It was a sad day when those 1950s E7, E8, and assorted FP units reached the point where they were clearly reaching the end of their operational life. Their long car bodies and gentle curved noses symbolized North American passenger train travel.
Both EMD and General Electric offered replacement models with varied results. The best of the lot was GE’s P42 Genesis locomotive. General Electric produced more than 200 between 1992 and 2001 for Amtrak and VIA Rail Canada.
The 4,200 horsepower locomotives were ideal for long distance service and could produce enough head end power to illuminate and cool 16 SuperLiner bi-level passenger cars. Even so, time marches on and most will be replaced with a fleet of Siemens ALC-42 Siemens “Charger” locomotives when they are delivered.
Opening the box
Third Rail/Sunset Models has a track record of producing brass models with remarkable detail and solid performance. Noted VIA Rail and Canadian Pacific enthusiast Kent Johnson offered us the loan of his latest Canadian acquisition and it was quite impressive.
Even resting in the foam cradle the angles of the streamlined nose stand out, accentuated by flowing yellow and gray striping. It looks fast standing still!
The pilot is fixed, this means the truck turns with the track, but the frame remains rigid. The pilot detail includes an uncoupler arm, you’ll also spot two red caps for sand fill lines.
The engine’s frame is metal, but the carbody is ABS plastic, per the manufacturer’s website. The nose has an illuminated number board, ditch lights, twin headlights, and classification lamps. The illuminated cab has add-on grab irons, cast-in steps, and recessed door handles. Inside are two crewmen and interior illumination.
Deep latch detail can be found below the side windows.
Up top are five horns and communications antennas. Mid car body are five more horns and piping and cast in lift-rings. Further back is the radiator fan, with add-on lift rings, see-through screens and visible fan blades.
On the sides you’ll spot see-through louvres below the roofline, and just ahead of the aft side door. Add-on grab irons facilitate crew entry and exit. The rear of the body has red marker lights, backup lights, and sand filler caps. You’ll spot a rear door with a clear window. Down below you’ll see an uncoupler arm.
While I found the painting superb and decoration fine, there might be a detail or two a Canadian trainspotter might notice. For instance, there’s no small Canadian flag icon above the third “a” in Canada. As a Yank, it didn’t bother me, but if this is your passenger livery of choice, it might. According to Kent Johnson, the OEM blue color is spot on for the correct color compared to the prototypes.
The engine measures 18½” long, which is about ¾” of an inch too long for true 1:48 scale.
On the test track
The model features a horizontal can motor drive powering all wheels. Lionel’s TrainMaster and RailSounds systems are also on board. Motor operation was smooth and quiet; sound reproduction was excellent. Responses to commands were instantaneous, and sound reproduction was perfect.
Testing was a pleasure. I ran the locomotive by itself and also pulling a heavy 14 car intermodal train and performance was good in all speed ranges. So you probably wouldn’t pull a freight with it, but you could if you wanted!
I measured a low speed of 4.33 scale miles per hour and the high speed average was 92.1 scale miles per hour. The drawbar pull for the P42 was 1 pound, 12 ounces.
The VIA Rail P42 was fun to operate. Solid construction, great graphics, and a pleasant running experience.
Note: Based on an email from Jay Escamilla in early November 2025, there may be a second run of these engines. Contact Third & Townsend Models or fill out this form if you are interested.
Model provided by Kent Johnson
VIA Rail Canada O Scale P42
Features: RailSounds/LokSound 5.0 DC/DCC, dual speakers, lighted cab interior, fixed pilots, 0-54 operation, fixed pilots
Roadnames (available in 2- and 3-rail versions): Amtrak 50th anniversary; Amtrak Phase III; Amtrak Phase III 40th anniversary; Amtrak Phase III 50th anniversary; Amtrak Phase IV; Amtrak Phase V; Amtrak Phase V 50th anniversary; Amtrak Phase VI 50th anniversary; VIA Rail (blue)
MSRP: $849.95
Website: thirdandtownsendmodels.com
