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

@Dj'sOgaugetrains posted:

It’s a Nick-name. Google image a Canadian National wide cab SD40-2

Wonder who came up with such an incorrect "Nick-name"? I've always heard those referred to as "Super Cabs", or "Wide Nose".

@Hot Water posted:

Wonder who came up with such an incorrect "Nick-name"? I've always heard those referred to as "Super Cabs", or "Wide Nose".

I can tell you it wasn’t me! 😇 anyway, I’m really looking forward to these.

@Hot Water posted:

Wonder who came up with such an incorrect "Nick-name"? I've always heard those referred to as "Super Cabs", or "Wide Nose".

Those CN units pre-dated "Super Cabs" and "Wide Nose". I also saw them called "Safety Cabs" and "Comfort Cabs". The CN developed them with EMD to be more comfortable for the crews in the harsh Canadian winters.

I saw the older cab style called "Spartan Cabs" as well. You can probably thank the guys from the railfan magazines.

Scott just posted actual photos of the various SD40-2's on the 3rd Rail site. Have to say the MoPac units look nice!

@Texas Eagle 77 posted:

Scott just posted actual photos of the various SD40-2's on the 3rd Rail site. Have to say the MoPac units look nice!

I agree Ricky !!! Actually they ALL look nice !!!  I can’t wait for delivery !!!!!

Going back to the first post on this thread and it is dated 09/2016.  It's been a long road to get here, but I think it was certainly worth the effort.

I don't know why, but it took a very long time for this project to get traction. Reservations were sluggish for several years. When reservations grew to the critical level, we swiftly scheduled design and production. But COVID caused havoc with our teams as lock down after lock down disrupted their workers. Design usually takes 3-4 months, it took nearly 2 years. After the lock downs were lifted, things started to move again, but there were a lot of errors. Corrections were ignored and Jonathan had to review the same drawings at least 3 time, sending the same corrections again and again. It was a daunting task.

We didn't let production start until all corrections were adhered to and confirmed to us. Production started in November of 2023 and again, usually this only takes about 3 months, but it's been 6 months since they started. This time the delays were due to the huge numbers of detail configurations for the 30+ Road Names planned. But our team at the factory diligently organized production and powered through the difficulties. Now here we are, almost done.

Finally, these are finishing production with painting and lettering complete and assembly, testing and boxing up. They plan on ordering a container the first week of May. It takes about 1 month from that point to receive them, probably the first week in June. Those with reservations will receive shipping information once the container is on-board. It was a wild ride, but from the pictures I share with you on our web site, these are fine scale models through and through. Yes, there will be some errors, there always are. But as a modeler myself, perfection is something to strive for, but never attained. Our goal is to capture the essence of the prototype, which I whole heartedly think they did.

I hope all of our customers enjoy these models when they arrive. As always, we are here to swiftly and efficiently take care of any problems that arise from shipping.

I want to thank the many people that assisted us in reviewing and correcting drawings and photos of the production samples; Jonathan being the point man. THANK YOU.  And to our many patient customers, I can't believe how long you can wait for these models. It's amazing. What a lucky business owner I am to have such supportive help and customers. THANK YOU. It's why we are still in business. Onward...

Sincerely,

Scott Mann - Sunset Models / GGD / ERR

Those units are very impressive!

The Conrails have Flexicoil trucks and class lights as per prototype

Nice work Scott, Jonathan and company

AMAZING effort to launch a model in so many roads and variations!  In my opinion, this was a release of three distinct models:  SD40-2, SD40T-2, and GMD SD40-2W.  I can only imagine the research that had to go into each paint scheme and road specific details. 

I hope this is a success for 3rd Rail and that we'll see a rerun in the future. 

Great job and thanks Scott, Jonathan and Team!

What I would order in a new production run are

CN SD40-2W in the 1985 painted special, colorful scheme for EXPO '86 VANCOUVER

The ex-MP SD40-2 that was sold to the GRAND TRUNK WESTERN to become GTW 5936

Andrew

This is the CN SD40-2W in the EXPO '86 scheme.

https://www.railpictures.net/photo/132522/

Andrew

The pictures so far are stunning!

There were 4 different SOO LINE SD40-2 paint schemes. One choice for SOO LINE is not enough.

Andrew

Here's one of my MoPac SD40-2's.

The walkways should have been blue.

Otherwise they're gorgeous.

Got mine too!  I'm thinking of trying Tru-Color 120 acrylic or Modelflex 16-86 Mopac blue paint on the walkways and touch up the white paint behind the pilots.

The ones I ordered came yesterday. I got a chance to check two of the four out, and so far so good!

Hi Folks,

I'm glad you are all getting your SD40-2s. When you receive your boxes, please check the labels on the side to make sure you received the correct road names. We've got some reports of the wrong road name received, which means my guys goofed and put UPS labels on the wrong box, or worse yet, I pulled the wrong models, and my guys missed it on the 2nd round of checking. Let me know quickly so we can coordinate an exchange.

And PLEASE, change out the 3 Rail Front Coupler with a Kadee insert at least. I wish we could have moved those back, but the truck is right up against the back of the pilot.

This is what shipping looks like in our Warehouse.

Customers are asking when we will know what we have left. The answer is, when all these mis shipments are corrected we will know what we have left. This can take several weeks after we have shipped.

Cheers,

Scott Mann

Here are my three all together.

Here's a couple shots next to my Lionel SD40 and one of my MTH SD40-2's.

Here's a couple shots comparing the Atlas blue on the GP35 and MP15's to 3rdrail's blue on the SD40-2's.

@Texas Eagle 77 posted:

Here's a couple shots next to my Lionel SD40 and one of my MTH SD40-2's.

What I'd really like to see is a comparison on the side from track level. The trucks on the Lionel and MTH versions were always way too far back from the pilot.

Milwaukee Road and CNW. Very nice locomotives. They should make a great pulling consist with my SD9s

@fast freight posted:

Milwaukee Road and CNW. Very nice locomotives. They should make a great pulling consist with my SD9s

The bevel on that railhead doesn't look quite right for that size of wheel.

Received the SP version. Love those lights!!

@Texas Eagle 77 posted:

Here are my three all together.

Gorgeous coloring, I need to start adding some diesels to the predominantly-steam collection!

Finally got outside in our 100 plus temperatures that are common in June to get some quick (emphasis on quick!) shots of my various SD40-2s.  I'm very happy with the final outcome!

South of the border with a late phase version that has extended range dynamic brakes.

Now north of the border with a CN SD40-2W.  No dynamic brakes, a wide cab and those distinctly Canadian ditch lights.

Single light on the rear:

Hard to read in this photo, but the builder's plate is the correct GMD plate for Canadian built EMD locomotives.

The Union Pacific inherited D&RGW and SP SD40T-2 locomotives.  This one is of SP heritage as evidenced by the unique lighting on the SP units that has been removed by their current owner and plated over on the rear and removed completely on the nose.

Norfolk Southern's high hood fleet came from both the Southern and the Norfolk & Western.  This one is a former N&W unit.  Spotting features include the bell on the short hood instead of the long hood.  NS also was kind enough to mark the heritage of this locomotive on the cab sides.

@fast freight posted:

Milwaukee Road and CNW. Very nice locomotives. They should make a great pulling consist with my SD9s

And, now, envy sets in. Add a BN unit and I’d be in tears.

I received my Conrail units as well. They are very nice.

Conrail was on my wish list as was ATSF, but so many conflicting interests on these models to decide on which ones I wanted.  The correct Flexcoil trucks makes the Conrail one very special.

@Anthony K posted:

I received my Conrail units as well. They are very nice.

These are sweet!  Not really my era or focus though, so had to pass.  Can't order *everything* . . . :-/

@Anthony K posted:

I received my Conrail units as well. They are very nice.

Anthony very nice. What are the minimum curves are you running these on?

Dave

I am running two of the MP SD40-2s on 2-rail 36" radius on my office shelf layout.  Set their DCC addresses to Mopac road numbers 3255 and 3264, put them in MU and have them pulling a local.  My daughter was on the throttle with the bell and horn.  (I'll get her hooked on the hobby in due time - ha!)

BTW, if you got more than one you might find all of the instruction manuals in a single box like I did.  Of course it was the last box I opened. 

Does anybody have photos of the CP Rail model? I wanted one but my budget would only allow me to get 3, and that was my 4th choice.

@Tim Mc posted:

I am running two of the MP SD40-2s on 2-rail 36" radius on my office shelf layout.  Set their DCC addresses to Mopac road numbers 3255 and 3264, put them in MU and have them pulling a local.  My daughter was on the throttle with the bell and horn.  (I'll get her hooked on the hobby in due time - ha!)

BTW, if you got more than one you might find all of the instruction manuals in a single box like I did.  Of course it was the last box I opened. 

Very nice! Can't wait to run mine!

Wish I could see your entire train!

@GG1 4877 posted:

Conrail was on my wish list as was ATSF, but so many conflicting interests on these models to decide on which ones I wanted.  The correct Flexcoil trucks makes the Conrail one very special.

Jonathan    
Sounds like you’re “needing” a run 2 like the rest of us 🫣😮😳

😂😂😂😂😂

@luvindemtrains posted:

Anthony very nice. What are the minimum curves are you running these on?

Dave

Hi Dave, My main line has minimum 60" radius curves.

@GG1 4877 posted:

Conrail was on my wish list as was ATSF, but so many conflicting interests on these models to decide on which ones I wanted.  The correct Flexcoil trucks makes the Conrail one very special.

I got one Conrail and one Conrail Quality.

The extra paint detailing (white highlights) in the CQ is really nice.

I'm taken back to my elementary and middle school days watching these things shove a coal train over Cresson Mountain and then come back down light with just the whine of the dynamics and a short toot of the horn as me and my cousins waved from trackside in Lilly.

@rplst8 posted:

I got one Conrail and one Conrail Quality.

The extra paint detailing (white highlights) in the CQ is really nice.

I'm taken back to my elementary and middle school days watching these things shove a coal train over Cresson Mountain and then come back down light with just the whine of the dynamics and a short toot of the horn as me and my cousins waved from trackside in Lilly.

My biggest memory of Conrail SD40-2s was hearing the whine of the prime movers from my Slumbercoach berth ALL NIGHT along the broad way during my college days.     Conrail came through my hometown in the form of patched PC GP38-2s and maybe 6 cars at most being on a commuter line near the last freight customer.

Got to test mine with the DCC system on a short section of MTH Realtrax that I had.

I liked the lights and sounds.

Naveen

Here's CSX if anyones interested. They turned out great! (Mine will be renumbered 8888)

@TheRambles posted:

Here's CSX if anyones interested. They turned out great! (Mine will be renumbered 8888)

Crazy 8's SD40-2?

@The-576-Guy posted:

Crazy 8's SD40-2?

you bet!