In the late `50s, railroads were looking for units with high-horsepower output. General Electric and Alco obliged by releasing units with 2,400 and 2,500-h.p. capability. General Motor's Electro-Motive Division, at first, was reluctant to chime in. They figured that turbocharging their 567 engine would drive up maintenance costs, and that was to be avoided. Yet, in 1959, EMD outshopped the GP20, a 16-cylinder, 2,000-h.p. road switcher, with its turbocharged 567D2 engine.
Union Pacific fostered EMD's change of heart. For it was only after the road experimented with and found success with turbocharging EMD's 567 engine in the GP9s on their roster, that EMD recognized the engine's potential. GP20s, closely resembled earlier Geeps, such as the GP7, GP9 and GP18. The increased power made the difference. As a result of that power, one distinguishing feature of the GP20 from prior Geeps, was its short exhaust stack, located just aft of the first fan behind the cab. These units were produced until 1962.
These popular units come alive once again in the exciting RailKing Scale division in four exciting roadnames. Each locomotive is built to scale proportions and includes more detail than those in the regular RailKing product line.
