This is the MTH RailKing 30-2009LP Union Pacific Gas Turbine 3-Piece Diesel Engine Set in O Gauge — a three-unit consist consisting of a lead A unit (#10), a B unit (#10B), and a fuel tender. This is the ProtoSound-equipped version (LP suffix) of the original 30-2009-1 release, which MTH delivered in October 1997 with a list price of $479. The set is long out of production in this PS1 form; MTH later returned the gas turbine to the RailKing lineup for the first time since 1997 with a Proto-Sound 2.0 version, making this original-run set a piece of late-1990s RailKing history.
The set is dressed in Union Pacific's Armour Yellow with red striping and carries the UP winged shield nose decal on the lead unit. Construction includes die-cast drive and dummy trucks, stamped metal chassis floors, and operating die-cast metal couplers throughout. Electronics consist of an operating headlight, an electronic horn, and a DCRU electronic reverse unit, with the locomotive shipped ProtoSound plug-in ready per the box markings. It operates on O-27 curves, which is consistent with the RailKing semi-scale design philosophy of fitting big-name prototypes onto tighter home-layout radii.
From a collector standpoint, this one ticks the boxes: C-9 condition, never run, with a Very Good outer box and — importantly — the original styrofoam insert with the red ribbon ties still intact. Standard kit contents are present. For a PS1-era RailKing set that's nearly three decades old, finding the foam and ribbons undisturbed is the tell that it has lived quietly on a shelf rather than on a layout.
Paint is factory fresh with no chips, scratches, or fading visible on any of the three units. All lettering and road markings are crisp and sharp. Chrome wheel detail is bright and unscuffed. The rear circular port on the tender unit is unobstructed and undamaged. All couplers are intact and undamaged.
Union Pacific operated the largest fleet of gas-turbine–electric locomotives (GTELs) of any railroad in the world. The prototype, UP 50, was the first in a series built by General Electric for Union Pacific's long-haul cargo services and marketed by the Alco-GE partnership until 1953. The Union Pacific GTELs were a fleet of 55 experimental high-powered locomotives built by the American Locomotive Company (Alco) in collaboration with General Electric (GE) and later by GE alone, representing the only regular use of gas turbine technology by a major U.S. railroad. Introduced starting with a 1948 prototype tested in 1949, the production models operated from 1952 to 1970, primarily hauling heavy freight over the demanding route between Council Bluffs, Iowa, and Ogden, Utah, where they powered about 10% of Union Pacific's freight traffic.
The MTH RailKing set models the third-generation "Big Blow" configuration. The third generation was the most powerful and the last batch of turbines ordered by the UP, rated at 8,500 HP. The locomotive had three separate units: the first 'A' unit was a cab unit with an 850 HP diesel locomotive inside, the second 'B' unit contained the turbine which had an output of 8,500 HP, and the third 'C' unit was a tender to extend the locomotive's range. All together, the three units made up one of the world's most awesome locomotives, generating over 8,500 horsepower at a combined weight of 850,000 pounds and 180 feet in length. These final thirty GTELs were nicknamed "Big Blows" for the incredible noise they produced, even louder than the first 25 models (which was partly due to the fact that each unit included two turbines).
The GTELs ran on an unusual fuel by railroad standards. Union Pacific's turbines burned Bunker C heavy fuel oil that was less expensive than diesel. But this highly viscous fuel is difficult to handle, with a room-temperature consistency similar to tar or molasses. To solve this problem, a heater was built into the fuel tanks (and later into fuel tenders) to heat the fuel to 200 °F (93 °C) before feeding it into the turbine. Fuel economy was poor, for the turbine consumed roughly twice as much fuel as an equally powerful diesel engine. When it was found that Bunker C fuel is useful in making plastics products it drove up the price and meant that the era of turbines is nearing its end. The prototype, the first-generation, and the second-generation turbines were all scrapped.
MTH Electric Trains' RailKing line is the company's traditional-sized O Gauge product line, engineered to run on tight O-27 curves while still capturing the visual character of full-size prototypes. The original 30-2009-1 Gas Turbine was delivered in October 1997 with a list price of $479, placing this LP (ProtoSound) variant squarely in the first generation of MTH's onboard sound and command technology — what collectors now refer to as PS1.
| Brand | RailKing |
| Item Number | 30-2009LP |
| Product | Rail King Gas Turbine 3-Piece Diesel Engine Set |
| Road Number | 10 (lead unit), 10B (B unit) |
| Road Name | Union Pacific |
| Category | Locomotives |
| Gauge | O Gauge |
| Instruction Sheet | Gas Turbine Diesel Locomotive Set Operating Instructions |
Shipping: Ships via UPS Ground with full tracking from Edison, NJ. Carefully packed with plenty of protection. Free local pickup available.
Condition: Graded honestly to the best of my ability. Please review all photos carefully — what you see is what you get. Happy to answer questions or send additional photos before you commit.
Returns: 14-day returns accepted. Buyer pays return shipping.