ModelRailroadForums.com is a free Model Railroad Discussion Forum and photo gallery. We cover all scales and sizes of model railroads. Online since 2002, it's one of the oldest and largest model railroad forums on the web. Whether you're a master model railroader or just getting started, you'll find something of interest here.
I had two on order since there release and I was surprised to get a call on Friday that they were in early. I got two CNW Zito Yellow ones and I have to say I am liking Athearns new approach to Detail & Paint specific locomotives. I'm not sure what other road's SD45 look like detail wise, but the CNW ones are really close to the real thing.
I added a few parts to finish it off, but not much was needed.
I've had 2 Athearn SP45s so far, one SP and the other NYS&W, both of which I was going to patch to MRL. The SP was so nice that I couldn't come to terms on doing it so I ended up purchasing a SP Kato unit off of Ebay and will patch that one instead. The detail work on that SP unit was really nice. I did however need just a bit more but still, I really like the nose detail along with everything else.
The plows are all Athearn. They put the correct plows on the units. I only added MU stands, Drop Steps, and a Sun Shade on the engineer side. Everything else details wise is all Athearn.
CNW 6564 has a long and sorted history, and still exists today as Tacoma Rail #3001.
Built in 1968 as PC 6237, she was transferred to Conrail as CR 6237. Sold in 1984 to CNW, and rebuilt in 1986 with a 16-645F3B from an SD40, classified as an SD40/45-2 then later as an SD45-2 and SD40-2 (depending on date, it changed often...). Wrecked in 1987, but survived. Never re-numbered by UP, she was retired in 1997, and became NREX 6564. She was then sold to Tacoma Rail who still uses her today.
