Athearn’s GP35 is part of group of EMD prototypes all arriving between 1965 and 1966 to the hobby manufacturer’s line. Originally six roads were produced for the Athearn GP35: Atlantic Coast Line; Baltimore & Ohio; Chicago, Burlington & Qunicy; Illinois Central; Santa Fe; and Southern Pacific. The Erie Lackawanna GP35 is released in 1971 and Athearn’s Chessie System GP35 follows not long after the 1972 creation of the merged B&O-C&O system. A Soo Line red-and-white GP35 arrives in 1979.
EMD had only just wrapped production on the GP35 in early 1966, when Athearn had its 1/87th example ready for hobbyists. The GP35 was a very popular prototype with more than 1,300 examples built by EMD from mid 1963 to the very beginning of 1966. The GP35 went through a number of changes or production phases. The original Athearn GP35 represents a Phase Ia example. This wider-than-prototype GP35 tooling was discontinued with the introduction of Athearn’s Ready To Roll GP35 offering, which uses a Rail Power shell as the basis for the model, of the early 2000s.
Athearn EMD GP35 Roster
Atlantic Coast Line
No. 4201 Powered -1966 release
No. 4221 Dummy -1966 release
Baltimore & Ohio
No. Powered -1966 release
No. Dummy -1966 release
Chicago, Burlington & Quincy
No. 4203 Powered -1966 release
No. 4223 Dummy -1966 release
Chessie System (B&O)
No. 4208 Powered – release
No. 4228 Dummy – release
Erie Lackawanna
No. 4207 Powered -1971 release
No. 4227 Dummy -1971 release
Illinois Central
No. 4204 Powered -1966 release
No. 4224 Dummy -1966 release
Santa Fe
No. 4205 Powered -1966 release
No. 4225 Dummy -1966 release
Soo Line
No. 4209 Powered – release
No. 4229 Dummy – release
Southern Pacific
No. 4206 Powered -1966 release
No. 4226 Dummy -1966 release
