Union Pacific is very little help to those who cannot see it.  What kind of engine (specifically what prototype is it a model of) is it, who made it, how old is it, etc., etc., ?

Oh my gosh !!  Punctuation !  Spelling !  NO all caps.  Welcome, welcome, welcome !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  It is a real pleasure to see someone come along with a modicum of class.

Actually, pole spacing varies depending on vintage and load.  Now days you are more likely to find power poles than telephone poles, since most telephone stuff is buried, especially in urban/suburban areas.  Go find a country road and count.

Trivia - Alexander Graham Grabowski was the first telephone pole.

Use an X-acto knife and get some KD conversion couplers.  Or, you can convert to body mounted, as I am SURE a bunch of folks will tell you, but if you have a tight layout, you will have difficulties.

Syntax error.  Or do you really want to run an EZ Command without a loco?

I don't know if there is any truth to your rumor.  Bachmann just recently upgraded the "standard" line that includes the GS-4 Daylight, and BLI/PCM is releasing a higher dollar (and presumably higher detail and improved driveline) this coming summer.  The current Bachmann standard line is WORLDS above what they used to offer in steam engines.  Don't know that there is much incentive to change anything.
Bachmann GS-4s have been around for a long time in one guise or another, and I believe Rivarossi used to make one too, and it is what would have to be called a limited interest engine.  Very similar situation to the N&W "J" class; they were both very popular restored engines that toured a lot of the country in the hayday of fan trip days.  I am not sure everyone who has one version or another would be willing to spend the bucks to upgrade.  Being a 1950's era N&W/'J' freak, of course I got a BLI one, and a Spectrum one, and a Plus one, and an "old standard" one, and a brass one, but not everyone did because you can get a BLI one now for under $200, with sound.

No.