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i received my SD40 today. it is in perfectly working order but missing several parts. namely, front floorboard, snowplow, rear brake wheel and some truck detail (brake cylinders). this is the BNSF one (since not all roadnames have all the detail).
so the question is whether the above items should have come with the loco or is it extra detail that i should purchase (which seems weird )
I have 1 (soon to be 3 ) rtr gp-38's and neither came with any plows,mu hoses or any of the typical real detail parts. There are no other parts in the packaging since they are RTR but it seems like with about 10 dollars of add on details they can be made to look real nice.
Anton, not sure waht you mean by front floorboard. Are you saying the part that sticks out from the lip of the short hood walkway? That's an anticlimber. Is it an SD40-2? I'm assuming so. The BNSF SD40-2's have anticlimbers as well as pilot plows. The rear brake lever and brake cylinders should be standard on all RTR engines. Is this used or new? Some of the original RTR line were just slightly upgraded BB engines and didn't come with prototype specific details like plows and anticlimbers. It should at least have all the truck brake cylinders. You can tell the original RTR's because they have dimples where the grab irons should go. The later versions have the grabs installed. In any case, something is wrong if there are no brake cylinders.
Cory, we were posting at the same time. I added all the additional detail to my original run G&MO GP-38 and I think it comes out as well as the new RTR's. Does take some work though.
but then while looking at pictures of prototypes i answered my own question whether 4 axle GP units ever run MU with 6 axle SD's apparently plenty, so i'm good
Ah, that's the old version which is an upgraded blue box. The new version has all of those detail parts pre-installed except for the fuel tank piping which they have holes for and the pipes for you to install yourself. The new version is made from the RailPower Products tooling.
Check the box. If it has a DCC-quick plug equipped, it is most likely a retooled engine with painted wire grabs and see-through fans.
I bought a Western Maryland SD40 a couple weeks ago and it looks great. I will strip it soon and it will be painted for HLCX 6329. They did a really good job as it came with the brake wheel in the correct place, and 2 plows (which is standard WM practice).
Now if only their NS C44-9Ws had their lights in the correct positions and working dtich lights! (We need a Genesis C44-9W!)
The only things Athearn doesn't add to their locos are coupler cut bars and MU hoses. They don't evem put them in the Genesis locos.
it is the SD40 not the -2
and thats the thing, it is DCC quick plug equipped one and says "Based on Rail Power tooling with many upgrades" on its product page... but the pictures show no plow...
Anton, that's a much later version than the one in my photo, since it has the metal grabs, directional headlights, and DCC quick plug. Mine is the improved tooling version but still with the original BB drive and crew frying headlight.
The SD-40 didn't have outside truck mounted brake cylinders so that part is correct. They also don't have anticlimbers. The 6311 has no plow although it may have had one is Santa Fe service. It's one of the SD-40's that had some electrical upgrades when it was repainted but was not upgraded to Dash 2 standards. If you want it to look like the real thing, you'll need to make the modifications shown in the picture at http://www.locophotos.com/PhotoDetails.php?PhotoID=103889. That means moving the headlight to the nose, blanking off the top headlight, adding ditchlights, and adding the radio antenna mounting plate and posts behind the air conditioner. You'll also need the usual cut levers, lifting rings, and MU cables, but at least the grabs are already installed. It will still keep you busy for a while.
my older genesis SD50 doesn't have the cut levers and hoses, but my newer SD60 has all that. LOVE that motor! i've got an older ready to run GP40 like that, with what looks like a newer tooling body on the old athearn frame with no plow or anything. but it did come with brake cylinders and shocks. as well as grabs and number boards. seems strange yours is missing that stuff, you would at least expect the brake cylinders and hand brake wheel. i'd e-mail athearn, might get some freebies!
I've got a pair of Genesis SD45-2's with MU hoses and coupler cut bars, as well as the Genesis F units with them, and an RTR SW1500 with them. One of the SD45's has a plow. From what I remember about the prototype SD40 originally asked about, I don't think it had a plow on it--ever. http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=126561
A quick-and-dirty way to see if it's an updated BB or a retooled RTR, is to look where the couplers go. If there's still that big honkin' slot for the couplers to go through, it's an updated BB kit. If the shell is enclosed there, and you have to remove the couplers to get the shell off, it's the retooled version.
the reason i mentioned those parts is because they are included in the assembly diagram. i guess it only means all possible detail various roads had. i received the loco with set of detail for the fuel tank and assumed he perhaps forgot to include the rest.
) rtr gp-38's and neither came with any plows,mu hoses or any of the typical real detail parts. There are no other parts in the packaging since they are RTR but it seems like with about 10 dollars of add on details they can be made to look real nice.
apparently plenty, so i'm good
