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Folks,

I am tapping into your knowledge and memories to find out who besides Overland produced the SP SD-40-T (Tunnel Motor) engines in 2 rails. I remember seeing MTH ads for the Union Pacific SD-40-T in 2 rails long time ago, but cannot recall anything done for SP.

If MTH was the only maker, what is your opinion of this specific model?

Thanks in advance.
Yves
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There was a thread about new SD40T-2 being produced. Again, you're looking at ~$2,500 price tag. The company was Midland if I recall correctly.

Central Locomotive Works produced brass kits. I don't know what happened to the company but they don't seem to be around anymore. There might be some floating around out there.

I haven't seen any of the MTH SD40T-2s up close, but if they are like their other models, they should be good layout runners, and with some extra detailing should be fine runners. Could probably do up a half dozen with sound and DCC at the same price as one brass model.
MTH produced an SD40-2T, so designated by UP when they derated existing SD45T-2's to 3000 H.P. So, in essence, it is by outward appearances, an SD45T-2 in UP colors. All extra headlights are removed on the model and represent the prototype as rebuilt by SP's Sacramento Shops "GRIP" program, PRIOR to the UP merger. Info from Utah Rails/Don Strack.

I have the MTH SD45T-2's in two rail, both "Cotton Belt" (SSW), one of which is Bi-Centennial unit 9389. The Gyralite on these is FANTASTIC!

BBBob
Erik, do you have a photo of the bottom of this unit? It looks like it has a tank drive and I was told that they have a solid block truck design with unsprung axles, but they were exeptional runners.

Thanks,

Travis
quote:
Originally posted by Erik C Lindgren:
Yves,

Samhongsa produced a SD40-T2 in SP for Oriental Limited back in 1988-1989. Is this what your were looking for?

The Rio Grande version
Yves,

I was just thumbing through an old O Scale News mag and saw a listing for a PSC SP T-2. I'm assuming this was a tunnel motor produced by Precision Scale back in the middle 80's. I know that Precision Scale produced an SD40 from around the same time period and several of the SD40's have popped up on ebay in the last couple of years. I've never seen any of the 40T-2's anywhere, so I'm not sure if they were ever produced. I have seen HO scale versions by Precision Scale.

Travis




The drive in this model is profound. Quiet, smooth, POWERFUL. On DC with three in tandem the amp meter never moves.. dead steady. Less than half an amp.. 10 volts about 40 SMPH... PERFECT.

A club member and sales associate from Caboose Hobbies once stated to me that the Tank Drive was, "out of date, old fashioned, and in other words j-u-n-k..." Importers don't use it any longer. Hmmmm. Roll Eyes

Key's current drive is roughly based on this Tank Samhongsa Drive. Add ball bearings everywhere and the best rare earth magnet motors available and nothing I mean nothing will out-pull, out-perform, or out-smooth this drive, ever.

Lots of arguments are out there about both, the old argument was the tower drive would prevent interior detail and it does but OMI managed pretty well with the Ajin tower drive.. I like the tower drive, in HO it is best. But in O scale its a whole different ball park.

You simply have to see these Samhongsa T2's run together.. 4 of them will haul anything, rock steady... perfect.
PSC did produce a limited run of SD-40s, they were unpainted and then available in Santa Fe, UP and SP I believe, they may have been painted in US as early Overlands were also painted here. They had an open gear drive as opposed to the KTM standard Diesel gearboxes, more detail than previous USH diesels and about 20% higher priced than Overlands at the time.Very hard to find today,not that many were made. To my knowledge no SD-40-2s were ever made
Erik,
Thanks for posting the pictures, that baby looks well built! I guess it's the PSC models that had the block truck design. Do you know what type of motor it uses and if it's equipped with flywheels on the motor?, which I'm almost sure it is. Do you have any video of this unit on the club layout? I've seen some pics of it on your club website. It looks very good detail-wise for it being over 20 years old.
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