Rivet Counter HO Scale Wabtec AC44C6M, Norfolk Southern/Thank You To Our Railroaders/NS #4822

The Rivet Counter™ series GE AC44C6M is the definitive HO Scale model of Norfolk Southern’s rebuilt six-axle alternating current traction locomotive. Our model combines smooth operating performance with unparalleled railroad, road number, and era-specific™ details and industry-leading LED lighting features.

In 2015, Norfolk Southern initiated the AC44C6M rebuilding program for the GE DASH 9 series. This DC to AC transition improved tractive effort and overall train handling by enhancing or replacing trucks, carbody repairs, and additional ballast. The external changes involved adding AC inverter control cabinets and replacing the original cabs. By 2025, NS expects to have 950 rebuilt units in service.

Run: 2

Announced: Nov 1, 2025

Arrived: Jul 6, 2026

DCC & Sound Equipped Retail: $424.99 DC/DCC Ready Retail: $287.49

See below for your price

In stock

SKU

2-RCHOAC44C6M-3

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Grouped product items
Item Number	Road Number	Control & Sound Options	Our Price	Availability	Quantity
SXT42480	4822	DCC & Sound Equipped	$339.99	Limited Fewer than 24 in stock
SXT42481	4822	DC/DCC Ready	$229.99	Sold Out	Notify Me If Available × *Please enter your email address to receive notification if stock becomes available. Inventory will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. This field is required Please enter a valid E-mail Submit

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ADDITIONAL PHOTOS

PRODUCT DETAILS

Road Number Specific ScaleTrains

All-new model
Era: 2024 to present
Series 4761 to 4860; ex-9560 to 9744, built 2000 to 2001
Road number 4822; ex-NS 9615
Fully-assembled
Operating LED-illuminated ground lights on both sides of locomotive*
Operating LED-illuminated front and rear deck-mounted alternating ditch lights**
Operating LED-illuminated front, rear, and side walkway lights*
Printed cab-mounted number boards with separately controlled LED-illumination*
Directional LED-illuminated headlights
LSL (Locomotive Speed Limiter) indicator lights on cab sides (non-operating)
Tall and narrow plow with no doors, notched around train line hose opening, welded on reinforcement plates at the bottom, stepped top, and two (2) grab irons
Rear pilot with a welded-on reinforcement plate
Semi-scale GE type coupler buffer equipped with durable metal semi-scale Type E knuckle couplers painted a dingy gray/brown color to represent the color of couplers in service
Front Inside loop uncoupling levers with up-down brackets and rear inside loop down brackets
5-step stepwells with see-through steps
Walkway with front and rear anticlimbers
GE “nub” pattern walkway tread
Wide profile end handrails
Front high (cab) mounted headlight
Nose door with window; security padlock with hasp
Two-piece nose top grab irons
Battery cabinet access door with latch
GE safety cab with four (4) side windows
Right side cab under floor access doors: dual large louver panels per door
Left side cab under floor access doors: bolted panel forward of the HVAC unit
Cab interior with detailed back wall and front dash, high-back seats, conductor’s workstation, and engineer’s AAR-style control stand
In-cab grade crossing camera
Tinted cab side windows
Tall mirror mounted in front of sliding cab side windows on both sides; additional small mirror on right side
JEM Communications PTC antenna farm with Sinclair antennas
Cab HVAC vent panels with 13 louvers and circular latches
Inverter Cabinet with Bolted and hinged access door, top two X panels same size, three lower X panels with 4 - 6 - 4 Bolt Pattern
Continuous reinforcement rib under dynamic brake intake grilles
High-capacity dynamic brake exhaust (3-port)
Rearward right-side air intake grille
Left side auxiliary cab: 3 short doors with latches on the #2 door and wide auxiliary cab filter box door
Right side auxiliary cab: four (4) doors with latches on #1 and #4 doors
Late wide width inertial cabinet with no spacer between the engine cab. Short rectangular vent and wide X-panel on the right side and rectangular vent on the left side. Partial length horizontal access panel on the left side with a small adjacent X-panel
Late angled engine cab profile with raised “dot” treadplate on centerline
High-mounted lift rings on forward engine cab power assembly doors only
Three door latches per side on the exhaust cab doors
Lost-wax brass cast Nathan AirChime P3 horn with shower caps mounted on engine cab
Late non-flanged exhaust stack housing
“Bathtub” exhaust silencer
22 individually-applied etched metal see-through radiator intake and exhaust grilles on sides and top of radiator compartment
Right side late radiator door grilles in alternating heights
No right side radiator wing access door
Electronic Handbrake with panel in front of the brake wheel
Flat stamped
Left rear hood door grille arrangement: tall, short, tall grilles
Low-mounted rear sand fill
Late angled lifting “tabs” on ends of radiator wings
No forward radiator lifting lugs
Left side long rail all stanchions, early type
Right side long rail, all stanchions are early type
Accurately profiled frame with separately-applied plumbing and traction motor cabling
GE Hi-Ad trucks with reinforcement plate over center axle on right front and left rear side frames and separately applied brake cylinders, single bracket air plumbing, and rotating bearing caps
Wheel faces painted a dingy gray/brown color to represent the color of wheelsets in service
No speed recorder
Dual Graham-White (Salem) 824-100 centrifugal air filters
Graham-White 994-500 series air dryer
5,000-gallon fuel tank with no weld seams on the right side with a single vertical and a single angled seam on the left with late late-style air reservoir drain notch
Fuel tank mounted electronic bell
Separate air tanks with upper mounting brackets
Curved handbrake chain bracket
Spare coupler knuckle holders on rear pilot face
Factory-applied detail parts: wire grab irons, spare knuckles, trainline hoses with silver gladhands, 3-hose MU clusters with silver gladhands, uncoupling levers, windshield wipers, mirrors, sunshades, and more
Motor with 5-pole, skew-wound armature
Dual flywheels
All-wheel drive
All-wheel electrical pick-up
Printing and lettering legible under magnification
Operates on Code 70, 83, and 100 rail
Packaging safely stores model
Minimum Radius: 18”
Recommended Radius: 22”

DCC & sound equipped locomotives also feature:

ESU-LokSound 5 DCC and Sound decoder with “Full Throttle” Functions
Two (2) cube-type speakers
Accurate FDL-16 prime mover and auxiliary sounds, horn, bell, and more
ESU-designed PowerPack with two (2) super capacitors***
Operates on both DC and DCC layouts

DCC & sound ready locomotives also feature:

Operate on DC layouts
DCC ready with 21-pin connector

* Lighting features operate when using an ESU decoder with appropriate programming while operating using DCC

** In DC operation, both front ditch lights illuminate; rear ditch lights (if equipped) do not illuminate

*** Compatible with appropriately programmed ESU decoders while operating using DCC

PRODUCT VIDEOS

PROTOTYPE HISTORY

In the early 2000s, Norfolk Southern, equipped with one of the largest GE DASH 9 series locomotive fleets, was at a crossroads. With escalating traffic levels demanding more horsepower for efficient train movement, a critical decision loomed. The aging DASH 9s forming the backbone of their fleet were due for overhauls, prompting the need for a strategy to keep the traffic flowing seamlessly.

To modernize its fleet, Norfolk Southern boldly initiated a rebuilding program for its GE DASH 9s. This comprehensive process involved upgrading the electrical systems and traction motors of the aging DC (Direct Current) drives DASH 9s to AC (Alternating Current) traction, effectively transforming them into AC4400s. While AC technology had already proven effective on other railroads, Norfolk Southern had remained conservative in the 90s, opting for fleets of DC-drive EMD SD70s, GE C40-9s, and C40-9Ws.

As the 90s transitioned into the 2000s, Norfolk Southern couldn't overlook the compelling advantages of AC, which offered significant improvements in unit tractive effort and overall train handling compared to DC units. The rebuild process also included essential enhancements such as new trucks, repairs to the carbody, and additional ballast for increased tractive effort.

Externally, the most noticeable change was the addition of an AC inverter control cabinet to the left side walkway behind the operator’s cab. In the case of units rebuilt from standard-cab C40-9 core units, the original operator’s cab, low nose, and under-cab cabinets were replaced with a new GE Safety Cab, similar to those used on current GEVO production. While some fans lamented the loss of the distinctive C40-9 "Top Hats," crews embraced the new cabs for superior comfort and crashworthiness.

These revitalized units, designated as AC44C6M by Norfolk Southern, debuted in August 2015 with NS 4000 and 4001, rebuilt by contractor American Motive Power, Inc., utilizing components from GE. Sporting a unique gray scheme with a blue cab and "mane," these units stood out against the typical black Thoroughbreds in the NS fleet. Rebuilt from NS C40-9s 8799 and 8879, some of the oldest GEs in the fleet gained a new lease on life.

The success of these initial rebuilds prompted Norfolk Southern to fully embrace the AC44C6M, with 16 additional units rebuilt from C40-9 cores in 2016. Work was conducted in-house at Roanoke and Juniata shops and by GE in Erie, Pennsylvania, and Ft. Worth, Texas. The momentum continued, with additional units slated for rebuilding each year. As of March 2025, Wabtec plans to rebuild the entire NS GE DASH 9 fleet, ushering in the latest technology and solidifying its position as the "Thoroughbred" of transportation.

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Rivet Counter HO Scale Wabtec AC44C6M, Norfolk Southern/Thank You To Our Railroaders/NS #4822

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