In the mid eighties, GO Transit was looking to replace its aging locomotive fleet with a specially designed locomotive that could meet the growing demands for service across the Greater Toronto Area. The locomotive needed to be able to quickly accelerate while pulling up to 10 of the new Hawker-Siddeley/UTDC BiLevel coaches, and to save on fuel, power them with a separate HEP generator.

In close consultation with GO Transit, GMD developed the F59PH. Equipped with a turbocharged 12-cylinder two-stroke diesel prime mover (12-710G3A), a full-width North American comfort cab, with HEP provided by a smaller 600hp GM 8-cylinder diesel.

Model Features:

• Scaled from field measurements & diagrams of a GO F59PH
• End metal handrails with plastic stanchions
• Incredible underframe details including traction motor cables and other piping, and a ridiculous number of separately applied parts
• All-metal etched grilles
• Full cab interior
• Heavy, die-cast chassis with Rapidos NEW coreless motor with dual flywheels and silky-smooth drive
• Operating headlights, rear light, and ditch lights
• GO units feature functioning tri-color class lights (white, green and red)
• American units feature functioning red marker lights
• Accurate sounds recorded from a GM 12-710G3A
• DCC/Sound units come equipped with an ESU LokSound decode