Milwaukee, Wis. - Walthers announces the arrival of HO Scale PROTO 2000 EMD GP7 and GP9 locomotives decorated for grain-hauling railroads. These colorful diesels, available with Quantum® sound & DCC or as standard DC models, will be available in February 2008.

By the 1960s EMD GP7 and GP9 locomotives (also nicknamed Geeps) became the de-facto standard power for many railroads serving the grain industry. The units were easy on the frail trackwork and light rail of many grain branches. Bumped from mainline service in favor of higher-horsepower locos, these reliable locomotives were used as motive power building blocks; one unit was ideal for switching long cuts of grain hoppers and boxcars in yards and at elevators, two or three easily handled grain-gathering branchline runs and four or more made quick work of handling long loaded trains on mainlines. Geeps remained favorites for grain branches into the 80s and hundreds are still used on grain-hauling regional and shortline railroads.

With over 2,700 GP7s and over 4,000 GP9s constructed between 1949 and 1963 for dozens of railroads in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, plenty of these venerable locos still ply branches across North America's "bread basket," and many are working for their fifth or sixth owner! With mergers, rebuilds and leasing companies, the number of owners (and paint schemes) is in the hundreds, making Geeps some of the most widely used North American locomotives.

PROTO 2000 EMD GP7 and GP9s offer modelers highly detailed replicas of these popular roadswitchers. The models wear the color schemes of railroads closely identified with the grain industry. Features include:

• Available in Two Versions: With or Without Factory-Installed Sound & DCC Sound can be operated with a standard DC power pack or with DCC controllers. Full sound programming and functions on standard DC layouts is possible with the Quantum Engineer Sound Control, (#920-5990 sold separately). Sound features include: diesel engine, horn, bell, squealing brakes, Doppler effect, air let off (in neutral). Trailer mode is also available to mute the horn and bell for double heading.
• Prototype-Specific Details
• Rolled or Bolted Handrails & Other Parts for More Accurate Detail
• Consumer-Applied Parts Pack Included
• Heavy Diecast Chassis
• Five-Pole Motor with Skew-Wound Armature
• 14:1 Gear Ratio with Helical Gears for Silent Running
• Directional LED Headlights
• PROTO-Max™ Magnetic Knuckle Couplers

Sound and DCC Decoder Equipped, $224.98 Each:
GP7
920-40851 Phase II Iowa Interstate #325
920-40852 Phase I Algoma Central #158
920-40853 Phase I Algoma Central #161
920-40854 Phase II CNW† #1568
920-40855 Phase II CNW† #1569
920-40858 Phase I Toledo, Peoria & Western #102 (dark green, yellow)
920-40859 Phase I Toledo, Peoria & Western #103 (dark green, yellow)
920-40861 Phase II Ohio Central #1501 (maroon, yellow, gray)
920-40862 Phase II North Central Texas #612
920-40870 Phase I Undecorated

GP9
920-40856 Phase I SOO #2551 (white, red)
920-40857 Phase I SOO #2554 (white, red)
920-40864 Phase III Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern #1463
920-40865 Phase III Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern #1471
920-40871 Phase I Undecorated

Standard DC, $124.98 Each:
GP7
920-47851 Phase II Iowa Interstate #325
920-47852 Phase I Algoma Central #152
920-47853 Phase I Algoma Central #153
920-47854 Phase II CNW† #1568
920-47855 Phase II CNW† #1569
920-47858 Phase I Toledo, Peoria & Western #102 (dark green, yellow)
920-47859 Phase I Toledo, Peoria & Western #103 (dark green, yellow)
920-47861 Phase II Ohio Central #1501 (maroon, yellow, gray)
920-47862 Phase II North Central Texas #614
920-47870 Phase I Undecorated

GP9
920-47856 Phase I SOO #2407 (white, red)
920-47857 Phase I SOO #2409 (white, red)
920-47864 Phase III Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern #1483
920-47865 Phase III Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern #1484
920-47871 Phase III Undecorated

Walthers new PROTO 2000 EMD GP7 and GP9s will be available in February 2008. For more information on PROTO 2000 locomotives and other Walthers HO Scale 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.

†Union Pacific licensed product.

*CSX proprietary marks used by permission of CSX Transportation, Inc.