Pre-Order | Releasing October 2026
Athearn Genesis - Item No. ATHG-2432
3.1 out of 5 Customer Rating

HO GEN GP49 Locomotive w/DCC & Sound, Legendary Liveries BM #400

$304.34
RC Club points earned on this item shown at checkout.
Boston & Maine was an esteemed Class I carrier based in New England. At one time, they operated an extensive network in New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Maine. They became part of Guilford Transportation Industries in 1983. What if an independent BM had survived a bit longer to order new power from EMD, in the form of GP49s? Here’s our take on what they would have looked like.

ATHEARN EMD GP49 DIESEL LOCOMOTIVE PROTOTYPE AND BACKGROUND INFO:

Sensitivity to fuel economy in the 1970's justified the GP39-2 in EMD's catalog. It also laid the ground work for EMD to start exploring locomotive designs that utilize engines with larger piston displacement yet posess fewer cylinders. This approach has become the foundation to modern locomotive technology.

In 1983, EMD took this concept to the next step by introducing the GP49. Basically a 12-cylinder version of the GP50, it produced almost as much power as the 16-cylinder GP40-2, with supposedly better fuel economy. The model was not a huge success, with only 9 being sold in the open market, as well as 6 GP39Xs being upgraded to GP49 standards. Interestingly, an SD49 was also cataloged but generated no orders.

LEGENDARY LIVERIES

What are Legendary Liveries? An Athearn exclusive, they are the ultimate answer to “What if?” Featuring some of the most popular railroad paint schemes of all time, these models are perfect for collecting, protofreelancing, or just plain fun! Whether company proposed paint schemes, canceled locomotive orders, or alternate takes on history, Legendary Liveries are fun and unique additions to any roster. Enjoy these items, and answer the ultimate railroad question of: “What if?”

ATHEARN EMD GP49 DIESEL LOCOMOTIVE FEATURES:

  • Coupler cut levers
  • Drop steps unless noted
  • “Nub” style walkway tread
  • Lift rings
  • Walkway tread
  • Lit number boards
  • Lit signal lights and/or beacons, if equipped
  • Bell placement & type per prototype
  • Detailed fuel tank with fuel fillers, fuel gauges, and breather pipes
  • Blomberg-B or Blomberg-M trucks with appropriate bearing caps
  • Speed recorder unless noted
  • See-through cab windows and full cab interior
  • Fine-scale Celcon handrails for scale appearance
  • Etched metal fan grilles
  • Air tanks mounted below sill unless noted
  • Body-mounted McHenry® scale knuckle couplers - Kadee® compatible
  • DCC-ready features Quick Plug™ plug-and-play technology with 21-pin NEM connector
  • Scaled from prototype resources including drawings, field measurements, photographs, and more
  • Accurately painted and printed paint schemes
  • 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
  • LED Lighting for realistic appearance
  • Heavy die-cast frame for greater traction and more pulling power
  • Packaging securely holds for the model for safe storage
  • Trainline and MU hoses
  • MU stands
  • Windshield wipers
  • Wire grab irons
  • Sanding lines
  • Minimum radius: 18”

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
  • Program a multiple unit (MU) lashup with lead unit only horn, bell, and lights
  • All functions NMRA compatible in DCC mode
  • Precision slow speed control
  • Many functions can be altered via Configuration Value (CV) changes
  • CV chart included in the box

ATH FEATURES:

  • Front and rear ditch lights
  • Cab A/C
  • Short snowplow
  • Strobe
  • Cab wind deflectors
  • RS5T horn on stand

BM FEATURES:

  • Sunshades
  • Operating class lights
  • Painted in BM's final paint scheme
  • Cab wind deflectors
  • Firecracker antenna

NS FEATURES:

  • Walkway lights (non-operating)
  • Bell mounted on the long hood
  • Large snowplow at each end
  • Operating class lights
  • High short hood
  • P-5 horn at each end
  • Two Firecracker antennas

NDEM FEATURES:

  • High short hood
  • “Trade-in” Blomberg-B trucks
  • Operating class lights
  • Leslie RS3L horn
  • MU hose holder at each end

Product Specs

Axles
4
Coupler Style
McHenry Scale Knuckle
DCC
Ready/21-Pin NEM
Era
1971-1990,1991-2009,2010-Present Day
Full Road Name
Boston & Maine
Lighting
LED
Minimum Radius
18
Prototype Manufacturer
EMD
Reporting Mark
BM
Scale
HO
Sound
Tsunami2
Sub Brand
GENESIS
Truck Style
Blomberg
Wheel Configuration
B-B