Greetings,
I’m in the process of locating drawing of an SD40-2 to build one in 1/8" scale. I’m having a hard time finding anything detailed out there. Do any of you have anything in your archives that can help me out? I’m looking for as many dimensions as I can find to ensure accuracy.
Thanks!
Gerry
Have you contacted EMD and asked for official dimensions? I would assume that they would be helpful because the SD40-2 has been out of production for 30 years so the information would not be of assistance to their competitors. You might also get help from NS, CSX, or other railroads that operate that locomotive.
What material do you plan to use to make this replica?
I haven’t contacted them. I’ve heard from others that contacting the locomotive builders ended up being a dead end. I’m going to give it a shot though to make sure I cover all of my avenues though I don’t expect I’ll get very far.
The car body will be sheet steel that will be laser cut and welded. The deck plate will likely be 1/2" steel for weight, with sheet steel, and channel iron thrown in to complete it per the appearance of the prototype.
The HTC trucks are comprised of multiple castings. Just waiting for the parts to arrive and I’ll start in on those.
Thanks!
Sounds like a seriously fun project. I can’t wait to see your creation when you are done.
Try the railroads. You are looking for the general arrangement diagram and a clearance diagram. They should have most of the dimensions you need.
Thanks!
Why 1/8" scale instead of regular HO scale? (3.5mm?)
Sounds like the man plans to do some serious ridin’ on this one!
If you are talking external dimensions, Model Railroader magazine used to run regular “centerfolds” of detailed drawings of the Locomotive-of-the-Month. These days MR is more on featuring interesting layouts and less on scratchbuilding locomotives, so they don’t run that feature anymore. There are many people in model railroading who keep collections of old MR’s, and old MR’s are often sold at the various model railroad shows, sales, and swap meets.
Kalmbach also had this serially revised book-form publication called the Cyclopedia – that book pretty much features drawings suitable for making scale models in any scale of your choosing. The SD40 and SD40-2 have been around for a long time (40 years?), and back revisions of the Kalmbach Cyclopedia can be purchased at these model railroading events.
If you want diagrams of the internals – and if you are doing a large-scale model you might want a realistic cab layout or maybe even working long-hood doors and some depiction of the prime-mover, generator, electrical cabinet, etc – you may have to follow Don Oltmann’s suggestion of contacting a railroad or maybe EMD.
I also hate it when people on the Trains Forum get all patronizing about someone seeking scale model info, but “you may want to try the Model Railroader Forum on trains.com” applies to your situation. People here on the Trains forum will help you any way they can, but there may be some people on the MR forum who don’t come here very often who can tell you the best sources of accurate drawings for the scale-model scratch builder.
Good luck and have fun with your project!
Don’t know where you live, but the WSOR here is South-Central Wisconsin operates the SD40-2 on a regular basis. Maybe someone here on the Trains Forum knows someone who knows someone at WSOR who would let you into their shop to see one with the hood doors open.
Also , you might check www.the-blueprints.com . They have a wide variety of diagrams, but you have to do some work in the search function, since they are not all well tagged. So, look under “locomotives” and “trains” as well as specific model names, etc.
SD40-2 operator’s manual: http://gelwood.railfan.net/manual/sd40-2i.html
Plans for the SD40-2 appear in MR Cyclopedia Volume 2 Diesel Locomotives. Plans are of early production. Later runs had slight differences, but basic frame and carbody remained pretty much the same.
The main frame on most engines consists of 2 I-beams, with top and bottom plates welded on.
!(http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x218/MFJ_album/WSOR engines/Mexican GP38-2s/7-4-08018.jpg)
!(http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x218/MFJ_album/WSOR engines/Mexican GP38-2s/7-4-08012.jpg)
The fuel tank bolts on underneath, and can be changed out, of even shipped without.
!(http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x218/MFJ_album/WSOR engines/Mexican GP38-2s/7-4-08046.jpg)
Look for someone in your area that sells Garden Railway items.
Find a USA TRAINS 1/29th scale or No. 1 Gauge model of an SD40-2 and measure that with a scale ruler to translate it to the 1/8th scale dimensions.
Andrew
By the way there were 3 different lengths of short hoods on SD40-2.
Look for this issue:
American Standard - the SD40 and SD40-2 - by Greg McDonnell
from Trains, September 1997, p. 54
( C&NW diesel emd GM&O ic prototype sd40 sd40-2 SR )
Kalmbach’s Model Railroader magazine has also had many “Paint Shop” articles about painting and super-detailing the SD40 series - see, for example:
Prototype Info: SD40-2 “porches” - by Jeff Wilson
from Model Railroader, December 2000, p. 41
( diesel emd prototype sd40-2 )
Kalmbacks “Locomotive” magazine had an issue on the SD40-2. I wish I had a copy of it.