Rich,
I have the CB&Q E9 AA units from 2014 (#6-39615). They run great and the sound is good. I would have preferred two powered units instead of one, but for my needs they are ok. As to appearance and detailing they look a little long and narrow to me and I would have preferred fixed pilots, but otherwise I think they are fine. Others who are perhaps more discerning may see it otherwise. I don't know if there will be any change in the tooling or other features for the locomotive you are considering.
Bob