O Scale Premier GP-35 Diesel Locomotive Announced

March 20, 2026 - M.T.H. Electric Trains has announced an exclusive and uncataloged Premier O Scale GP-35 Diesel Locomotive in unique Wheeling & Lake Erie livery for exclusive distribution by M.T.H. Authorized Retailer Patrick's Trains of Wheeling, West Virginia. The locomotives are offered in both high and low hood configurations and will be available in very limited quantities on a first-come, first-served basis beginning in June 2026.

Item No. 20-22087-1 Wheeling & Lake Erie GP-35 Low Hood Diesel Engine w/Proto-Sound 3.0
Cab No. 105
Early Order Price: $568.99
Click HERE to order from Patrick's Trains.

Item No. 20-22086-1 Wheeling & Lake Erie GP-35 High Hood Diesel Engine w/Proto-Sound 3.0
Cab No. 104
Early Order Price: $568.99
Click HERE to order from Patrick's Trains.

Item No. 20-22088-1 Wheeling & Lake Erie GP-35 High Hood Diesel Engine w/Proto-Sound 3.0
Cab No. 108
Early Order Price: $568.99
Click HERE to order from Patrick's Trains.

ABOUT THE PREMIER GP-35 DIESEL LOCOMOTIVE

Produced from 1963 to 1966, the GP35, along with its six-axle SD35 sibling, marked both an end and a beginning. They were the last road diesels to use the EMD 567 motor that had powered switchers, F-units, and Geeps since 1939 (so named because each cylinder displaced 567 cubic inches). For the horsepower race of the 1960s, EMD tweaked the 567 to a turbocharged V-16 delivering 2500 hp. That was it for the 567, however, and in 1966 the baton was passed to the more powerful model 645. But while the "35 line" diesels ushered out an old motor, they inaugurated a new look. Their angled cab roofs and the clean, squared-off lines of their car bodies established the look of EMD power for the next three decades.

Introduced to compete with General Electric's landmark U25B, which had ushered in the second generation of diesel power, the GP35 outsold the "U-Boat" nearly three to one. There was a strong market for new power in the mid-1960s because the first-generation diesels that had vanquished steam were wearing out. While first-generation rosters had often been a hodgepodge of manufacturers and models as railroads experimented with the new technology, by 1960 Alco, EMD, and GE were the only manufacturers left standing - and Alco would soon throw in the towel. As a result, virtually every major U.S. railroad became a GP35 customer, and over 1300 engines were sold in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

While our Premier model is not the first O gauge version of this second-generation pioneer, it offers the best combination of detail, realism, and performance of any 1/48 scale GP35. Added-on detail parts include windshield wipers, metal see-thru body grilles, lift rings, metal grab irons and handrails, see-thru rooftop fan housings, and brake cylinders, air pipes, and swing hangers on our super-detailed Blomberg trucks. And in command mode with the DCS system, you can create a lashup combining one or more GP35s with other Proto-Sound 3.0 or Proto-Sound 2.0 first- or second-generation power, and run them from a single throttle just like the prototype.

EXCLUSIVELY AVAILABLE THRU

Patrick's Trains
142 29th Street
Wheeling, West Virginia 26003
(304) 232-0714
www.patstrains.com
patstrains@aol.com

M.T.H. Electric Trains will be releasing the 2026 Premier O Scale Flat Car w/(2) PUP Trailers in SIX different schemes this Fall. Each of these offerings will be produced in two unique car numbers and is expected to begin shipping to M.T.H. Authorized Retailers in December 2026.

Check out each of these offerings HERE.

These items are available to order from your local M.T.H. Authorized Retailer.

M.T.H. Electric Trains will be releasing a slew of limited-edition North Pole releases beginning this Fall including two Diesel locomotives with matching caboose and passenger cars, Bump-n-Go Trolley, several complementing box cars, Gondolas with Lighted Snowmen, and Flat Car with Santa Sleigh. All are a great way to add to your own holiday collection of past North Pole cars and sets. Each of these offerings is expected to begin shipping to M.T.H. Authorized Retailers in October 2024.

Check out each of these offerings HERE.

These items are available to order from your local M.T.H. Authorized Retailer.

M.T.H. Electric Trains will be releasing several Premier Line O Scale limited-edition Christmas releases beginning this Fall. These colorful locomotives and complementing box cars are a great way to add to create a Premier Line Christmas tradition on your model railroad. Each of these offerings is expected to begin shipping to M.T.H. Authorized Retailers in October 2026.

Check out each of these offerings HERE.

These items are available to order from your local M.T.H. Authorized Retailer.