Intermountain SD40-2 delays

[Scottl]

The SD40-2W was a pretty specific prototype that only a CN fan could love ( ).  I can live with a modified chassis if it made the model viable for the market.  I don't own any of that particular model but I did not hear much that was negative about the operation anyway- it was the shell and wheels that made people hot or cold. 

The tunnel motors have become infamous for the same reasons and people love to drag that skeleton out of the closet.  I had four Tunnel Motors and they all ran OK, on par with my Atlas models.  The detail and paint was above average, even if one had a bit of excess lube that required some clean up.  The thin railings were annoying as they popped off on occasion but they were also probably the best railing tooling I have seen, including brand new tooling from MT and Atlas.  But balance that with a cohort of very specific prototypes and road-specific detailing that made a lot of modelers happy.

I just opened the case on a new Kato ACe  and was reminded what standard I measure everything by.  It is like a finely tooled Swiss watch.  Everything else is not quite up to that standard from my experience, but most are quite acceptable if not very well executed.  IM does decent work and brings unique and diverse products to the market.  Hoping for the best with these new -2's:  the paint schemes so far seem to be a solid mix.

[daniel_leavitt2000]

Scott, I think I am a closet CN fan. I adore my SD40-2W, and have a GMD-1 on order. My reasoning for buying both is that if I can help make a specialty product viable, I hope others would do the same for projects I have a vested interest in, such as the Comet II cars and a CF7.

The first SD40T-2 were god awful. Subsequent models were actually quite nice. I like my DRGW unit a lot. I think the SD45-2s were a bit worse... the multi-layer effect on the radiator kinda fell flat, and the EL 5k gallon fuel tank is way too short. I still don't hesitate to use them with anything else in my fleet.

I feel that IM has received an unfair share of hate, a bit like MTL. They may have their issues, but so does Atlas (their 89' flats being a major problem) and they get a pass.

[James Costello]

I feel that IM has received an unfair share of hate, a bit like MTL. They may have their issues, but so does Atlas (their 89' flats being a major problem) and they get a pass.

Dan I don't think that's a fair comparison considering:
a) the pre-announcement hype from the manufacturer (none from Atlas on the 89'er, significant from IM)
b) competition from other manufacturers for the same product (competing product from MTL, and unlikely that one will ever exist for the SD40T-2).

I don't want to think about the amount of work needed to make a fleet of SD40T-2s "acceptable" to me (ie, mid 90s Espee specific) for what should have been a slam dunk. Thankfully it will take less for the DRGW units, but UDE nose lights on Speed Lettered units is just wrong...... 

It will take time and effort from IM to re-earn that trust from those of us that got burnt from the tunnel motor debacle....and it wasn't re-earned on the 45-2s.

[oakcreekco]

Dan I don't think that's a fair comparison considering:
a) the pre-announcement hype from the manufacturer (none from Atlas on the 89'er, significant from IM)
b) competition from other manufacturers for the same product (competing product from MTL, and unlikely that one will ever exist for the SD40T-2).

I don't want to think about the amount of work needed to make a fleet of SD40T-2s "acceptable" to me (ie, mid 90s Espee specific) for what should have been a slam dunk. Thankfully it will take less for the DRGW units, but UDE nose lights on Speed Lettered units is just wrong...... 

It will take time and effort from IM to re-earn that trust from those of us that got burnt from the tunnel motor debacle....and it wasn't re-earned on the 45-2s.

Amen to that. A premium priced loco that didn't match the hype in so many ways.

[nkalanaga]

I have one of the SD40T-2s, and it doesn't have any obvious problems.  Runs well, looks good, assembled neatly.  Of course, I model the BN in Montana, not the SP, so wouldn't know if it was properly detailed, but I don't have any complaints about it.  As a run-through or pool unit it looks and works fine.

I don't know if the BN used these in Montana in the mid 70s, but they were very common in Washington.

[nstars]

What I heard from Atlas in roanoke was, that the Loksound decoder was too wide and ESU had to design a more narrow one. That is what they have been waiting for. And for me it looks logical as the current loksound selekt decoder is 10.5 mm wide, which is a little bit too wide for a hood unit. Don't forget Jdcolumbo had the thin most of the shells to install de decoder in a hood unit. As an individual you can do that, as a company it can be a risk to make the shell too thin.

Marc

[Packer]

I have one of the SD40T-2s, and it doesn't have any obvious problems.  Runs well, looks good, assembled neatly.  Of course, I model the BN in Montana, not the SP, so wouldn't know if it was properly detailed, but I don't have any complaints about it.  As a run-through or pool unit it looks and works fine.

I don't know if the BN used these in Montana in the mid 70s, but they were very common in Washington.

 In my 1977-80 BN annual, I have a picture of one on the BN in Wisconsin; and in a an issue of TRP that covered Marias Pass in the 70s; one of them showed up. In the leased power section of the former, it mentions that SP used a few to pay off the mileage used on the Locotrol SD40-2s that SP tested. I kick myself often for not buying the Athearn the SD40T-2 I saw at an Atlanta train show a few years back (the biggest show I've been to and the one show where I bought nothing).

[nkalanaga]

Vincent:  Thank you!  Marias Pass is close enough to my location for me. 

[basementcalling]

Will they have a chance of arriving before the prototypes vanish from class I railroads?

[nkalanaga]

Probably not.  I've basically given up on Intermountain.

Atlas, MT, or FVM, please make a good AAR 1944 (10'6" IH) boxcar for those of us who don't need a lot of PS-1s.

[wcfn100]

Probably not.  I've basically given up on Intermountain.

Atlas, MT, or FVM, please make a good AAR 1944 (10'6" IH) boxcar for those of us who don't need a lot of PS-1s.

You don't like the Deluxe Innovations car?

Jason

[lock4244]

Will they have a chance of arriving before the prototypes vanish from class I railroads?

Word is CP has issued orders to park all remaining SD40-2's by the close of the month (March). Remains to be seen if it'll happen by that date, but it's coming.

[Philip H]

Will they have a chance of arriving before the prototypes vanish from class I railroads?

Considering how many soldier on as rebulit SD40-3's (or other similar designations) i'm not worried . . . yet.

[davefoxx]

Will they have a chance of arriving before the prototypes vanish from class I railroads?

Granted, it's with that new, ugly SpongeBob SquarePants cab, but CSX is rebuilding its SD40-2s into SD40-3s, so they should be around for a long time.

DFF

[nkalanaga]

Jason:  The DI cars are good cars, although not my personal favorites.  The reason I didn't list them is that I haven't seen any for sale in years.  I have a half dozen from their earliest runs, and haven't found any since.  Are they still in production?