Walthers Mainline HO Scale EMD F40PH Grand Canyon Railway #237 with ESU Sound & DCC (910-19479)

The real locomotive that pulls today's Grand Canyon Railway trains from Williams, Arizona to the South Rim – now in HO scale with factory-installed ESU sound.

The Prototype

The Santa Fe opened the 64-mile line from Williams to the Grand Canyon's South Rim in 1901, and for decades it carried visitors to Grand Canyon Village. Passenger service ended in 1968. Max and Thelma Biegert bought the line and brought it back to life on September 17, 1989, exactly 88 years after the first passenger train.

Grand Canyon Railway #237 is an EMD F40PH built in 1977 for Amtrak. EMD's 3,000 hp F40PH became the standard North American passenger diesel after 1976, and Amtrak ran #237 into the late 1990s. The Grand Canyon Railway acquired it with sister units #239 and #295 in February 2003. After full refurbishment and modernization, they entered service in 2004, and they remain the railway's primary motive power today.

If you've ridden the train out of Williams, there's a good chance #237 was on the point.

ESU Sound & DCC

• Factory-installed ESU sound decoder – runs on DCC or DC
• 14, 28 and 128 speed steps
• 4 selectable air horns and 2 selectable bells (via CVs)
• Full 8-notch prime mover sounds
• Air compressor and dynamic brake sounds
• 4 function outputs with brightness control by CV

Model Features

• Five-pole skew-wound motor with dual flywheels
• Helical-cut gears, 14:1 gear ratio, all-wheel drive and electrical pickup
• Die-cast metal chassis
• Constant and directional LED lighting
• Factory-installed vertical handrails
• Molded drill starter points for optional grab irons (sold separately)
• RP-25 metal wheels
• Proto MAX metal knuckle couplers
• 21-pin (21MTC) decoder connector

Specs

• Scale: HO (1:87)
• Manufacturer: WalthersMainline
• Item #: 910-19479
• Road / number: Grand Canyon Railway (GCRX) #237
• Model: EMD F40PH, ESU Sound and DCC

Limited one-time run, now discontinued by Walthers. Sister unit #239 was also offered (910-19480).