While at my LHS last week, I noticed that the store stocked both an MTH and Lionel version of the SD45. Seeing an opportunity, I asked, and was allowed, to film videos for the purpose of cataloging and comparing the two models.
In these two videos, I demonstrate the lighting features of these two locomotives, and provide a sample of the horn, bell, and prime mover sounds up to Run 8. Each engine has its strengths and weaknesses in both departments for the modeler concerned with prototypical lighting and sound.
MTH:
Pro- Correct headlight arrangement for the SP SD45 modeled, a big plus especially since MTH does not promote such things in their catalogs.
Pro- A pretty good recording of an EMD 645-type engine (not however, to my semi-trained ear, a 645 with 20 cylinders).
Pro- Programming for the nose-mounted marker light that is somewhat prototypical (see the video for details).
Pro- Realistic-sounding horn
Con- Sounds like an E-bell, which I don't believe is prototypical for the era.
Con- Neither the top headlight nor the emergency light flash to simulate Gyralites.
Con- The emergency light is not triggered by the MTH "Train Wreck" sound sequence in DCS.
Con- No rear Gyralite or emergency light, just a headlight.
Lionel:
Pro: Prototypical programming for the marker light; it is triggered in an emergency break application.
Pro: High-fidelity EMD second generation recording (lots of bass)
Con: Unprototypical lighting for the B&P model specifically; it should not have the emergency light or marker lights, but instead have ditch lights; the emergency light also looks like an EOT and not a Gyralite.
Con: Generic recording used across all Lionel second-generation EMDs that to my ear sounds more like an EMD 710 (the pre-SD70ACe/SD70M-2 version), specifically the one I heard in a video of an NS SD70ACC
