Description
Railroad Short Name: BN
In January 1972, 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. The flagship of the “Dash-2” series of 1972, 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, greatly simplifying electrical troubleshooting and 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 EMD’s most popular locomotives of all time. Many remain in service today, both with original owners as well as secondhand operators. Within the last five years, Norfolk Southern and CSX have rebuilt hundreds of SD40-2s to extend their operating life. This will ensure this venerable locomotive’s presence on U.S. rails for decades to come.
Features:
- All-new model
- Era: 1978 to Late 1980s
- Series 7029 to 7048, built 1978
- Series 8010 to 8029, built 1978
- Road number 7035 – assigned to “HAVRE” maintenance base
- Road number 7041 – assigned to “NORTHTOWN” maintenance base
- Road number 7048 – assigned to “GLENDIVE” maintenance base
- Road number 8014 – assigned to “INTERBAY” maintenance base
- Road number 8023 – No maintenance base assignment
- Fully-assembled
- Multiple road numbers
- Class lights (non-operating)
- Federal Signal 372 rotary beacon (non-operating)
- Printed and LED-illuminated number boards*
- 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
- Body mounted knuckle couplers; Micro-Trains® compatible
- Coupler box accepts Micro-Trains 1015/1016 couplers without modification
- Straight uncoupling levers with loop handles front and rear and four inner and two outer mounting brackets
- Notched pilot faces with high angled lifting slots
- Pilot face mounted multiple unit (MU) receptacle
- Dummy multiple unit (MU) receptacle mounted to pilot face
- “Tall” stepwells
- Narrow “blunt” front anticlimber
- Handrail set with anticlimber front; inward facing rear end rail mounting brackets and chain
- Late “fixed” rear drop step
- Scale sectioned treadplate detail on walkways
- Rectangle walkway lights mounted between sandbox clean out doors (non-operating)
- 88” low short hood with wheel handbrake
- BN-style latched battery box doors with narrow louvers and lift-off hinges
- Late cab sub-base doors with lift-off hinges
- Standard EMD LED-illuminated headlight in number board housing
- Dash two cab with bolted side window panels
- Detailed cab interior with floor, rear wall, seats, and standard AAR control stand
- Rear cab side vent on left side
- Tall clear wind wings with mirror at bottom mounted fore of cab side window on both sides of cab
- Standard EMD sunshades and long sunshade tracks
- Lost wax brass cast Leslie RS-3K-R horn mounted on the cab
- Motorola ASP-16 “Firecracker” antenna mounted on the cab
- Early electrical cabinet “zig-zag” seam, further from rear of cab
- Late welded ECAFB
- Intermediate inertial air intake grills with top drip rail
- Standard turbo exhaust stack
- Accurately profiled Standard-range dynamic brakes without batten strip
- Corrugated radiator intake grilles
- See-through standard 48” radiator fan housings with fan blades visible inside
- Curved radiator fan grab iron
- Underbody frame rail with separate plumbing and traction motor cables
- Detailed HT-C trucks with Hyatt bearing caps, early center axle snubbers, sanding lines and brackets
- Speed recorder mounted to third axle left front
- Rearward facing handbrake chain mount for HTC trucks
- Short jacking pads (late)
- Aft engineer’s side sidesill notch
- Tab-mount EFCO
- Frame-mounted steel bell
- Salem air filter (accordion style)
- 4,000-gallon fuel tank with dual fuel fillers, vertical gauge, round gauge in tank (right side only) and vertical breather pipe
- Factory-applied wire grab irons, windshield wipers, trainline hoses with silver gladhands, 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 is legible even under magnification.
- Operates on Code 55 and 80 rail
- Packaging safely stores model
- Minimum radius: 9/34”
- Recommended radius: 11”
DCC & sound equipped locomotives also feature
- ESU LokSound 5 DCC & Sound decoder with “Full Throttle”
- One (1) cube-type speaker
- EMD 16 Cylinder 645E3 prime mover
- Operates on both DC and DCC layouts
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