Entering service in 1989, the Dash 8-40CW was the first General Electric road diesel to feature the North American Safety Cab (also known as the wide-cab design), now a standard feature on modern freight locomotives. Between this revolutionary new cab style and other spotting features, the Dash 8 would pave the way for General Electric to become the most successful freight locomotive manufacturer of the 1990s and 2000s, with all subsequent GE locomotives adopting a similar appearance. Today, Dash 8-40CWs can still be found operating on road freights, while a number have been rebuilt to extend their service lives for years to come. The Bachmann Dash 8 40-CW features newly added operating ditch lights, a TCS Sound Value® DCC package, and road-specific configurations.

Features include:

• Authentic General Electric design
  
• DCC Sound Value® by TCS sound-equipped for sound, speed, direction, and lighting control • dual-mode NMRA-compliant decoder.
  
• Keep-Alive® device that keeps your engine running during power interruptions due to dirty track or loss of electrical contact.
  
• Voice-guided Audio Assist® programming tool for easy set-up of almost all decoder functionality.
  
• Precision motor.
  
• Die-cast frame.
  
• All-wheel drive.
  
• Highly detailed painted bodies with precision graphics, including legible builder’s plates.
  
• Directional LED headlights with Rule 17 dimming.
  
• Horn-activated blinking ditch lights.
  
• Roadname-specific cab configurations.
  
• Separately applied details include handrails, grab irons, brake hoses, MU cables, uncoupling levers, horns, exhaust stack, windshield wipers, and mirrors.
  
• Detailed cab interior with clear windows and painted crew figures.
  
• See-through trucks with detailed sideframes and separately applied piping detail.
  
• Blackened metal wheels with RP25 contours.
  
• Magnetically operated E-Z Mate® Mark II couplers on the front and rear.
  
• Performs best on 18” radius curves or better.
  
• Product Measurements: L 9.8 in., W 1.5 in., H 2 in.