Description
Road Number Specific ScaleTrains
- New paint scheme
- Era: Early to Late 1980s
- SOO Series 6602-6613; built 4-5/1980
- Road number specific variations in data labels and placement
- Fully-assembled
- Multiple road numbers
- LED-illuminated ground lights on both sides of locomotive*
- LED-Illuminated rectangular walkway lights mounted between front and rear sanding valve doors and round walkway light, aft of raised walkway duct*
- Operating LED-illuminated tricolor front and rear flush-mounted class lights with raised gaskets***
- LED-illuminated Saturn 6552 strobe Light*
- Printed number boards with separately-controlled backlit LED-illumination*
- “Straddle” type re-rail frogs
- Front EMD-style low pilot plow with multiple unit (MU) hose doors and grab irons
- 3-hose multiple unit (MU) hose clusters with silver gladhands
- Semi-scale coupler buffer equipped with durable metal semi-scale Type E knuckle couplers
- Front and rear straight uncoupling levers with loop handles and four inner mounting brackets
- Notched pilot faces with high angled lifting slots
- Pilot face mounted multiple unit (MU) receptacles
- Dummy multiple unit (MU) receptacles mounted to pilot face
- “Short” stepwells with see-through steps
- Front and rear late small deck extension
- Handrail set with solid end rails
- No drop steps
- Scale sectioned treadplate detail on walkways
- 88” low short hood with wheel handbrake and round vent on upper right side
- Bolted battery box doors with wide louvers
- Late cab sub-base doors with lift-off hinges
- Standard EMD headlight in number board housing
- Dash-2 cab with welded side window panels
- Forward cab side vent on left side
- Detailed cab interior with separate floor, rear wall, seats, and standard AAR control stand
- Sliding cab side windows
- Tall clear wind wings mounted fore and aft of cab side windows
- 2-panel all-weather windows mounted on both cab sides
- Standard EMD sunshade with long sunshade track on left side of cab
- Lost-wax brass Leslie SU-3L-LRO horn on angled cab roof, right side
- Motorola ASP-16 “firecracker” antenna mounted on the cab
- Accurate hood door and long hood detail
- Late electrical cabinet "zig-zag" seam, closer to rear of cab
- Late welded ECAFB
- Late inertial air intake grilles with top and bottom drip rail
- "Post-1980" non-dynamic brake housing with diagonal seam and exhaust silencer
- See-through dynamic brake intakes with resistor grid detail
- Corrugated radiator intake grilles
- See-through 48” single-speed radiator "Q-Fans” with fan blades visible inside
- Angled radiator fan grab iron
- Underbody frame rail with separate plumbing and traction motor cables
- Detailed HT-C trucks with Hyatt bearing caps, late center axle snubbers, sanding lines and brackets, and D-77 traction motor and air duct details
- Dimensionally accurate truck centers
- “Aeroquip” brand speed recorder mounted to first axle on left front
- Rearward-facing handbrake chain mount for HTC trucks
- Short jacking pads (late)
- Forward engineer’s side sidesill notch
- Flush-mount EFCO
- Frame-mounted steel bell
- Graham-White (Salem) brand 824-170 and 818-170 primary and secondary centrifugal air filters (accordion-style)
- 3,200-gallon fuel tank with fuel fillers, vertical gauge, round gauge in tank (right side only) and breather pipe
- Factory-applied wire grab irons, wire lift rings, windshield wipers, trainline hoses with silver gladhands, sand hatch covers, and more
- Motor with 5-pole skew wound armature
- Dual flywheels
- All-wheel drive
- All-wheel electrical pick-up
- Directional LED headlights
- Printing and lettering legible even 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 & Sound decoder with “Full Throttle” functions
- Two (2) cube-type speakers
- Turbocharged EMD 16 Cylinder 645E3 prime mover
- ESU designed “PowerPack” with two super capacitors***
- Operates on both DC and DCC layouts
- DC/DCC & sound ready locomotives also feature:
- Operates 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
*** Class lights illuminate in white color only in DC operation. Access and changing colors an ESU decoder with appropriate programming while operating using DCC
**** “PowerPack” feature only compatible with appropriately programmed ESU decoders operating on a DCC layout
In January 1972, the Electro-Motive Division (EMD) of General Motors would build the first production models of a locomotive design that would prove to be legendary: the SD40-2. As the flagship of the “Dash-2” series, the SD40-2 would build upon the lessons learned from its predecessor, the SD40. While the sixteen-cylinder 645E3 turbocharged prime mover remained the same from its SD40 cousin, the SD40-2 boasted a modular, solid-state electrical system, which featured removable “cards” in place of troublesome relays in its high-voltage cabinet. These cards greatly simplified troubleshooting electrical problems and streamlined repairs.
Externally, the biggest change was the use of the new HT-C three-axle truck in place of the Flexi-coil C of the SD40. The new truck promised greater adhesion, and was longer than the Flexi-coil C, necessitating an increase of the length of the SD40-2s frame to an overall length of 68’, 10” over the couplers. This also had the effect of giving the SD40-2 its characteristic long walkway “porches” at each end. Other small external improvements, such as longer battery box compartments, rear overhang on the cab roof, and drip rail over the front cab door, added to the list of external differences between it and the SD40.
Domestic production of the SD40-2 continued until July 1984, making it one of EMDs most-popular locomotives of all time. Many remain in service today, both with original owners, as well as secondhand operators like regional railroads and shortlines. Within the past decade, CSX, Norfolk Southern, and Union Pacific have rebuilt hundreds of SD40-2s to extend their operating lives. This will ensure this venerable locomotive’s presence on U.S. rails for decades to come.