UPDATE ... March 2024: 3rd Rail SD40-2's

@vash44 posted:

Sounds great to me Mike! Gives me hope the IC may be a possible write-in. I put in for 3 of them.

Good luck getting a road to a needed minimum number required via “write-ins”. This forum gets Some exposure but may not be enough. You need to get Scott to add your specific wants on to his webpage with a real reservation option. To do that will require a lot of emails and write-in reservations. Yah I know it’s complicated.  Total numbers, numbers for each road, diff details.......... etc.   You need some more exposure !!!!  Just saying........Good luck. You have a bit of time.

Scott: Don't guess that there's a chance you'll end up with MTH's former S Helper Service models?

Through the grapevine: American Models is starting to look for a buyer too.

Now just where is that gigantic lottery win when I need it the most?

Joe

@TrainBub posted:

Yah I know it’s complicated.  Total numbers, numbers for each road, diff details.......... etc.   You need some more exposure !!!!  Just saying........Good luck. You have a bit of time.

I wonder if something like instant runoff voting would help getting production numbers up.  Everyone who submits an order would rank the road names they want.  Then, whichever ones get the most votes based on ranking, would get made if they meet the thresholds.

Offering just updated. Check out website.
more offerings, scheduled for 2021, Very Modest price bump.  
Time to step up people!!!! It’s starting to roll !!!
Bravo Scott !!!!

http://www.3rdrail.com/reservation.html#SD402

On Santa Fe version, Please include a Painted (to match) A/C unit in box for customer to install if it is not going to be factory installed. Yellow is impossible to match.   Life Like did this with their Proto 2000 GP60 locomotives.

@TrainBub posted:

Offering just updated. Check out website.
more offerings, scheduled for 2021, Very Modest price bump.  
Time to step up people!!!! It’s starting to roll !!!
Bravo Scott !!!!

A HUGE thank you to Scott! Illinois Central is coming! Hope it can hit the required reservations! Very excited for a chance to have nicely done and updated Death Stars!

Glad to see this is back from the brink.

There are some interesting variations not shown.  If you google around enough, you can find several other high-nose variations of of the SD40-2, including 2 N&W paint schemes, 2 CPRail schemes.  As for other paint schemes, I'm surprised not to see the EMD Demo unit and the Rock Island. The RI scheme is a very eye catching red and Demo units always seem to sell well for Scott in the 1st Generation units.

I'm willing to help proof the CAD and the SOU artwork if/when it all comes to fruition.  Scott - you know how to reach me.

The Canadian National number series to make should have been the CN 5300 number series.

That is the Grand Trunk Western GTW 5900 number series.

Andrew

I may be the only one who does not know- but what is the min curve for these fixed pilot SD40-2's?

Thank you.

Paul

@Railrunnin posted:

I may be the only one who does not know- but what is the min curve for these fixed pilot SD40-2's?

Thank you.

Paul

Paul, these are going to be 072 minimum recommended curves for 3 rail and 54" radius for 2 rail versions.  That is typical for all the 6 axle 3rd rail locomotives of this length due to the drive system.

@DaveJfr0 posted:

Glad to see this is back from the brink.

There are some interesting variations not shown.  If you google around enough, you can find several other high-nose variations of of the SD40-2, including 2 N&W paint schemes, 2 CPRail schemes.  As for other paint schemes, I'm surprised not to see the EMD Demo unit and the Rock Island. The RI scheme is a very eye catching red and Demo units always seem to sell well for Scott in the 1st Generation units.

I'm willing to help proof the CAD and the SOU artwork if/when it all comes to fruition.  Scott - you know how to reach me.

Dave,

As always when it comes to Southern, we will talk!

Now that the heavy lifting of the Amtrak project has been completed.  I have been directed by Scott to begin research on this project which starts with a design matrix.  If you have any information you would like to send, road number requests, knowledge of road specific details, photographs, etc. my email is in my profile.  It will take a few months to get the full matrix together, but the more we can incorporate now, the better the project will be.  I always start with a library of photos from my own collection of books as well as what I can find from the internet and those who have good photos and other information to share.

While I can make no guarantees that every variation can be captured, as always Sunset tries to bring as much road specific details and paint schemes that the tooling can accommodate.  Tooling has come a long way in its flexibility since the prototype of the first plastic shelled project in the E7 of 2011.

Excited this is moving forward!

@GG1 4877 posted:

Now that the heavy lifting of the Amtrak project has been completed.  I have been directed by Scott to begin research on this project which starts with a design matrix.  If you have any information you would like to send, road number requests, knowledge of road specific details, photographs, etc. my email is in my profile.  It will take a few months to get the full matrix together, but the more we can incorporate now, the better the project will be.  I always start with a library of photos from my own collection of books as well as what I can find from the internet and those who have good photos and other information to share.

While I can make no guarantees that every variation can be captured, as always Sunset tries to bring as much road specific details and paint schemes that the tooling can accommodate.  Tooling has come a long way in its flexibility since the prototype of the first plastic shelled project in the E7 of 2011.

Excited this is moving forward!

Johnathan,

A daunting task, I'll bet. In addition to road name variations, there are probably variations for each road name as equipment and appliances were added or removed over the locomotive's service life. So those choices will have to be made. I'll likely email you some thoughts and suggestions on the Santa Fe versions. Thanks in advance for all your efforts on this project. It is indeed exciting to see it move forward.

RM

Rich,

I'd enjoy seeing your input on this project.  Era is always an issue.  We have been moving towards as-built on recent projects as of late, but it really is about what era will generate the most interest.  I have lots of ATSF books now so if you want to point out pages from certain books I should be looking at or past issues of the Warbonnet, that would be really helpful.  I am a member of the Santa Fe Railway Historical & Modeling Society so I have about 18 months of back issues.

Wisconsin & Southern and the SOO LINE 1974-1988 scheme were added since I last checked.

I was hoping to get one of the SOO LINE SD40-2 as built and painted in 1972-1973.

Andrew

The illustration of the CNW SD40-2 make it look like the color scheme will be the 1980 to 1990 "Safety Yellow" or ZITO yellow scheme.

How likely is that going to the the color scheme?

Would Original Yellow from the 1970's be the actual color scheme?

Andrew

Andrew,

You are not the first person to ask this.  At this time, the plan is to have the original CNW yellow on the locomotives.  More people seem interested in that version.  It helps that Scott already has the formula for the original paint color based on past CNW projects.

Hope that helps clarify!

@GG1 4877 posted:

Paul, these are going to be 072 minimum recommended curves for 3 rail and 54" radius for 2 rail versions.  That is typical for all the 6 axle 3rd rail locomotives of this length due to the drive system.

Ok... I'm gonna ask it. Whats the difference in the drive system between a 2 and 3 rail one, besides the wheels, that makes the 2R one need another 36" to turn around? I'm really asking because I'd probably buy one of these, but owing to the fact that my 2R layout was a re-lay of a 3R one, the min radius of it is 36" (O72). Its what? 17" long?

Its a bit apples to oranges because of the drive setup, but several MTH and Atlas 6 axle diesels will do 36"R without any issue (even ones that say bigger on the box). If this drive can do O72 for 3 rail, what is different with 2? Does the 3R one omit details and hanging bits that get in the way?

The only difference is the scale coupler, electronics, and the wheels being all flanged.  The Kadee couplers have slightly closer coupling.  You probably could get a two rail version to go around a shorter radius with a long shank Kadee coupler. However, having all three axles flanged is the real issue I believe.  When I modified an MTH GE 6 axle so that all the axles had flanges it no longer would go around an 072 curve.  Having said all that, I understand that 3rd Rail 2 rail locomotives run on a 48" radius if the track is laid well.

Hi Folks,

I confirmed today that we will be making tooling for both the SD40-2 and SD40T-2. So SP, D&RGW, UP will be Tunnel Motors with longer Chassis, Tank and Rear with accurate details.

Please reserve your "TUNNEL MOTORS" at the link below.

http://www.3rdrail.com/reservation.htm