Milwaukee, Wis. - Modelers can now add the ultimate detail to Walthers HO Scale Empire Builder with the arrival of the all-new PROTO 2000 EMD F7 diesels. Featuring GN-specific details, and painted to match the cars in this series, the engines will be offered in matching A-B sets, single A units, or single B units, all available with or without DCC and sound.

Major changes were in store for the Empire Builder in 1955. New postal contracts saw the addition of two mail storage cars to move priority mail, and in May, three massive Great Domes (each tipping the scales at over 90 tons) were added to each consist. Westbound schedules were also trimmed by 70 minutes. To handle the increased demand for power, the GN began assigning A-B-B-A sets of passenger service F7s to the Empire Builder. Only a few years old at the time, the F7 fleet would remain in passenger service until 1966 when brand-new SDP40s arrived.

Totally new from rail to roof, Walthers set out to make the Great Northern PROTO 2000 F7s the most prototypical replicas ever produced, with authentic GN-style:

• Snowplow Pilot
• Three-Chime Air Horns
• Winterization Hatch
• Roof-Mounted Cooling Coil
• Steam Generator Air Intake
• Roof Air Vent
• Correct Style & Location of Grab Irons & Ladder Stand-Offs on Nose
• Radio Antenna
• Paint & Lettering to Match Walthers Empire Builder Cars

Other details found on these models, and future PROTO 2000 F7 releases include:

• All-New Drive
• *14:1 Gear Ratio for Easy Multiple-Unit Operations
• *Helical Gears for Ultra-Quiet & Smooth Running
• *Five-Pole, Skew-Wound, High Torque, High Efficiency Can Motor
• *Heavily Weighted for Maximum Traction
• *Both A&B Units Powered
• Painted Metal Grab Irons, Ladder Stand-Offs, Handrails & Lift Rings
• Correct Coupling Distance Between A&B Units
• Most Authentic “Bulldog” Nose Ever Done
• Correct Windshield Slope
• Roof Panel Weld Lines
• Correctly Sized Bolt Heads
• Complete Scale Fuel Tank w/Hangers, Battery Box, Air Tank & Underframe Detail
• Working Headlight w/Bezel & Recessed Lens
• Working Mars Light as Appropriate - Works on DC or DCC
• With or Without Dynamic Brakes to Match Prototypes
• Correct Style Lighted Numberboards
• Bright “Sunny White” LED Lighting
• Separate, Clear Class Lights
• Full Cab Interior w/Crew Figures
• New Insulated Diecast Magnetic Knuckle Couplers
• Full or Partial Fuel Tank Skirts to Match Prototypes
• Correct Grab Iron Style & Placement for Each Roadname
• Freight, Passenger or Snowplow Pilot
• All-New Sideframes w/Road Specific Journals & With or Without Speed Recorder
• Nose Lift Rings as Appropriate
• Operating Diaphragms as Appropriate
• Etched Metal Farr or Horizontal Grilles
• Visible Details Behind Grilles & Under Fan Covers
• Available with Dual Mode QSI Sound & DCC** or Standard DC Models

Roadnames and prices for the GN F7s are as follows:

Sound & DCC Equipped
920-40587 A-B Set; #363-A & 363-B $369.00
920-40607 A-B Set #270-A & 270-B $369.00
920-40588 Matching A Unit #363-C $189.00
920-40612 Matching A Unit #268-C $189.00
920-40613 Matching B Unit #362-B $189.00
920-40629 Matching B Unit #268-B $189.00

Standard DC Power - No Sound
920-40589 A-B Set; #269-A & 269-B $269.00
920-40619 A-B Set; #365-A & 363-5 $269.00
920-40620 Matching A Unit; #365-C $139.00
920-40590 Matching A Unit; #268-A $139.00
920-40614 Matching B Unit #359-B $139.00
920-40630 Matching B Unit #360-B $139.00

The PROTO 2000 GN F7 diesels will arrive in June 2007. For more information on PROTO 2000 locomotives and other Walthers Empire Builder products, or to locate a dealer, visit Walthers on the Internet at www.walthers.com. Call 414-527-0770 or write Walthers, P.O. Box 3039, Milwaukee, WI 53201-3039.