Rapido 38520 HO GP38 w/(DC/DCC/Sound) - Norfolk Southern (High Nose w/Ditch Lights) #2795

The GP38. That “other” Geep you’ve been waiting for! At long last there is a proto-specific, dynamically detailed, Electro-Motive General Purpose “38” class locomotive. And it only took 50 years since the last straight 38 rolled out of La Grange, Illinois. This venerable locomotive packed 2,000 hp, low or high short hoods and paved the way for future “GP” models to follow. 706 of these four-axle beasts were manufactured at EMD’s La Grange Plant, at the heart of railroad world. Of the 706 built, Penn Central, B&O and Southern were the largest purchasers of this model. Southern’s were unique in that they continued an age-old tradition of ordering high short hoods for added crew safety. Their eye-pleasing black, white and gold striping along with their harmonious Nathan P horns certainly made them fan favorites. By the 90s, many GP38s were worn down and ready for a rebuild. Many roads either sold them to leasing companies or elected to rebuild them to Dash 2 standards, some chopping the high hoods down. With the reduction of many four-axle locomotives on class one rosters, many of these locomotives can still be found racking up miles on regional roads and shortlines. In fact, even some tourist and museums have GP38s! •Measured from a living GP38 •Road-specific details for each model •Rapido’s innovative dead straight metal side handrails with plastic stanchions •Incredible underframe detail including traction motor cables, air filters and a silly number of separately-applied parts •Road-specific battery box doors •Separate grab irons and handrails installed at the factory •Operating headlights, rear lights, tri-colour class lights AND ditch lights and beacons (where appropriate). •Highly detailed cab interior •Correct fuel tank sizes per road number •Multiple styles of stepwells. (ATSF has correct “Switcher-style steps) •See-through, etched steps High short hood •Separately applied wire grabs •Appropriate cab or nose headlights •Multiple truck sideframes tooled •Multiple dynamic-brake hatches and air filters •And much, much more! •DC/Silent (21-pin DCC Ready) or DC/DCC/ESU LokSound