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:

During the 1980s, Southern Pacific and Santa Fe attempted to merge. Before the eventual merger denial by the ICC, the Santa Fe painted 306 locomotives versus Southern Pacific’s 96 locomotives. A total of sixteen SD40-2 diesels made it into merger colors before it was denied on July 24, 1986 by the ICC. After the merger’s denial, railroad industry writers, employees of both railroads and railfans alike joked that SPSF really stood for “Shouldn’t Paint So Fast”. These locomotives continued on in the “Kodachrome” scheme until the late 1980s.

• Illuminated beacon (Effect on DCC/sound version)
• Sinclair antenna on ground plane
• 88” nose with brake wheel
• Extended range dynamic brake
• EMD low front snowplow
• 4000 gal fuel tank
• Three chime Leslie air horn
• Cab air conditioner
• Q-fans
• Exhaust silencer
• Small Sinclair antenna on ground plane
• Era: 1984+