Atlas Model Railroad 40005659 N Norfolk Southern DASH 8-40C Locomotives 8709 DC

First built for Union Pacific in the late 1980s by General Electric, the DASH 8-40C diesel locomotives were identified by an enlarged exhaust stack and the mounting of the dynamic brake grids in a square-like unit behind the cab, which housed an enlarged equipment blower fan. These six-axle, 4,000 hp engines are still in service today in North America.

The 4,000hp Dash 8-40CW was produced by General Electric between 1989 and 1993 as a follow-up to the successful Dash 8-40C locomotive. The most distinguishing feature of this model was the introduction of GE’s version of the wide-nose “North American Safety Cab.” This style of cab would become a common sight on railroads across the country. Four major railroads purchased the Dash 8-40CW in fairly large quantities, including Conrail, CSX, Santa Fe and Union Pacific. Most of these units are still in regular mainline and heavy-haul freight service today. Due to various mergers, they can also be seen operating for new owners Norfolk Southern and BNSF.

Features:

• Separate coupler cut lever
• Directional lighting
• Golden white LEDs
• Painted safety rails
• Blackened metal wheels
• Dual flywheel equipped 5-pole skewed armature motor with a low friction mechanism
• Factory-installed AccuMate® magnetic knuckle couplers

SILVER SOUND READY FEATURES (SILVER LOCMOTIVES ONLY):

• Sound ready & equipped with speaker for easy conversion to DCC sound.

DCC OPERATION FEATURES (GOLD LOCOMOTIVES ONLY):

• Supports all DCC-programming modes
• DCC includes RailCom and RailComPlus, with 14, 28 or 128 speed steps and with 2-digit and 4-digit addressing.
• Flexible mapping of function keys F0 to F28.
• A total of 6 DCC function outputs are available, and all can be function mapped (disable, brightness, light effects) individually
• Follows all NMRA DCC standards and recommended practices.

SOUND FUNCTIONALITY FEATURES (GOLD LOCOMOTIVES ONLY):

• Over 20 sound effects are available, including engine start-up and
  shutdown, prime mover sounds through all eight notches, bell, air horn, air compressor, dynamic brakes and more.
• There are up to 16 user-selectable horns, 2 user-selectable bells, and 2 user-selectable synchronized brake squeals.
• Equipped with ESU’s Exclusive “Full Throttle” features for ultimate realism in prototype running.

AccuMate® couplers are made under license from AccuRail, Inc.

History

The GE Dash 8-40C (also known as C40-8) is a six-axle, 4,000-horsepower diesel-electric locomotive built by General Electric (GE) between 1987 and 1992. It was designed for heavy freight service and was part of GE's Dash 8 series, which introduced advanced microprocessor controls and improved fuel efficiency.

Key Specifications:

• Manufacturer: General Electric (GE)

• Production Years: 1987–1992

• Engine Type: GE 7FDL-16 (16-cylinder, turbocharged diesel)

• Horsepower: 4,000 hp (2,980 kW)

• Wheel Arrangement: C-C (six axles, three per truck)

• Top Speed: 70 mph (113 km/h)

• Fuel Capacity: 5,000 gallons

• Tractive Effort: 108,600 lbf (483 kN) starting

• Alternator/Generator: GE GTA24 Alternator

Notable Features:

? Microprocessor-Based Controls: Improved efficiency and diagnostics.
? High Adhesion: Six-axle design for heavy freight loads.
? Fuel Efficiency Improvements: Compared to older locomotives like the EMD SD40-2.
? Dash 8 Aesthetics: Featured the "stepped" dynamic brake blisters and a boxy, rugged look typical of GE units.

Operators:

• CSX Transportation

• Norfolk Southern (NS)

• Union Pacific (UP) (former fleet, later retired/sold)

• Canadian National (CN) (purchased secondhand units)

• Leasing Companies & Short Lines

Some Dash 8-40C units have been rebuilt into upgraded models like Dash 8-40CM (with a wide cab) and Dash 8-40CW (with a comfort cab). Many units have been sold to leasing companies or secondhand operators.