ScaleTrains SXT39905 GE ES44AH, CSX/Heritage/Chessie System #1973 DCC & Sound HO Scale

ScaleTrains Rivet Counter SXT39905 GE ES44AH, CSX/Heritage/Chessie System #1973 DCC & Sound HO Scale (Note pictures may show a different road number).

In 2002, GE introduced the “Evolution Series” of locomotives. Better known as “GEVOs” or ES44s, this series has become the best-selling line of diesel locomotives of all time with production nearing 8,000 units. Our Rivet Counter™ series model renders the numerous variations of cabs, dynamic brakes, doors, grilles, trucks, etc. We’ve also incorporated LED lighting effects including front, rear, and side walkway lights; ground lights; printed and lighted number boards; and ditch lights.

Road Number Specific ScaleTrains

• Era: 2023 to present
• Road number 1973
  • Special Chessie System Heritage scheme
  • Series 3000 to 3064; built 4-6:2012
  • Formerly CSX 3049
  • Inverter Cabinet with Bolted and hinged access door, Front Top X Panel Wider Than Rear X Panel, three lower X panels with 4 - 6 - 4 Bolt Pattern Lower X Panels
  • Lost wax brass cast Nathan AirChime K5HLR2 horn mounted on engine cab roof 
  • Retrofitted late ET44 style exhaust stack, no flange or center support on stack
• Fully-assembled
• LED-illuminated ground lights on both sides of locomotive*
• LED-illuminated front, rear and rectangle side walkway lights*
• LED-illuminated front deck-mounted alternating ditch lights**
• Printed and LED-illuminated lighted number boards*
• LSL (Locomotive Speed Limiter) indicator lights on cab sides (non-operating)
• Sill-mounted tow chain
• Semi-scale coupler buffers equipped with die-cast metal semi-scale SBE bottom shelf knuckle couplers 
• Inside loop uncoupling levers with up down brackets
• Single trainline hose with silver gladhand
• Pilot-mounted battery charging receptacles
• Front dummy Multiple Unit (MU) receptacles mounted to pilot face
• Front and rear raised pilot-mounted Multiple Unit (MU) receptacles
• Front and rear single ECP brake equipment box and cable mounted on pilot face
• See-through round-hole stepwell steps
• Walkway with front anticlimber; no support brackets
• GE “nub” pattern walkway tread
• Late handrails with U-bolt caps and narrow rear most stanchion on long side rails
• Wide profile end handrails
• Sand box clean out door with knuckle buster latch
• Front nose headlight
• Front straight grab irons mounted directly to the nose
• Front right side mounted narrow nose drop grab iron
• Right nose door with window
• Front high-mounted (cab) numberboard housings
• Dual cab side blue flag holder
• Left side under cab front access bolted X panel; rear door with square corrugated grille
• Late cab with barrel bolt latches on subbase doors
• Detailed cab interior with separate floor, rear wall, seats, and control stand
• In cab grade crossing camera mounted on right side
• Tinted cab side windows
• Tall mirror mounted in front of sliding cab side windows on both sides
• Switching mirror mounted between rear of sliding cab side windows and fixed rear  window on engineer’s side 
• Cab roof GE communications handler octagonal dome and dual long STI-CO PTC Dual Track Antenna System without Radome covers
• See-through dynamic brake exhaust
• Left side dynamic brake cab: tri blower dynamic brake with flush exhaust
• Etched metal see-through dynamic brake intake grilles with blower motors visible inside
• Right side dynamic brake cab: door with grille, small grille, door with grille, and door with grille
• Dynamic brake cab door with high door handle and high mounted door handle bumper
• Long right side air intake grille
• Left side auxiliary cab: 3 tall doors with latches on the #2 door and no auxiliary cab filter box door
• Right side auxiliary cab: raised X panel door; 3 doors with latches on #2 and #3 doors
• ES44 style engine cab doors: latched first door in each set of three
• Three engine cab roof lift rings
• Left side exhaust cab doors: latched last door in set of three 
• Flush heat exchanger housing with single piece narrow slot grille
• Late raised radiator grille
• 22 individually applied etched metal see-through radiator intake and exhaust grilles on sides and top of radiator compartment
• Left side radiator cab grille arrangement: Raised doors. Grilles - tall-short-tall-short-tall, no grille under brake wheel short front angled grille and two-piece rear angled grille
• Right side radiator cab grille arrangement: Raised doors. Grilles – tall, short, tall, short, short, tall, short, tall, short front angled grill, two-piece rear angled grille
• Flat water fill box with sight glass
• High mounted horizontal rear headlight
• Rear narrow-spaced dual dummy Multiple Unit (MU) receptacles
• Accurately profiled frame with separately applied plumbing and cabling
• Late GE steerable trucks with separately applied brake cylinders, air plumbing, rotating bearing caps, and reinforcement bar under center journal
• Rust-color painted wheelsets
• Square handbrake chain bracket
• Toilet drain with exterior handle
• AEI tag mounted to right sidesill under rear battery box door
• Dual Graham-White (Prime) finned 075 air filters
• Graham-White 994-500 air dryer
• 5,300-gallon fuel tank with internal waste retention tank, digital fuel gauge, vertical fuel gauge, and round fuel gauge
• Dual fuel fills per side with rear fill “blanked”
• Flat top left side fuel tank top box
• Long crankcase drainpipe attached to the end of the fuel tank
• Low snowplow without MU doors
• Factory-applied wire grab irons, snowplow with grab irons, spare knuckles, trainline hoses with silver gladhands, 3-hose MU clusters with silver gladhands, uncoupling levers, windshield wipers, mirrors, sunshades, air tanks, fuel tank mounted electronic bell, brake wheel, and more
• Motor with 5-pole skew wound armature
• Dual flywheels
• All-wheel drive
• All-wheel electrical pick-up
• Directional LED headlights
• Printing and lettering legible under magnification
• Operates on Code 70, 83, and 100 rail
• Packaging safely stores model
• Minimum Radius: 18”
• Recommended Radius: 22”

DCC & sound equipped locomotives also feature:

• ESU-LokSound 5 DCC and Sound decoder with “Full Throttle”
• Two (2) cube-type speakers
• Accurate GEVO-12 prime mover and auxiliary sounds, horn, bell, and more 
• ESU-designed PowerPack with two (2) super capacitors***
• Operates on both DC and DCC layouts

* Lighting features operate when using an ESU decoder with appropriate programming while operating using DCC

** In DC operation, both front ditch lights illuminate; rear ditch lights (if equipped) do not illuminate

*** Compatible with appropriately programmed ESU decoders while operating using DCC

PROTOTYPE HISTORY

A “heritage unit" is a locomotive that has been painted in a distinctive, classic design to pay homage to a predecessor railroad that has merged with or been acquired by the present company. This concept was pioneered by Union Pacific in 2006, introducing six EMD SD70ACe locomotives featuring commemorative schemes of defunct railroads. Emulating Union Pacific, Amtrak painted several passenger locomotives in heritage schemes for its 40th anniversary in 2011. Norfolk Southern, the first Class I Railroad east of the Mississippi River to do so, announced its heritage fleet by adorning ten GE ES44ACs and ten EMD SD70ACes in historically accurate liveries for its 30th anniversary celebration. In recent years, Canadian Pacific and Canadian National have also revealed their own heritage units.

The latest addition to the heritage trend is CSX, which began unveiling its specially-painted units in May 2023, starting with Baltimore & Ohio #1827. Unlike Norfolk Southern’s approach, where 20 units are fully adorned in historically accurate predecessor schemes, CSX's heritage units feature a unique "faded" design. The front of each heritage locomotive resembles a standard CSX locomotive with the YN3 paint scheme by encompassing the nose and crew cab. The rear two-thirds of each heritage locomotive’s engine cab and radiator section are painted in predecessor designs. The concept was developed under the influence of the company’s current CEO, Joe Hinrichs, and Jamie Boychuk, the former Executive Vice President of Operations.

The announcement of the heritage fleet corresponds with the company's "ONE CSX" program – an initiative to foster collaboration and teamwork among employees, encouraging everyone to work together towards a common goal. The program emphasizes unity and collective effort, aiming to enhance the company's overall performance and success. Likewise, the unique faded heritage paint scheme emulates the goal of the program by connecting the company’s triumphant past with its bright future.

As of fall 2023, CSX Waycross Locomotive Shop employees continue to create unique faded designs for predecessor roads, with new heritage units expected to be unveiled throughout 2024.