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GP40 Diesel Locomotive
Burlington
No.0564-Powered -1970 Release
No.0584-Dummy -1970 Release
GP40 Diesel Locomotive
Burlington Northern
No.570 -1974-1981 Release
No.41-0635-03 -1982-1990 Release
One of the most obvious spotting features of the original tooling for Bachmann's GP40 included an
interesting rear headlight package as seen in the above images of the BN example. The third picture illustrates
Bachmann's Burlington Northern GP40 featuring a silver roofline. Both examples, black and silver roof, feature
the same BN lettering and 2070 roadnumber. Though not confirmed, I believe the silver roof examples of the BN GP40 arrives
around 1980 in the Bachmann line.
GP40 Diesel Locomotive
Canadian National
GP40 Diesel Locomotive
Chessie System
GP40 Diesel Locomotive
Conrail
No.0579 -1981 Release
No.41-0635-06 -1982 Release
GP40 Diesel Locomotive
CP Rail
No.0575-Powered -1971 Release
No.0595-Dummy -1971 Release
The first roadname added, according to Bachmann's annual catalogs, to the GP40 roster was the CP Rail
model in 1971.
GP40 Diesel Locomotive
Great Northern
No.0565-Powered -1970 Release
No.0585-Dummy -1970 Release
Bachmann's GN GP40 is among the original group of roadnames first listed in the 1970 catalog with
the company's introduction of HO-scale trains. The Great Northern GP40 features the railroad's late '60s Big Sky Blue
scheme.
GP40 Diesel
Norfolk and Western
GP40 Diesel
Penn Central
1970- (No.0561-Powered)
1970- (No.0581-Dummy)
GP40 Diesel
Pennsylvania
1970- (No.0562-Powered)
1970- (No.0582-Dummy)
GP40 Diesel
Reading
(No.)
Don't believe this make an appearance in any Bachmann catalogs. From the tooling variation on
the GP40 shell, they look to be late 1980s to early 1990s examples. I have seen both powered and non-powered Reading
GP40s.
GP40 Diesel
Santa Fe
1970-1981 (No.0567-Powered)
1970- (No.0587-Dummy)
1982-1990 (No.41-0635-02)
Though Bachmann's early '70s packaging featured a blue and yellow Santa Fe freight painted geep, the
Santa Fe GP40 at this time was dressed in passenger red and silver warbonnet. The above image is from Bachmann's 1976
product catalog and is representative of what this offered looked like during the '70s.
GP40 Diesel
Santa Fe
Bachmann did offer a blue and yellow Santa Fe freight warbonnet GP40 in the 1970s, as seen above.
GP40 Diesel
Southern Pacific (not pictured)
1981- (No.580)
GP40 Diesel
Union Pacific
1970-1981 No.0566-Powered
1982-1990 No.41-0635-01 -Powered
1970- No.0586-Dummy
Among the original six roadnames made available for Bachmann's GP40 was the Union Pacific example.
The 1970 retail for a powered GP40 was $14.98; and a dummy GP40 sold for $6.98. The above image illustrates what this
model looked like in the late '80s/early '90s. Notice the front pilot has been opened up to allow for a coupler mounted
to truck set up. Bachmann on certain runs of the F9, U36B, and GP40 began using a Blomberg Dash-2 style truck sideframe.
This Dash-2 frame is identified by the vertical shock absorber found on one axle face.
GP40 Diesel
Union Pacific (Gold)
This Union Pacific GP40 is a variation to Bachmann's standard offering of the time with a shiny gold
plated finish. I don't believe the gold UP GP40 was offered as a separate item, but was always included as part of the
company's Golden Spike train set offerings beginning in the 1980s.
The images presented above show the nose and tail of the gold plated UP GP40. Notice the modification
to Bachmann's original GP40 tooling. The first GP40 models Bachmann offered throughout the 1970s and into the '80s featured
a headlight located in the nose of the unit, this is removed in this variation. The tail of the GP40 lost its vertical
light that was mounted on the roofline of the original model. Finally, notice the front and rear pilots have been opened
up to allow the swing of couplers mounted to the trucks.
Above is the GP40 example Bachmann displayed at the 1971 Chicago Hobby
Show. Note the original drive, which is found in Bachmann diesels through the mid 1970s.
Railroad Model Craftsman May 1971 image
First sold around the same time as Bachmann introduced its HO Scale GP40
is the above GEM Models brass example. Notice the similarities in the tooling, when comparing the GEM and Bachmann.
GEM also sold brass Metroliners, an F9-A and this GP40. All items also found in the '70s Bachmann catalog. GEM's
diesels also rode on Bachmann underframes. GEM's home was also in the same Philadelphia area as Bachmann's headquarters.
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