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Atlas - 48930 - Locomotive, Diesel, EMD GP38 - Monongahela - 2001

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N Scale - Atlas - 48930 - Locomotive, Diesel, EMD GP38 - Monongahela - 2001 Image Courtesy of Atlas Model Railroad
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Stock Number48930
Original Retail Price$99.95
BrandAtlas
ManufacturerAtlas
Body StyleAtlas Diesel Engine GP38
Image Provider's WebsiteLink
Prototype VehicleLocomotive, Diesel, EMD GP38 (Details)
Road or Company NameMonongahela (Details)
Road or Reporting Number2001
Paint Color(s)Black
Print Color(s)Red and White
Coupler TypeAccuMate Magnetic Knuckle
Coupler MountBody-Mount
Wheel TypeChemically Blackened Metal
Wheel ProfileSmall Flange (Low Profile)
DCC ReadinessReady
Announcement Date2007-05-01
Release Date2007-10-01
Item CategoryLocomotives
Model TypeDiesel
Model SubtypeEMD
Model VarietyGP38
Prototype RegionNorth America
Prototype EraNA Era IV: 2nd Gen Diesel (1958 - 1978)
Scale1/160



Model Information: The Atlas GP38 is made in China and has always been made in China. These mechanisms run fine but the first releases (1996) do not support drop in decoders. Both versions use a dual-flywheel, split frame chassis with a 5-Pole skew-wound motor.
DCC Information: Early Chinese versions are DCC-friendly requiring a complicated split-board DCC install. Later versions are DCC-Ready accepting a 1 Amp N Scale Mobile Decoder for Atlas N-Scale GP40-2, U25B, SD35, Trainmaster, B23-7 and others (DN163A0) from digitrax.com. Unfortunately, the only way to tell which kind you have is to remove the shell and check the chassis. If it has two small lightboards, you have an old one in your hand. A single long lightboard indicates a DCC-Ready chassis.
As of the 2001 run, this model was also offered with factory-installed DCC decoder, first Lenz LE063XF and then (circa 2010s) a NCE decoder.
Since the 2018 run, it is only offered with ESU Loksound sound decoder without DCC no-sound option. So if you want a DCC no-sound, you'll need to install a decoder by yourself.
Prototype History:
The EMD GP38 is a 4-axle diesel-electric locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between January 1966 and December 1971. The locomotive's power was provided by an EMD 645 16-cylinder engine which generated 2,000 horsepower (1.49 MW). The company built 706 GP38s for North American railroads. In 1972, it was replaced by an updated model, the GP38-2.

From Wikipedia
Road Name History:
Monongahela (reporting marks MGA, although their logos showed MRY until the 1970s) began around 1901 as a joint venture between Pennsylvania Railroad and Pittsburg & Lake Erie to serve a coal producing region along the Pennsylvania – West Virginia border south of Brownsville, PA. Much of the line followed its namesake river. The size of the line changed constantly as nearby shortlines were acquired, coal branches were abandoned and new ones were built. The last major addition was the Waynesburg Southern built in 1968. Mileage for the MGA system hovered around 140 miles for most of its history. They interchanged with PRR, P&LE subsidiary Pittsburgh McKeesport & Youghiogheny in Pennsylvania and with B&O in West Virginia. B&O bought a 1/3 interest in the MGA in 1927.

In the early years, more coke was hauled than coal as dozens of coke oven operations were located on the line. Monongahela did have passenger service linking the mountain communities along the line but this service ended in 1950.

The early steam fleet consisted mostly of 2-8-0’s acquired second hand from PRR and P&LE along with 4-4-0’s for passenger service. Later 2-8-0 and 2-8-2’s were built new following PRR designs. Ex-P&LE Mikes also joined the roster. The 4-4-0’s were replaced by PRR design Atlantics. The last steamer was retired in 1954.

Steam power was replaced with an all-Baldwin diesel fleet. Over several years. MGA acquired 27 S12 switchers. In 1968, they received seven RF-16 shark nose A units and two B units from P&LE parent New York Central. Like the S12’s these were painted black and kept their NYC cigar band nose stripes with the oval MRY logo added to the nose. The 1970s and 80s brought five GP38’s and nine GP7’s (long-hood-forward) to replace the Baldwins. Beginning in 1990, they received eleven B-23-7R’s from GE Capital. These were Super-7’s with the “techno-toaster” body. They arrived in a version of GE Capital’s grey “shark” scheme. Rather than repaint them black, MGA adopted the scheme adding their big red M logo and name to the nose and flanks. In May of 1993, Monongahela Railway was merged into Conrail.
Brand/Importer Information:
In 1924 Stephan Schaffan, Sr. founded the Atlas Tool Company in Newark, New Jersey. In 1933 his son, Stephan Schaffan, Jr., came to work for his father at the age of sixteen. Steve Jr. built model airplanes as a hobby and frequented a local hobby shop. Being an enterprising young man, he would often ask the owner if there was anything he could do to earn some extra spending money. Tired of listening to his requests, the hobby-store owner threw some model railroad track parts his way and said, "Here, see if you can improve on this".

In those days, railroad modelers had to assemble and build everything from scratch. Steve Jr. created a "switch kit" which sold so well, that the entire family worked on them in the basement at night, while doing business as usual in the machine shop during the day.

Subsequently, Steve Jr. engineered the stapling of rail to fiber track, along with inventing the first practical rail joiner and pre-assembled turnouts and flexible track. All of these products, and more, helped to popularize model railroading and assisted in the creation of a mass-market hobby. The budding entrepreneur quickly outgrew the limitations of a basement and small garage operation. Realizing they could actually make a living selling track and related products, Steve and his father had the first factory built in Hillside, New Jersey at 413 Florence Avenue in 1947. On September 30, 1949, the Atlas Tool Company was officially incorporated as a New Jersey company.

In 1985, Steve was honored posthumously for his inventions by the Model Railroad Industry Association and was inducted into the Model Railroad Industry Hall of Fame in Baltimore, Maryland. In addition, Steve was nominated and entered into the National Model Railroad Association Pioneers of Model Railroading in 1995.

In the early 1990s, the Atlas Tool Company changed its name to Atlas Model Railroad Company, Inc.
Item created by: gdm on 2016-09-06 07:49:31. Last edited by gdm on 2020-06-14 17:53:10

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