The 1970s were pivotal time for the railroads and motive power they employed. The eastern railroads had merger and financial challenges to overcome but the western railroads were basking in the economic glow of westward migration in demographics The exploitation of Powder River Basin Coal reserves driven by Clean Air Act, drove the demand for low-sulfur, sub-bituminous coal. Manufacturing and other forms of commerce likewise experienced steady growth and the size of freight cars grew correspondingly. This was the age of the high-cube box car, 70-ton hoppers, longer, three-level autorack cars and huge tank cars. The first- and second-generation diesel-electric locomotives then in service were simply not up to the task of moving longer and heavier trains faster, more efficiently with greater sustained reliability.
That caldron of challenge was the catalyst for the EMD class SD40-2 locomotives. The SD40-2 was introduced in January 1972 as part of EMD’s Dash-2 series, competing against the U30C. Although higher-horsepower locomotives were available, including EMD’s own SD45-2, the reliability and versatility of the 3,000-horsepower (2,200 kW) SD40-2 made it one of the best-selling models in EMD’s history, edged out only by the GP9. The SD40-2 was the standard of the industry for several decades after its introduction and was an improvement over the SD40, with modular electronic control systems similar to those of the experimental DDA40X
Production of the SD40-2 peaked in the mid-1970s. Sales of the SD40-2 began to diminish after 1981 due to the oil crisis, increased competition from the GE Dash-7 series and the introduction of the EMD SD50, which was available concurrently to late SD40-2 production. The last SD40-2 delivered to a United States railroad was built in July 1984, with production continuing for railroads in Canada until 1988, Mexico until February 1986, and Brazil until October 1989. A total of 4,031 units were produced.
The western railroads embraced the SD40-2 locomotives to a much greater degree than their eastern counterparts. The winner for the record number of SD40-2 locomotives owned was the Burlington Northern who rostered 769 and its Colorado & Southern subsidiary owned another 60. Union Pacific followed close behind with 686 SD40-2 locomotives and the railroad that had the least showing was the Illinois Central Gulf with only 4. Caught in the merger frenzy and more cautious about expenditures, SD40-2 locomotives were less-common in the east. The numbers tell the story: Conrail owned 167, Norfolk & Western 163, Southern Railway 128 and the Chessie System (B&O) owned just 20. The locomotive had staying power however and the rosters of many of the later merger giants (BNSF, CSX, NS, UP) showed a presence of class SD40-2 locomotives, all in new-age design liveries. Many secondhand units were eventually sold to regional carriers and that service greatly extended their life spans and service legends.
The drama and detailing of the SD40-2 locomotives are effectively captured on the newest release of Athearn locomotives that feature:
- LED lighting
- Photo-etched stainless steel windshield wipers
- Separately applied wire grab irons and air tanks
- Curved radiator fan grab iron
- Coupler cut levers
- Rubber MU hoses
- See through cab windows, dynamic brake and radiator fans
- Fine scale handrails molded in engineering plastic
- Exhaust stack
- Frame mounted bell (unless noted)
- Detailed 4000-gallon fuel tank (unless different capacity is noted)
- Flexicoil-C trucks with high or low brake cylinders (per prototype)
- McHenry® scale knuckle couplers – Kadee® compatible
- All-wheel drive with precision gears for smooth & quiet operation
- All-wheel electrical pickup provides reliable current flow
- DCC-ready features Quick Plug™ plug-and-play technology with 21-pin NEM connector
- Improved 5-pole skew wound can motor with flywheels and multi-link drivetrain
- Wheels with RP25 contours operate on all popular brands of track
- Highly-detailed, injection molded body
- Interior plastic blister safely holds the model for convenient storage
- Minimum radius: 18” — Recommended radius: 22”
This is an excellent time to review the current road names available and to add these locomotives to your own railroad. A process we work hard to support by introducing the best of new products released and delivering those to you with value added insight and efficiency.
Frank Wrabel
modeltrainstuff.com