Although an SD40-2 is certainly out of my modeling locale/time frame, as a long time 2R 0 scaler I was surprised that this project has not reached critical mass, and so I asked a friend, whose primary modelling is firmly [ well,....mostly ] in the -2 era, three questions, and his condensed replies follow:
A. Is it feasible to kitbash a -2 from an Atlas SD40 ?
He answered this question in a very lengthy, mod by mod manner, as he is not a 'good enough' modeller [ or has a definition of 'good enough' that is far higher than mine ]. The biggest single problem are the HTC trucks, which have a different wheelbase than the Atlas truck; not only do you need different side frames, but a hence new power truck as well, even if one accepted the 'China drive', which he wouldn't. For everything else, while the Atlas parts department would supply some items and PSC parts would require a lot of work if they were usable at all, there would still be a LOT of doors to rearrange, parts to make etc etc.
B. What is the general availability of SD40-2 models by CLW, Overland, etc at the March Meet and other major 0 shows ?
He didn't quite answer this one directly, but more as an extension of the first question. Very condensed, ideally he would prefer the CLW model, or at least just the trucks if they were available, and he felt the OMI models of that era weren't very good.
C. Would you buy one with a tank drive:
No. He does not like the visual aspect of tank drives. So no 40-2 orders for Sunset from him.
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One outcome of my first question was my realization that a major question any prospective 40-2 builder faces is " Which version(s) ?" This loco model was produced over a 10 year time span -- 12+ if one includes the last group of SOO units -- during which there were many changes to the appearance in such areas as grills, nose length, fan styles, etc, and that's BEFORE one gets to the road specific details. And while HO sales might provide a guide, I doubt one can translate that directly to the 0 scale market.
Best regards,
SZ
Edited to add three 40-2 photos: A C&S from the initial run, an ATSF from the last [ not counting the final SOO's ] , and an MKT just because.
