Lionel O 2433262 BTO SD50, Rio Grande #5507

Facing growing competition from the larger "Dash 7s" of General Electric, EMD pushed its 16-cylinder 645 engine to its max. The 3500 horsepower SD50 produced nearly the same horsepower output as the SD45 but with a power plant 20% smaller. Although the front of the locomotives didn't change much in appearance, a longer frame and hood allowed rearrangement of the dynamic brakes and produced a long, sleek, and imposing design. With its engine pressed to its limits, operating problems plagued the SD50s. Despite being delivered to 12 railroads, production would last less than 5 years. In 1986 the new SD60 replaced the earlier model in a very similar carbody but with an all-new engine. It would be the building block for the next generation of EMD power. Despite the early problems, many railroads rebuilt andtuned the SD50s into reliable power which would serve well for decades to come. Features: LEGACY Control System equipped - able to run in LEGACY Control mode, in TrainMaster Command Cont