On January 1, 2015, stricter Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Tier 4 rules went into effect for new production diesel locomotives, requiring a 70% reduction in nitrogen oxide and particulate matter emissions. Of the two U.S. makers of mainline freight engines, General Electric and EMD, only GE was ready with a new Tier 4 diesel.

More than two years earlier, in August 2012, GE had outshopped No. 2015, the first demonstrator of its “Ecomagination” technology for meeting Tier 4 standards. What GE wanted to avoid was the “after-treatment” solution used since 2010 in heavy truck engines: carrying a tankfull of a chemical called urea that reacts with exhaust gas to neutralize nitrogen oxide. Instead GE developed an ingenious system that recirculates hot exhaust gas back into the engine; the net result is that switching to a new GE diesel is the equivalent of removing 12,000 cars from our nation’s highways.

Our superbly detailed, top-of-the-line RailKing Imperial model of this modern freight mover features a full range of locomotive sounds recorded from an actual ES44AC. Outfitted with twin powerful flywheel-equipped motors, all-metal wheels and gears, and our revolutionary Proto-Speed Control, our ES44AC will haul long freights at any speed from a crawl to full throttle. Remotely activated front and rear Proto-Couplers allow you to pick up and drop off freight wherever you like. Additional Imperial features on the ES44AC include operating diesel exhaust smoke and flashing ditch lights.