Introduction

Athearn 86829 HO Scale EMD SD40R Southern Pacific “Desert Storm” SP 7319 – DCC Sound

USED

In 1966, EMD updated its locomotive catalog with entirely new models, all powered by the new 645 diesel engine. The SD40 had 3,000 hp from a turbocharged V16. 856 examples of this locomotive model were built for American railroads, 330 were built for Canadian railroads, and 72 were built for Mexican railroads.

This page is based on the copyrighted Wikipedia article EMD SD40″; it is used under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License (CC-BY-SA). You may redistribute it, verbatim or modified, providing that you comply with the terms of the CC-BY-SA.

NEW FEATURES FOR ALL SD40s IN THIS ANNOUNCEMENT:

• All-new LED lighting
• Rubber MU hoses for durability
• Photo-etched stainless steel windshield wipers

SP SD40R FEATURES:

• SP G.R.I.P. SD40R body
• Front and rear SP style signal lights removed and plated over
• Illuminated Prime Stratolight beacon (flashes on DCC/sound version)
• Extended range dynamic brakes with twin T-vents
• Nathan P-3 air horn
• Early fans
• 4000 gal fuel tank
• Late style 3 position MU hoses
• Frame mount bell
• Conductor side SP toolbox and 3 short stanchion handrails
• Whip antenna

#7319:

• Rear mount brake wheel
• High mount brake cylinders

This unit was SPs unintentional version of UPs Desert Victory” paint scheme. That was because most of the gray paint had peeled off the unit leaving the tan primer visible which looked somewhat like camouflage.

#7310:

• Nose mount brake ratchet
• Hi-Low brake cylinders

SP SD40 FEATURES:

• As delivered SP body
• Front SP style signal lights
• Extended range dynamic brakes with rear T-vent
• Nathan P-3 air horn
• Early fans
• 4000 gal fuel tank
• Early style 4 position MU hoses
• Roof mount bell
• Conductor side 3 short stanchion handrails
• Whip antenna

8411, 8437, & 8451 feature block SP letters on nose and ACI labels which were added to the units starting in the early 1970s.

GM&O FEATURES:

• Low 81″ nose with brake ratchet
• Standard range dynamic brake
• MU catch trays with footboards
• Low mount brake cylinders
• Conductor side 3 short stanchion handrails
• 4000 gal fuel tank
• Late style 3 position MU hoses
• Frame mount bell
• Leslie 5-chime air horn

The Gulf Mobile & Ohio SD40s were found in a variety of service post delivery from EMD. One of the more consistent assignments would be in coal service on the unit Commonweatlth Edison coal train. Although spending only a few years in service on the GM&O before the company merged with Illinois Central, many of these locomotives lasted in their as delivered livery until the mid 1980s.

CWEX Thrall gons: next months announcements including for the first time, the more common, reporting marks only ComEd scheme.

CSX C&O HERITAGE” FEATURES:

• Rear hand brake
• Spare knuckles on rear pilot
• K5LA horn
• “Primer”-painted radiator fans to represent replacement parts
• Bell mounted on side of dynamic brake hatch
• Flexicoil Hi-brake trucks

One of the more famous CSX locomotive was this former C&O SD40. Affectionately referred by many in the railfan community as the CSX C&O Heritage” unit, it lasted many years in a ratty faded and patched condition. The original C&O paint survived both the Chessie and CSX eras before finally being retired and repainted into her as delivered C&O scheme in 2017. After being restored to her as delivered road number C&O #7534 ex (CSX #4617) was donated to the C&O Historical Society.

LOCOMOTIVE FEATURES:

• Fully assembled and ready-to-run
• Separately applied wire grab irons
• Separately applied air tanks
• Coupler cut levers
• Rubber MU hoses
• Photo-etch stainless steel windshield wipers
• Fine scale handrails molded in engineering plastic
• Non-sound version features 21-pin NEM DCC plug
• See-through dynamic brake and radiator fans
• Curved radiator fan grab iron
• Exhaust stack
• Frame mounted bell (unless noted)
• Detailed 4000 gallon fuel tank (unless different capacity is noted)
• Flexicoil-C trucks with high or low brake cylinders (per prototype)
• McHenry scale knuckle spring couplers
• Highly-detailed, injection molded body featuring new tooling
• Painted and printed for realistic decoration
• See through cab windows
• Bi-directional LED lighting
• All-wheel drive with precision gears for smooth and quiet operation
• All-wheel electrical pickup
• 5-pole motor with flywheels and multi-link drivetrain for trouble-free operation
• Wheels with RP25 contours operate on all popular brands of track
• Window packaging for easy viewing
• Interior plastic blister safely holds the model for convenient storage
• Minimum radius: 18″
• Recommended radius: 22″

SOUND EQUIPPED MODELS ALSO FEATURE:

• Onnboard Econami sound decoder by Soundtraxx
• Engine startup sound sequence
• Dynamic brake sound or Non-Dynamic Straight to idle on F4
• Extra prime mover and horn sounds exclusive to Athearn version
• Multiple bell sound files user configurable via Configuration Value (CV)
• Sound units operate in both DC and DCC
• Full DCC functions available when operated in DCC mode
• Engine, horn, and bell sounds work in DC
• All functions NMRA compatible in DCC mode
• Excellent Slow speed control
• Current Keeper ready with on board expansion plug
• Operating lighting functions with F5 and/or F6
• Program a multiple unit (MU) lashup with lead unit only horn, bell, and lights
• Many functions can be altered via CV changes

PRIMED FOR GRIME MODELS FEATURE:

• Duplicated look and feel of In Service” equipment; Tattered and Torn” just like the real thing
• Faded base colors matched to the prototype
• Patches applied and shaped per road number matching each corresponding side to the prototype
• Perfect starting point for adding grime and rust

NOTE: NOS (New Old Stock) / USED items are as-is and not returnable. If you have any questions please ask before purchasing.