The prototype. Delivered by General Electric in 1954, Union Pacific nos. 61 to 75 were the second group of 4,500-hp gas-turbine-electric locomotives rostered by the railroad. Different from the first order, these 15 locomotives had open walkways under overhanging roofs along both sides of their hoods, earning the class the “Veranda” nickname.
The Verandas originally ran between Ogden, Utah, and Cheyenne, Wyo. In 1955, the railroad starting equipping the turbines with 22,000-gallon fuel tenders, extending their range from Ogden to Council Bluffs, Iowa.
The gas-turbine consumed massive amounts of bunker C fuel oil (about 600 gallons per hour at full throttle and 200 gph at idle). Starting and shutting down the turbine took about five minutes.
For hostling purposes, General Electric built the Verandas with an auxiliary 250 hp diesel engine that moved the locomotive at speeds up to 25 mph. This engine also started the turbine and provided power for air compressors and other auxiliary equipment.
High maintenance and fuel costs led to the demise of Union Pacific’s turbine fleet in 1969. All the Verandas had been retired by 1964. General Electric reused the trucks and span bolsters of the
Verandas on the UP’s U50 diesels.
The model. The dimensions of the Athearn model come within a scale inch or two of prototype drawings in Turbines Westward (T. Lee Publications).
The printing and striping on the model is straight and opaque. The cab window frames are neatly edged in silver, while the windshields are edged in black to represent rubber gaskets. All the windows have clear glazing.
The locomotive and tender truck sideframes are correctly painted aluminum. The tender has 20-scale-inch-high “UNION PACIFIC” lettering on its sides, which matches the prototype from the mid-to-late 1950s.
The body shell is plastic, and the well-defined molded details, including side grills and engine-access doors, match prototype photos. Separate parts include scale-profile handrails, ladders, and windshield wipers.
The cab interior has engineer and fireman seats, but doesn’t include figures. However, the interior is easy to reach once the body shell is removed, so it wouldn’t be hard to add figures.
The tender also matches photos of the prototype’s 22,000-gallon tank. The end ladders and see-through platform on the tender are separately applied. Some brake gear is modeled as separate pieces on the tender’s underframe, including the main reservoir and brake cylinder.
The motor and flywheels are mounted at the center of the die-cast metal chassis. The locomotive pilots swing back and forth, which is prototypical. The two inboard trucks are geared to the motor. The two outboard trucks have free-rolling metal wheels.
There are two printed-circuit (PC) boards on each end of the frame. Each PC board has a white light-emitting diode. The LED on the front PC board is for the headlight, while the LED on the rear PC board is for the backup light.
A wiring harness with wires color-coded according to National Model Railroad Association RP-9.1.1 is connected to the rear PC board. The DCC socket on the end of the wiring harness will accept either an 8- or 9-pin DCC decoder. The factory-installed jumper board must be removed to install a decoder.
There is a 1.2″-diameter speaker opening with sound holes at each end of the frame. There is 1⁄4″ space between the front PC board and the front speaker opening and 3⁄4″ between the rear PC board and rear speaker opening. SoundTraxx offers a Tsunami series DCC sound decoder for the turbine (no. 827114, see www.soundtraxx.com). QSI Solutions also has a Revolution-U decoder with appropriate turbine sounds (see www.qsisolutions.com).
A two-pin wiring harness connects the backup light in the tender to the electronics in the locomotive. The metal tender wheels don’t pick up track power.
In reverse, the locomotive’s backup light turns on. When the tender is connected to the locomotive, the tender’s backup light turns on in reverse.
I ran the model without difficulty forward and back through an 18″ curve at both low and high speeds. The locomotive also ran through no. 6 turnouts without any problems. However, the tender did derail on a couple runs because of low coupler trip pins.
The front and rear McHenry knuckle couplers on the tender were at the proper height, but the trip pins hung low according to my Kadee coupler height gauge. I used a pair of needlenose pliers to carefully bend the trip pins until they cleared the gauge. After these adjustments, the tender no longer derailed through turnouts. The front and rear couplers on the locomotive were at the correct height, and the trip pins of those couplers didn’t need any adjustments.
The Athearn Veranda turbine is a fine-looking model of its prototype and it runs great on DC. I was a bit disappointed that the locomotive wasn’t available with factory-installed sound, but at least modelers can add this feature on their own
Manufacturer
Athearn Trains
2883 E. Spring St., Suite 100
Long Beach, CA 90806
www.athearn.com
Road numbers (all Union Pacific): nos. 65, 61, 71, 74
Era: 1953 to 1964
Features
- All-wheel electrical pickup
- DCC wiring harness installed to accept an 8- or 9-pin decoder
- Five-pole skew-wound motor with dual brass flywheels
- McHenry scale knuckle couplers at correct height (trip pins too low on tender)
- Metal wheels in gauge
- Weight: 1 pound 91⁄2 ounces (locomotive), 41⁄2 ounces (tender)
Have fitted QSI Titan decoder, very easy fit inside inside shell, no adjustments necessary, sound and operation fantastic, but those lousy lights. Athearn take a look at the lighting on MTH turbine, you are not in same ballpark!
Very smooth running loco, handles #4 turnouts without derailing, review says side frames painted correct aluminum colour, well Athearn must have run out of that paint because mine are painted grey, disappointed with very poor lights on dcc.
beutifull engine,i'm glad it accepts 18" radius track. Wish all 4 trucks were powered. Can't wait to install a sound system on it.
Does anyone know where I can get one of these in N scale? I am on a budget, but would love one of these as a main line freight runner.
I JUST RECENTLY PURCHASED THE NEW SOUNDTRAXX DECODER FOR MY VERANDA. OPERATING THIS ENGINE ON DCC IMPROVED THE HEADLIGHT OPERATION TREMENDOUSLY. THE SOUND SEEMS TO BE PRETTY ACCURATE COMPARED TO THE PROTOTYPE. I AM VERY PLEASED WITH THE GENESIS MODEL.
I am just getting into HO, I have always run OGauge. I have just completed the first part of my layout and started running my engine pulling five cars. I have been having couplers coming apart in a curve and from time to time a derailing. I appreciate your comments concerning low coupler trip pins. I will buy a guage to check my cars. Thanks
It is my favorite locomotive, so it's great to see such a fantastic model of it. I model east coast 1957-65 in N scale, but I might next model west HO because of this model!
I have both standard and veranda turbines. I have found they operate better with the FRP GP9's vs. P2K. The 2 GP's and the turbine have handled up to 60 cars on 2% grade. Do wish Athearn would improve their lighting system. Phil
Too bad all the wheels aren't powered, it's kinda like buying a Big Boy and only having the rear set of drivers powered. Just think, if all the wheels were powered and it was weighted right it would probably be able to pull a scale length train…….upgrade too!
lets see the 3 unit 8500 turbine next
I rate it a Genesis quality craftsmanship at it's best.
I have Just ordered this from Trainwold.com, and with our $ very close to the US$ it was very cheap and half the price of getting in Australian shops!!
Have also got a Soundtraxx Decoder and speakers coming from US as well, Buying Trains over here is a joke with the prices.
Looking forward to it
The engines are great for what they are, I have two both a veranda and a non-veranda. My only complaint is that they only powered two trucks ,so they will not pull a prototypical cut of reefers or stock cars. I other to pull a decent train I believe that you will have to add helpers, such as GP-9A's or GP-9B's.Some day Atheran might make them.
future models should have sound installed and better lighting – the lighting was poorly done – otherwise – i would like to thank Athearn for the model
Gilles Cote-the loco does not come factory equipped with a decoder and it only runs on DC. You will have to install a decoder to run on DCC.
As many have said, this is a great looking model. The engine roof is loaded with "junk". Lots of mystery boxes and intakes etc. I've always thought that the turbines were particularly handsome units. I am fortunate to have observed the real turbines in action. They were truly awsome. OK, Athearn it's time to get that 8500 hp turbine on the drawing board.
While I don't have the Veranda Turbine in my locomotive inventory, Athearn locomotives are the backbone of my motive power fleet. They are rugged, reliable locomotives, with crisp, accurate painting, and superb details. I recommend them highly to those new to our hobby.
Fantastic detail and very clean paint and lettering. I am constantly amazed by Athearn's detail in the rtr line of locomotives…in many cases now better then even the early Genesis line.
As I don't have a layout yet I haven't had a chance to run it, but in the mean time it has replaced my pair of Athearn Genesis FP45's as the center piece to my collection.
I'm really happy with the details on my new Veranda, Athearn did a outstanding job in replicating this HO scale model as they did with the Challenger 3985. I have been purchasing Athearn locomotives since I was a beginner in the hobby with my Father & Grandfather. Keep up the great work.
I have #71 with tender – available much less than RRP so shop around – I got mine delivered to Australia for less than RRP. Like others I agree the inside is really tight for a decoder installation. I went Tsunami option and had to fiddle with placement of decoder inorder for it to fit. Basically it sits as far to rear as the body support posts will allow. In doing so you still need to remove some of the clear plastic over motor so that decoder sits down between the metal frame – it just clears the rear flywheel doing this. Make sure the wiring is kept clear of mechanism. Whilst soundtrax 1.25' speakers fit the frame and you can get a inslde baffle in from and dual height baffle in rear the body will not go back on. The solution is to cut sections from baffle – basically making baffle redundant. I will in future reseal the baffles by building some styrene panels. Lighting with DCC decoder is rubbish so will also upgrade to LEDs. Only complaint with decoder is I don't seem to be able to use a function button to start up prime mover – it's either startup at speed step 1 or as soon as layout is powered up. As for the turbine it really is a spectacular unit for a "basic" RTR. I agree with others nice model and worth effort to install sound – just take your time or get someone to do it for you. I also recall reading that the full turbine start up and shut down sequence could take up to 20mins.
I want one in N Scale !!!.
Looks great. You can almost feel the power just looking at it.
I really enjoy and appreciate the reviews in MR. Even though I model in "N' scale I can't resist looking at UP models in other scales, By reading these reviews, you can get a "feel: for the product, even if it isn't right in front of you.
There are so many times that a model is produced that it just dosen't perform up to exptations, and with the cost of models today, makeing a purchase just to find out this information, just isn't realaity. By reading the review, your questions are answered. This review was exceptionaly good in that it gave the era the locomotive ran. The performance you could expect, and what could be done to make it better. Good work.
Athearn has a good eye for detail, the trucks were painted aluminum at that time by Union Pacific.
I recently received my Athearn Turbine. I was just blown away by the body detail. I'm used to the blue box Athearn locomotive, I guess. Straight out of the box, the locomotive ran super! The only sound heard was the wheels "clicking" over track joints. The only disappointment was the truck sideframes. I felt that Athearn didn't carry through with the amount of detail seen on the body, such as speed recorder, air and sand lines.
The lights in mine were not LED's but the standard Athearn lights. I installed the LED kit from Ulrich models as the factory lights were too dim. Also the Tsunami sound decoder will not fit without some modifation. I cannot speak for the QSI decoder. this is due to the veranda being narrower where the decoder should mount. The model is a good runner and worth the effort.