Here are the New Lionel SP SD40's that just arrived from Legacy Station. I posted these to some other threads, but figured a stand alone post would let more guys see these.
I have some other roads on the way too and will post when they arrive, but here is the first look at the new tooling. It is awesome. Really love the SP lighting and the details and the fixed/kinematic pilots. Very cool. Hope you enjoy the pics, I will post more later.
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Awesome --- Thank you Bob
I know I'm pushing but can't wait for video / review etc
I'm a super o junkie also and that engine looks great on your layout
Thx again for taking the time
Joe S
I will see what I can do.
How much and how do I get one?
Nice engine, I bet Mr Korling would like them.
Bob, you are going to have to bring those over to run. They look great.
Looks like I'll have to get a pair and see what they are all about.
Also looks like a fire sale will soon take place on some other items in order to pay for them.
Anxiously , anticipating that video and review!!
Here is a comparison of the New Lionel SD40 Tooling (Southern Pacific) with the previous scale Lionel SD40 Tooling (Frisco).
One of the things that bugged me about the previous tooling (see the Frisco) was the position of the shell on the frame. It looked like the shell was pushed forward by about 1/2 inch that created a HUGE back porch on the unit, and a front end that did not look like an SD40 in proportions. I think this was done so the can motor could fit inside the cab, and not interfere with the windshield of the model.
The New Lionel model has corrected this and you can see the can motor is much more rearward in the power truck and all the proportions are exactly like a real SD40, so that is great for fans of this great engine. It looks like a SD40 now!
You can see the much higher level of body detail with the new model tooling (SP) and we are have heard how it is modular so all the different details can easily be represented to be true to the prototype for the different operators. The trucks look great and they captured the different wheelbase this time in the trucks, as they are NOT SYMMETRICAL!
All in all I am very happy with the new tooling and it looks like the best yet of the SD40. Sorry was busy last night, no new pics or videos yet.
The Frisco unit is an SD40-2. The large back porch is prototypical.
SD40-2s have a longer frame.
If anyone could post comparison pics of the Lionel and Atlas SD40 models, that would be appreciated.
EMD posted:The Frisco unit is an SD40-2. The large back porch is prototypical.
SD40-2s have a longer frame.
If anyone could post comparison pics of the Lionel and Atlas SD40 models, that would be appreciated.
Not to this extent. The front porch is too short. Look at front hood to first drive wheels. It clearly had the cab slid forward. I dont think that old tooling is to the fidelity that the new one is. This is more than a-2 model difference. The -2 had a longer frame, because longer trucks, that should make them stick more past the front hood, but they are more rearward. So my theory was that they needed to move shell forward to fit the innards!
Super O Bob posted:EMD posted:The Frisco unit is an SD40-2. The large back porch is prototypical.
SD40-2s have a longer frame.
If anyone could post comparison pics of the Lionel and Atlas SD40 models, that would be appreciated.
Not to this extent. The front porch is too short. Look at front hood to first drive wheels. It clearly had the cab slid forward. I dont think that old tooling is to the fidelity that the new one is. This is more than a-2 model difference.
I don't think the issue here is the shell but actually both sets of trucks, they are pushed back away from the pilot. If you google a scale diagram you can compare them, the front porch looks to be about the correct size. I can't post the picture because its copyrighted. Hope this helps 
EMD posted:If anyone could post comparison pics of the Lionel and Atlas SD40 models, that would be appreciated.
A fellow forum user CATNAP posted some comparison photos here take a look.
Those are Atlas SD40 to New Lionel SD40. The Atlas did not suffer from the proportion issue of the original Lionel SD40-2.
Comparing the original tooled SD40 Lionel to photos and diagrams, the shifted shell issue is easy to see... I tried to get this corrected with Lionel before the MKT's and Friscos came out, but it did not get done, and instead we got new tooling! I'm ok with that!
That SP unit is real nice!!
Super O Bob posted:Here is a comparison of the New Lionel SD40 Tooling (Southern Pacific) with the previous scale Lionel SD40 Tooling (Frisco).
One of the things that bugged me about the previous tooling (see the Frisco) was the position of the shell on the frame. It looked like the shell was pushed forward by about 1/2 inch that created a HUGE back porch on the unit......
The front porch is too short. Look at front hood to first drive wheels. It clearly had the cab slid forward.
Actually, the Frisco doesn't appear to be too bad of a representation of the -2 versions, which looked quite different from the SD40s. They did have huge back porches, with bodies that appeared "slid forward" on the frame. And it doesn't really appear the front porch is too short compared to the prototype - maybe a bit too long, if anything.
It's not like this, after all. 
Super O Bob posted:Here is a comparison of the New Lionel SD40 Tooling (Southern Pacific) with the previous scale Lionel SD40 Tooling (Frisco).
You can see the much higher level of body detail with the new model tooling (SP) and we are have heard how it is modular so all the different details can easily be represented to be true to the prototype for the different operators.
Your SPs are really nice, Bob. That much higher level of detail you mention is clearly evident. It makes a huge difference in the appearance.
The new SP models (and maybe others as well?) have a feature where if you are driving along and press the emergency stop button on the cab2 (the triangle) and the tower says "Emergency stop!" the red light on the front of the engine will start flashing. Pretty neat.
Looking good Bob. I have some GT's on the way.
Hi breeze. You can see it in the wheeling photo you posted. Look at the relationship of the cab (front to back) to the front truck. The cab is farther rearward on the front truck in real life.
I wonder if that's one of the units I helped rebuild in the early nineties?
Don
I'm really anxious to view a the Mopac SD40's!
Regards,
Swaffaord
Here's the Burlington Northern. Just got it yesterday.
Anybody have photos of the Clinchfield or Conrail?
Really nice NVISICH. Beats the 1980's version for sure!
Swafford posted:I'm really anxious to view a the Mopac SD40's!
Regards,
Swaffaord
I got my mopac yesterday. Its still in box. Hopefully will post a pic tonite if others have not...
Here's the Conrail.
Look, the MOPAC has the smaller numbers, not big by the wing...
They look very nice but maybe a bit lighter blue than the Atlas GP35's / U23's / MP15's and the MTH SD40-2's / U33's.
Anyone have the ability to do a side by side comparison photo? Somewhere on the forum that was done of the GP35's and you can see a big lodifference between Atlas vs Lionel.
It was me who showed Atlas GP35's next to the one Lionel I bought. mistake on my part.
I received my two Mopac SD40's today and they look the same as the GP35's before. I don't think they changed the color at all. Did not have time to take it out of the box because I had to go out of town for a night. But the one I opened had the railings on the back porch knocked off as well. I am disappointed in the color. Maybe Lionel is right and Atlas is wrong on color, but I don't think so.
May be the last preorder I do on Mopac engines with Lionel.
Glad I bought the SP's though they are real nice.
Nice pics guys, very nice. I like that Lionel did not add the dynamic brake on the MoPac unit, nice touch. Really like those BN units.
Blue Streak,
I don't think so either. MTH and Atlas are right, and are the same shade blue as my Athearn HO MoPac SD40-2's, U-boats, and GP38's. I am very disappointed in Lionel again. They got the green too dark on the Katy SD40-2's and the blue wrong on both the MoPac GP35's, the PA's and now this as well. For a $600+ locomotive you should not have to worry about that, it should be done right! Bad quality control and bad research, Shame On You Lionel! You've now lost on 3 big sales to me.
Texas Eagle 77 posted:
Blue Streak,
I don't think so either. MTH and Atlas are right, and are the same shade blue as my Athearn HO MoPac SD40-2's, U-boats, and GP38's. I am very disappointed in Lionel again. They got the green too dark on the Katy SD40-2's and the blue wrong on both the MoPac GP35's, the PA's and now this as well. For a $600+ locomotive you should not have to worry about that, it should be done right! Bad quality control and bad research, Shame On You Lionel! You've now lost on 3 big sales to me.
I have all three mopacs you mention. I never thought the color looked bad on gp35 or sd40. The pa i have too and will have to look. Here is a fresh painted mopac, it looks close. This color oxidizes darker and chalks out dark and dull.
I have alot of MOPAC, and i thought the color looked good. Perhaps one shade lighter for scale effect. I dont have the other models you mention. I just compare to real thing.. my pick of sd40 is also under florescent lights which lighten up the subject too.
This looked ok to me
Texas Eagle 77 posted:Blue Streak,
I don't think so either. MTH and Atlas are right, and are the same shade blue as my Athearn HO MoPac SD40-2's, U-boats, and GP38's. I am very disappointed in Lionel again. They got the green too dark on the Katy SD40-2's and the blue wrong on both the MoPac GP35's, the PA's and now this as well. For a $600+ locomotive you should not have to worry about that, it should be done right! Bad quality control and bad research, Shame On You Lionel! You've now lost on 3 big sales to me.
I don't think you should let it deter you. Some weathering would make them look even better than they do now. When I saw the Lionel BC rail Dash 9 I too was disappointed by the paint colour chosen but I later learned that the original blue on the prototype was much lighter and Lionel got it right for the most part. If you see a BC rail now they look almost navy blue.
I think that MoPac engine is a really nice shade of blue under any lighting.
Everyone of these models look fantastic. Lionel did an outstanding job delivering on the railroad-specific details like they said they would.
I hope a 2nd run is forthcoming in the next catalog.
Tomato / super bob,
maybe you guys are right. I have been studying pictures and sample colors on the Internet here in a hotel room. I can find all kinds of pictures of jenks blue. Most darker like the atlas units and maybe MTH units(I have not seen these personally). But there are some that are all shades of blue to almost blue/purple.
The only pic of the units I took today was of the broken handrail, but looking at the paint in my picture it is darker than than the ones you took Bob. As you mention yours were under fluorescent lights. Mine were taken under LED.
I did have my Atlas units sitting in my office in a display. And I just quickly looked them over. The atlas units were darker. When I get home maybe Monday or Tuesday I can take a picture of both units next to each other. If I can find the Lionel GP35(it was banished to storage and has never been run), I will add it to the pics. I guess now I have something to run with that GP35��
Sure would be nice if there was an actual person who saw Mopac jenks blue and give there two cents. When I lived in Texarkana I was just a little kid. By the time I was old enough to appreciate watching the engines run my parents moved me to Oklahoma. Then it was Santa Fe and Rock island.
Here Is a couple of more blue/purple engine sample I found.
My dad has lived in Austin since the early 60's and saw lots of Jenks Blue. I remember seeing it growing up here as well. Dad says its the blue is lighter than what he remembers. It may not be as badly different as on the GP35 but its not as dark as all the other MoPac equipment I have.
Super O Bob would you be willing to photograph the units in the sunlight and post them? I would appreciate seeing them in a different light.
Wow the new units really look nice.
The shot posted by TexasEagle77 and this one are pretty close, and I think (IMHO) are fairly accurate representations of the color.
Blue Streak posted:
Here Is a couple of more blue/purple engine sample I found.
The color balance isn't correct on these shots - these engines show up considerably too dark/purple.
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