The SD40-2 was introduced in January 1972 as part of EMD’s Dash 2 series, responding to competing products from GE and ALCO. Reliability and versatility of the 3,000-horsepower SD40-2 made it the best-selling model in EMD’s history and the standard of the industry for several decades after its introduction. The SD40-2 was an improvement over the SD40, with modular electronic control systems similar to those of the experimental SD45X and DDA40X. The last SD40-2 delivered to a United States railroad was built in July 1984, with production continuing for railroads in Canada until 1988.

Features:

• Fully assembled and ready-to-run
• Separately applied wire grab irons
• Separately applied air tanks
• Coupler cut levers
• Rubber MU hoses
• Photo-etch stainless steel windshield wipers
• Fine scale handrails molded in engineering plastic
• Non-sound version features 21-pin NEM DCC plug
• See-through dynamic brake and radiator fans
• Exhaust stack
• Frame mounted bell (unless noted)
• Detailed 4000 gallon fuel tank (unless different capacity is noted)
• HTC or Flexicoil-C trucks (per prototype)
• McHenry scale knuckle spring couplers
• Highly-detailed, injection molded body featuring new tooling
• Painted and printed for realistic decoration
• See through cab windows
• Bi-directional LED lighting
• All-wheel drive with precision gears for smooth and quiet operation
• All-wheel electrical pickup
• 5-pole motor with flywheels and multi-link drivetrain
• Wheels with RP25 contours operate on all popular brands of track
• Minimum radius: 18"
• Recommended radius: 22"

DCC w/Sound Features:

• Onboard Econami sound decoder by Soundtraxx
• Engine startup sound sequence
• Dynamic brake sound or Non-Dynamic Straight to idle on F4
• Extra prime mover and horn sounds exclusive to Athearn version
• Multiple bell sound files user configurable via Configuration Value (CV)
• Sound units operate in both DC and DCC
• Full DCC functions available when operated in DCC mode
• Engine, horn, and bell sounds work in DC
• All functions NMRA compatible in DCC mode
• Excellent Slow speed control
• Current Keeper ready with on board expansion plug
• Operating lighting functions with F5 and/or F6
• Program a multiple unit (MU) lashup with lead unit only horn, bell, and lights
• Many functions can be altered via CV changes

Road Specific Features:

The NS 3329 is the ex Conrail 6358 the first SD40-2 purchased new by Conrail in June of 1977. Painted into the MAERSK Sealand scheme in the Summer of 2002 for the grand opening of a new MAERSK facility located on Terminal Island in the Port of Los Angeles. NS painted and sent to CA this special painted SD40-2 for ceremonies and photo ops. The locomotive continued on in this scheme until about May 2008 when it was painted back into black.

• Ex-Conrail
• Front snowplow
• Late coupler cut levers
• Large anticlimber
• Illuminated ditch lights (Effect with horn blown on DCC/sound version)
• 88" nose with brakewheel
• Round nose vent on right side
• Standard late -2 4-window cab without roof seam and louvers
• Riveted cab side panels
• Cab signal box
• Mirrors/wind deflectors fore of windows
• Oval cab vent on left-side of cab
• Nathan P3 Air Horn
• Large Sinclair “ice skate" antenna and two small Sinclair “ice skate" antennas
• Intermediate -2 battery box door on left-hand side
• Horizontal split battery box door on right-hand side
• Welded ECAFB
• Early extended range dynamic brake
• Corrugated radiator grilles
• Standard radiator fans
• Flexicoil trucks
• Era: 2002-2008