How many SD-40 H0 models have been released?

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
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Hi All,

I do not mean number of models built or sold, I mean how many H0 interpretations have been released. Is there a single manufacturer who did not release an SD-40 ?

Thanks

Walid

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Presumably, anyone that went out of business before or shortly after there were SD40s around did not! Or makers that focused on rolling stock. Exactrail, for instance, never made SD40s.

There’s some blurry lines, though. Rivarossi never marketed an SD40, but they made the AHM SD40.

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The ones I know of are:

Athearn (Blue Box and RTR)
GSB
AHM/IHC (Mehano)
Bachmann (old style with pancake motor drive)
Bachmann (new)
Kato
Intermountain
Alco (KMT)
Overland Models
Bowser
BLI

I have one of the GSB models. Nicely detailed aside from the thick handrails, and the chassis had the porential to be something great, but they kind of goofed in a few areas and went out of business not long after.

[quote user=“NittanyLion”]
There’s some blurry lines, though. Rivarossi never marketed an SD40, but they made the AHM

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Scale trains.

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Atlas?

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No.

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I thought he means who DIDN’T sell anSD40. For what ever the OP’s reason is? [%-)]

Mike.

EDIT: No wait, just before that he ask how many different interpretations have released??? [*-)]

8

I love the SD40 series. I have Athearn’s SD40N and its one of my favorite locomotives I own.

With that said, it is silly sometimes to think just how many companies produce models of the SD40. The good news is, it seems more and more companies are beginning to branch out and make more and more unique prototypes than just the bread and butter SD40 (Rapido’s B36-7 the other day comes to mind). If making SD40’s pays the bills and keeps the lights on, allowing manufactures to later on approach more unique locomotives its fine with me!

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Re: ScaleTrains. Don’t confuse the SD40-2 with the SD40. Scale trains doesn’t make an SD40, only an SD40-2 .

Athearn didn’t offer an SD40 in blue box, only and SD40-2. The Athearn SD40 was issued in RTR form after they acquired the Rail Power Products and eventually the molds we unusable and Athearn retooled the SD40 and has offered it again with an improved shell in the past 3 or so years.

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I’ll bet the OP is considering the SD40 and the SD40-2 to be the same for the point of this thread.

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I never owned one in HO, but I had several Kato N Scale SD40s on my last N scale layout. Probably too many since they started production in 1966 and my layout was set in 1968.

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The SD40 was always one of my favorite locomotives. It, the GP-30 and GP-35 made up most of my fleet.

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I had a lot more N scale locomotives than I will ever have in HO.

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-Kevin

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11

Well, the OP did ask how many variations of the SD40 model have been produced in HO scale, so…

SD40 and Variants, would include the -2, the rebuild -3, the Tunnel motor variants, snoot nosed, passenger versions, Canadian wide cab versions, plus any rebuilds I forgot, etc…

I can’t wait until someone now says how many different models of the series were made, including the 45 line.

12

It depends on how broad you want to be. In my experience over the past 40 years an SD40 is different than an SD40-2 and in the modeling world it’s an important distinction and is misleading to many to throw them all in the same basket. Heck if you be want to speak of SD40 so broad as what you are suggesting, better include tunnel motors too, which are very different looking than their cousins. No, I think we need to keep them in distinct groupings, it really does matter.

13

OP said SD-40, not SD40, so my natural thought would be to assume its everything SD40, including the dash.

But I think all have been listed. ScaleTrains and Athearn have versions that are not factory as-built only models, so capturing a broader time frame is a nice thing.

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I think this is what we have already listed:

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AHM/IHC (Mehano)

Alco (brass)

Athearn BB kit

Athearn Genesis

Bachmann (2 versions)

Bowser (EDIT, added thanks to Rick)

Broadway Limited

GSB

Intermountain

Kato

Overland (brass)

Scale Trains

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Please edit the list for more detail or to correct errors.

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-Kevin

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15

Sure but no 2 after the dash. As already pointed out SD40-2 is a different diesel.

If the OP wants an SD-40 I’ll refer him to Athearns webpage where they are referring to them as SD40’s.

http://www.athearn.com/Search/Default.aspx?SearchTerm=sd40loco+RTR&CatID=THLD

Don’t shoot the messenger.

16

The only shooting going on seems to be pointed towards the OP and others over a level of precision that doesn’t matter. We’re just trying to answer the OPs question as best we can about models of SD dash 40s (all kinds), which has been provided correctly in listed form twice.

And its nice that manufacturers are starting to recognize that modeling as-built locos is becoming less of a concern, considering it represents only a small circling eddy of time relative to a locos entire lifespan, especially SD40s and GP40/38s.

17

I, the OP, am aware of the differences between the SD40 and dash two. I meant BOTH engines. I do not know why it is that difficult for some to say BLI-dash 2, for example.

Thanks anyway for the time taken to read and comment.

Regards

Walid

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You all forgot Bowser for the GMD versions!

Rick Jesionowski

19

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No thanks necessary. It was a great question.

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To answer the second part of your question, it looks like Atlas, Mantua, Model Power, Stewart, and Tyco did not make SD40s. Can anyone think of any other manufacturers of note that did not make an SD40?

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-Kevin

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20

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Thanks Rick. I edited my previous list to include this addition.

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Can someone confirm if the GSB model is brass?

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-Kevin

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