HO SD40T-2 Locomotive with DCC & Sound, SP/Kodachrome #8377

HO SD40T-2 Locomotive with DCC & Sound, SP/Kodachrome #8377 Overview

SP and Santa Fe during the mid-1980's was trying to become one railroad. They were so sure the merger would be approved, they started to repaint locomotives into their “new” corporate colors. Using SP red and Santa Fe yellow, they came up with this bright and vibrant scheme. Unfortunately, the then ICC denied the merger leaving an example of what some railfans nicknamed, “Shouldn't Paint So Fast”. By the end of the merger negotiations, SP only painted 3 “Snoot-nose” SD40T-2's. We are offering all 3 which have slightly different details between them.

The SD40T-2 is a 6-axle diesel-electric locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division having a 16-cylinder EMD 645E3 diesel engine producing 3,000 horsepower (2,240 kW). 312 SD40T-2s were built for North American railroads between April 1974 and July 1980. This locomotive and the SD45T-2 are popularly called tunnel motors, but EMD's term is SD40-2s with “cooling system modifications” because they were designed for better engine cooling in tunnels. The difference between this locomotive and its non-tunnel motor cousin, the SD40-2, are the radiator intakes and radiator fan grills located at the rear of the locomotive. The radiator air intakes in this model were along the deck to allow more fresh, cooler air to enter and less hot exhaust fumes lingering around the tunnel's ceiling.