ScaleTrains SXT42242 Rivet Counter AC44C4M, BNSF/Heritage III/PTC #608 DCC & Sound HO Scale

ScaleTrains SXT42242 Rivet Counter AC44C4M, BNSF/Heritage III/PTC #608 DCC & Sound HO Scale (Note pictures may show a different road number).

Road Number Specific ScaleTrains

• All-new model
• Era: 2017 to present
• Series 599 to 619; ex-ATSF C44-9W 600 to 619 and 666, built 2-3/1994 and 9/1994
• Road number 601; ex-ATSF 601
  • Flat-stamped brake wheel
  • Lost-wax brass cast Nathan AirChime K3LAR2 horn mounted on engine cab with right mounted #1 bell
  • Short and wide plow with no doors, flanged coupler opening and curved polygonal corners
  • Dual Linkup International antenna cabinets and center-mounted antenna dome PTC array
• Road number 605; ex-ATSF 605
  • Convex stamped brake wheel
  • Lost-wax brass cast Nathan AirChime K3LAR2 horn mounted on engine cab with right mounted #1 bell
  • Short and wide plow with no doors, flanged coupler opening and notched corners
  • STI-CO dual track antennas and center-mounted antenna dome PTC array
• Road number 608; ex-ATSF 608
  • Flat-stamped brake wheel
  • Lost-wax brass cast Nathan AirChime K3LAR2 horn mounted on engine cab with center mounted #1 bell and right mounted #2 bell
  • Short and wide plow with no doors, flanged coupler opening and notched corners
  • STI-CO dual track antennas and center-mounted antenna dome PTC array
• Road number 610; ex-ATSF 610
  • Flat-stamped brake wheel
  • Lost-wax brass cast Nathan AirChime K3LAR2 horn mounted on engine cab with left mounted #1 bell
  • Short and wide plow with no doors, flanged coupler opening and notched corners
  • Dual Linkup International antenna cabinets and center-mounted antenna dome PTC array
• Road number 617; ex-ATSF 617
  • Flat-stamped brake wheel
  • Lost-wax brass cast Nathan AirChime K3LAR2 horn mounted on engine cab with center mounted #1 bell and left mounted #2 bell
  • Short and wide plow with no doors, flanged coupler opening and notched corners
  • Dual Linkup International antenna cabinets and center-mounted antenna dome PTC array
• Road number 619; ex-ATSF 619
  • Flat-stamped brake wheel
  • Lost-wax brass cast Nathan AirChime K5HLR245 horn mounted on engine cab
  • Short and wide plow with no doors, flanged coupler opening and notched corners
  • STI-CO dual track antennas and center-mounted antenna dome PTC array
• Fully-assembled
• Multiple road numbers
• Operating LED-illuminated ground lights on both sides of locomotive*
• Operating LED-illuminated front deck-mounted ditch lights**
• Operating LED-illuminated front, rear, and side walkway lights*
• Printed high-mount cab number boards with separately controlled backlit LED-illumination*
• Directional LED-illuminated headlights
• Semi-scale GE type coupler buffer equipped with durable metal semi-scale Type E knuckle couplers, painted a dingy gray/brown color to represent the color of couplers in service
• Inside loop uncoupling levers with down brackets
• 4-step stepwells with see-through steps
• Early - Tapered stepwell corner profile
• Walkway with front anticlimbers
• GE “nub” pattern walkway tread
• Wide profile end handrails
• Front low (cab) mounted headlight 
• Left side nose door with window; security padlock with hasp
• One-piece nose top grab irons
• Right side cab under floor access doors: 17 louver panels per door and circular style latches
• Left side cab under floor access doors: bolted X-panel with square punched screen HVAC unit
• Late - Rearward placed cab heater vent
• Cab interior with detailed back wall and front dash, high-back seats, conductor’s workstation
• In-cab grade crossing camera
• Tinted cab side windows
• Tall mirror mounted in front of sliding cab side windows on both sides; additional small mirror on right side
• Inverter Cabinet with Bolted and hinged access door, top two X panels same size, three lower X panels with 4 - 6 - 4 Bolt Pattern
• Continuous reinforcement rib under dynamic brake intake grilles
• High-capacity dynamic brake exhaust (2-port)
• Rearward right-side air intake grille
• Left side auxiliary cab: 3 short doors with latches on the #2 door and narrow auxiliary cab filter box door
• Right side auxiliary cab: four (4) doors with latches on #1 and #4 doors
• Dual lifting lugs mounted to sides of clean air cab joint
• Early (round) engine cab roof profile
• Early (thin handle) engine compartment door latches
• Low-mounted lift rings on engine cab power assembly doors
• Three door latches per side on exhaust cab doors
• Early flanged exhaust stack housing
• 26 individually applied etched metal see-through radiator intake and exhaust grilles on sides and top of radiator compartment
• Right side late radiator door grilles in even heights
• Left rear hood door grille arrangement: short, short, short grilles
• High-mounted rear sand fill
• Early “box” lifting lugs on ends of radiator wings 
• Accurately profiled frame with separately-applied plumbing and traction motor cabling
• “C4” A-1-A trucks with idler center axle
• Wheel faces painted a dingy gray/brown color to represent the color of wheelset in service
• No speed recorder
• Graham-White 975-100 series air dryer
• Dual Graham-White (Salem) 824 air filters
• 5,000-gallon fuel tank with vertical weld seam
• Single fuel fills per side
• Round and vertical analog fuel gauges; digital fuel gauges
• Fuel tank-mounted steel bell
• Curved handbrake chain bracket
• Spare coupler knuckle holders on rear pilot face
• Factory-applied detail parts: wire grab irons, spare knuckles, trainline hoses with silver gladhands, 3-hose MU clusters with silver gladhands, uncoupling levers, windshield wipers, mirrors, sunshades, and more
• Motor with 5-pole, skew-wound armature
• Dual flywheels
• All-wheel drive and electrical pick-up
• Printing and lettering legible under magnification
• Operates on Code 70, 83, and 100 rail
• Packaging safely stores the model
• Minimum Radius: 18”
• Recommended Radius: 22”

DCC & sound equipped locomotives also feature:

• ESU-LokSound 5 DCC and Sound decoder with “Full Throttle” Functions
• Two (2) cube-type speakers
• Accurate FDL-16 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

BNSF was the pioneering railroad company to work with GE to rebuild some of their aging fleet of Dash-9 locomotives. Shortly after, all North American Class I Railroads would follow this path and begin rebuilding their fleets due to the cost savings of better fuel economy and with a rebuilt locomotive costing 50% less than purchasing a new one. 

The first of these rebuilt locomotives was number 616 which GE delivered to BNSF in 2014 for testing. C44-9W, number 616 was originally built by GE for Santa Fe in February 1994. Throughout late 2015, GE rebuilt 19 more locomotives at their San Luis Potosi, Mexico facility with the new model designation of AC44C4M. The equipment series for the rebuilds run from 599 to 619. All locomotives retained their previous BNSF road numbers through the rebuild process however 599, which had been this number for many years, was originally built as ATSF 666, the ‘Beast Bonnet’. All 20 rebuilt locomotives were delivered in BNSF’s “H3” paint scheme. At this time BNSF has not rebuilt any further GE locomotives. 

Many significant upgrades were included during the rebuild process. GE converted the six-motor DC traction locomotive to now a four-motor AC traction locomotive. This is known as an A1A-A1A truck configuration where the outer 2 axles have traction motors and the middle axle is an idler with no power. The trucks also came with GE’s weight management system which would lift the center axle so more weight was applied to the outer powered axles for greater traction. This is the same system seen on BNSF’s ES44C4/ET44C4 locomotives.

Unlike more contemporary rebuilds being performed by GE and now Wabtec, all 20 locomotives retained their original Santa Fe 3-window ‘gullwing’ style cabs. Behind the cab, all cabinets up to the engine compartment were replaced with ones which are similar to those being applied to the early generation AC44C6M locomotives. These include new dynamic brake, inverter, and inertial cabinets and components.

Shortly after delivery, all locomotives received the addition of PTC. Most locomotives were equipped with center-mounted antenna domes as well as STI-CO dual-track antennas. However, a few locomotives received dual Linkup International antenna cabinets along with the center-mounted antenna dome.

In 2018, the original AC44C4M locomotive, number 616 due to reliability issues was returned and sold to GE. It sat at the Erie, Pennsylvania facility up until 2025 where it has now been rebuilt again into an AC44C6M to be used as a modernized test locomotive at Wabtec’s facility.

Today the remaining 19 AC44C4Ms continue to serve the BNSF system-wide.