Why I Like and Use B'mann's HO SD40-2s

[jward]

add to the rebuilding and refurbishing programs, csx has been rebuilding theirs with new cabs, with about 50 done so far. so has Norfolk southern, with many of the former southern railway high hoods getting new cabs and noses.

perhaps the most extensive rebuild program is the one emd is doing for Canadian pacific, where the old 645 engine is being replaced with a new 12 cylinder  710 which meets more stringent emissions standards. these are getting a flared radiator section similar to the sd70m's on Norfolk southern and UP.

one last footnote: back in the early 1990s BN modified two sd40-2s to run on natural gas. this required the use of the larger radiator sections from scrapped sd45s. even after they were converted back to diesel, they retained the larger radiators. I believe both are still in Helm's fleet of lease units......these would make an interesting litbash project.

[Balrog21]

here ya go Jward. I do know this is one heavy engine. it's quite as a mouse as well. I wonder if it's brass? the handrails are VERY tight as well, and if you can see the nose section ALOT of detail is present. The only problem with it is the back coupler box broke off and it's all metal, no plastic.guess it's time for some JBWeld eh?
Thanks,
Bal

[jbrock27]

It was me Bal that asked about the underside pics for the Santa Fe .

Looks like an Athearn to me.  Does it have brass flywheels?

[K487]

Jeff:

Per your, "Perhaps the most extensive rebuild program is the one emd is doing for Canadian pacific, where the old 645 engine is being replaced with a new 12 cylinder  710 which meets more stringent emissions standards. these are getting a flared radiator section similar to the sd70m's on Norfolk southern and UP." 

Well, between all the various upgrades and additions to date including the now flared radiator sections, it looks like the 1-to-1 scale folks have discovered the model railroad decades-old practice of kit-bashing.  

Also, it looks like the original "clean lines" of the SD40-2s are increasingly morphing.  Be interesting to count how many "morphs" of the SD40-2 there are in say 2030.  If some of the 1972-built units are still operating then they will in essence be 58 years old.

K487

[jward]

58 year old sd40-2s? very likely.....

how many gp7s and gp9s are still in use on shortlines and industrial railroads? quite a few. and at least one of the original 1965 sd40 test beds is still running on wheeling & lake erie, at age 48. EMD's will run forever, given proper maintainance.

the GE u30c and C30-7 were the closest competitors to the sd40-2, and were notorious dogs. the u30s have been gone for 20 years. the "improved" c30s have been gone about 10 years. we are now seeing GE locomotives built AFTER the sd40-2 was discontinued, being dumped my major railroads, while those same lines keep their sd40-2s.


bal, that santa fe unit looks to be an athearn drive. the 4 rubber motor mounts in the fuel tank are dead giveaways, as are the bronze axle bushings in the trucks.

[Balrog21]

Sorry for the name mix up...eep! Well, it if is an Athearn I struck the gold mine then...you can't even hear it running except for the wheels going over the track..seriously it's the quietest engine I have, and it pulls some cars as well with no problem! thanks for the info! Now, if I can just get the back coupler fixed all will be good!

[jbrock27]

Bal, do you have the broken off metal piece from where the coupler attached to the frame?  If so, I think your idea of JB Weld would be the best shot at reattaching it.  If you don't, maybe the next best possibility would be to mount a coupler box to that end of the shell.   Good luck with the repair.  I have several Athearns and love almost all of them, even the very first real locomotive I ever bought for myself.

[jbrock27]

...a third option would be to buy a new frame and ditch the broken one.  Athearns are easy (in my view) to take apart and put back together.  You could strip it down and put the guts back on the replacement frame.  Did you say this was DCC or is it still a DC?

[Balrog21]

It is DCC, JB.

[jbrock27]

I see.  Then it has already been "tricked out" and there would be no need for further improvements.  I hope you are able to fix the coupler issue one way or the other.

[Balrog21]

Thanks, JB. I hope so too!

[K487]

All:

I want to correct a small error that is in my initial post that started this thread.  The error is in this comment:

"F. These engines with NO modifications will run around my 22", 19" and 16" radius loops. I use them only on the 22" and 19" loops - my visual barf-meter maxed-out  when I ran one on my 16" radius curves for the first (and last) time."

I did indeed run one of Bachmann's SD40-2s around a 16" radius curve, BUT a few days after this thread started I remembered that in order to do that I had modified it.  I had taken the loco, disassembled it, and using a grinder had cut back a little of the two openings where the trucks swivel, thus widening their travel.  That gave them enough room to take the 16" radius curves.

My apologies to all.

K487

[jward]

the problem isn't necessarily to get the locomotive to squeak around those curves. I used to run athearn u36cs around 17r curves as a teenager. I had 17r due to a simple miscalculation when laying out the roadbed, I had intended on 18r......the locomotives ran fine around those curves, but the overhang on the ends would swing out and pull anything coupled to them right off the rails. I would up only using cars 50' or longer next to the locomotive, as a transition to the smaller ore and hopper cars which made up most of my trains. with 4 axle locomotives like gp35s, I had no such restrictions.

[jbrock27]

I run 2 Athearn SD45s and 1 SD9 around 18R curves w/no problems.  I've made sure each has the proper wheel gauge.  As JW pointed out, it is good practice to run a longer (50ft) car as the 1st car behind the loco.

[Balrog21]

Went out with the little one yesterday and caught this baby doing some work in the South Yard here in my home town. 
http://youtu.be/nYbUcSMrS_4

and this was the first time, Grafton, my little one has seen the Amtrak blast through Magnolia which is about 7 miles south of McComb. hehe...it was so fast he didn't know how to react. =) gotta love it!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFHG1SuSpFY&feature=share&list=UUHt0AMIYW5JAFV_Ja1wiVPg


Enjoy!
Bal