready-to-run
Packaging securely holds model for safe storage
Minimum radius: 18” — Recommended radius: 22”
SOUND-EQUIPPED MODELS ALSO FEATURE
Onboard DCC decoder with SoundTraxx Tsunami2 sound
Dual cube speakers for optimal sound quality
Sound units operate in both DC and DCC
Full DCC functions available when operated in DCC mode
Engine, horn, and bell sounds work in DC
All functions NMRA compatible in DCC mode
Precision slow speed control
Program a multiple unit (MU) lashup with lead unit only horn, bell, and lights
Many functions can be altered via Configuration Value (CV) changes
CV chart included in the box
PROTOTYPE SPECIFIC INFORMATION
In 1949, EMD introduced the GP7. The basic design followed most diesel switchers with the addition of a short hood instead of an end-cab. The hoods were also full height to better accommodate the diesel engine and mechanical and electrical components.
In 1954 EMD upgraded the GP7 to become the 1,750 horsepower GP9. Externally, the first GP9s were virtually unchanged from the last GP7s. Later versions would include different louver arrangements and the last ones would come without the frame skirting. The GP9 was available with all of the fuel tank, steam generator, and dynamic brake options as the GP7, including “torpedo tube” air tanks mounted on the roof.
Many railroads chose to rebuild their GP7s and GP9s for continued service. Often times, it was cheaper to do this rather than purchasing brand-new locomotives.
