Athearn 73044 HO Scale RTR EMD SD40T-2 Rio Grande D&RGW 5400

The SD40T-2 is a 6-axle diesel-electric locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division having a 16-cylinder EMD 645E3 diesel engine producing 3,000 horsepower (2,240 kW). 312 SD40T-2s were built for North American railroads between April 1974 and July 1980. This locomotive and the SD45T-2 are popularly called tunnel motors, but EMD’s term is SD40-2s with “cooling system modifications” because they were designed for better engine cooling in tunnels. The difference between this locomotive and its non-tunnel motor cousin, the SD40-2, are the radiator intakes and radiator fan grills located at the rear of the locomotive. The radiator air intakes in this model were along the deck to allow more fresh, cooler air to enter and less hot exhaust fumes lingering around the tunnel’s ceiling.

The 1990’s was an interesting time for some railroads. An example of this would be SP-era Rio Grande SD40T-2’s. SP has always been known for having a plethora of lights on their diesels. During this period, Stratolight beacons and front ditch lights were added to many DRGW locomotives. With the combination of the factory installed nose Mars lights, these were affectionately nicknamed as “xmas tree” lights by some railfans.

FEATURES:

• 88” nose with brake wheel
• Large Sinclair antenna
• Relocated P3 horn
• Tall front ditch lights
• Stratolight Beacon
• Small EMD plow
• Extended range dynamic brakes
• Fine scale handrails
• Photo-etched windshield wipers
• Separately applied air tanks
• LED Lighting
• HTC truck sideframes
• Welded ECAFB
• All-wheel electrical pickup
• See-through dynamic brake fans
• Separately applied wire grab irons
• Rubber trainline and MU hoses with silver ends
• Standard Dash-2 cab, windows correct per prototype
• See-through radiator grilles with new rear truck gearbox specific for the tunnel motor
• Speed recorder attached to appropriate axle per prototype
• McHenry® operating scale knuckle couplers
• All-wheel drive with precision gears for smooth and quiet operation
• 5-pole motor with flywheels and multi-link drivetrain for trouble-free operation
• DCC Ready 21-pin NEM Quick Plug™ technology
• Nickel plated, blackened machined wheels
• Wheels with RP25 contours operate on all popular brands of track
• Fully assembled and ready-to-run
• Highly-detailed, injection molded body
• Painted and printed for realistic decoration
• Recommended radius: 22”

SPECIFICATIONS:

• DCC: Ready/21-Pin NEM
• SOUND: Ready
• PROTOTYPE MANUFACTURER: EMD
• Axles: 6
• LIGHTED: LED Lighting
• Minimum Age Recommendation: 14 years
• Is Assembly Required: No