Just looking for feedback from those of you that own an Athearn RTR SD45 in the “FRISCO” paint scheme. AFAIK, these were produced back in 2009-2010.
What is your opinion on the quality and accuracy of the red & white paint scheme?
Your opinion on the shell’s detailing.
Running performance, especially if you’ve installed a quality DCC or DCC-sound decoder in your unit.
I’d like to get one and modify it with the famous “L-shaped” windshield.( I think Cannon offers the cab kit). I performed some research and found out that FRISCO EMD and GE units regularly ran all the way to Florida back in the 1970s on some eastbound runs. So now I’d like to have at least one unit on my roster, preferably an SD45 (yes, just because it looks so cool with that unusual windshield!)
It comes with the L windshield so no need to modify the cab.
It does not have tread on the walkways. It is one of the revised RPP shells, tooling not as good as the newer SD50/60 or SD40T-2/SD45T-2, the SD45 has “cruder” rendering of the knuckle busters, door relief, and thick pilot. However not bad enough to make it a deal breaker for me, as with the Kato and Proto SD45’s there are trade offs.
Have not ran mine much, but it is a quiet, smooth runner. If you have a chance, make sure to test run at the hobby shop as this is not always the case with the RTR line from Athearn.
The colors look spot on to me. Frisco’s red color is best described as a vermillion, close to the red used on the Chessie System locos.
I picked mine up because Frisco units ran thru on the Georgia Railroad. I didn’t see them often, however the few times I did see them I never had my camera. Who knows, maybe the same ones you saw in Florida made their way across the Georgia Railroad before getting to you.
Well, I was in for a disappointment as it turns out that Athearn sold out of those FRISCO SD45s. Here is the email response I received from Athearn after I asked if they were going to produce some more:
Horizon Hobby Webmaster
Hello, Antonio
These units are all sold out and we have no more in stock, nor will we
in the future.
What we recommend is that you do some digging around on the internet.
The part numbers on our site for what you are looking for are ATH95383,
ATH95384, and ATH95385. So if you put into Google "Athearn 95383" or
"Athearn 95384", etc., this should give you possible results to other
online retailers who may have these locomotives. Also try eBay with the
same sort of searches. Also using keywords like "Frisco" and "SD45" may
help. Many of our train guys here have 100% success by doing this,
finding new-in-box items. It may take a little persistence with you
doing a search a few weeks later again.
Hope you have good luck w
I did a quick search plus checked Toy Train Heaven and came up empty. Save Search it on ebay, one is bound to pop up before you have to renew the search in 6 months.
Also, I have had luck randomly calling hobby shops listed in the back on Model Railroader. Used to be one in Springfield, IL that seemed to always be a good source. Ready to Roll in Florida has paid off in the past too.
I know your pain, I passed on an Indiana RR Anniversary Athearn SD40-2 at my local hobby shop. A few days later when I decided I wanted it, somebody had already bought it. Still have not found one of those, but one will pop up.
Athearn did a nice job upgrading the shell and adding many prototypical details. Since Rio Grande’s are black, the door relief and lack of walkway tread doesn’t bother me - those would be hard to see on a Rio Grande model anyway. What I do like is the nice paint job, and prototypcal details added. For my RR, it has the correct snow plow (one one run), with pilot details and low nose signal light, roof anenae.
The knuckle busters and pilot look fine to me, and with the plow, mu hoses and lift bars looks pretty nice. My first run RTR Rio Grande SD45’s are more bare on the pilot with no mu hoses or lift bars and the plow is incorrect so I’ll have to add the correct plow and details.