Gritty, Grimy 1990s-era Southern Pacific Tunnel Motor! - Model Showcase HO SP SD40T-2 8277!

[@nathancorcoran5347]

I remember seeing a same kind of HO Scale model of this EMD SD40T-2. Southern Pacific 8277, back in 2016 running on a HO Scale layout at the San Diego Model Railroad Museum in San Diego, California.

[@DanielCortopassi]

I've visited that layout, it's amazing. And huge! I'm glad you liked the model. Thanks for watching!

[@donferrie4070]

Outstanding job. That's about as good as it gets.

[@DanielCortopassi]

Thanks so much!

[@The_SP_Modeler]

Great video, good job Dan! Not too many modelers of SP in the 90’s!

[@DanielCortopassi]

I used to model the present day until the UP merger, and then I decided to stop there. It's funny, I kind of hated the "lobotomized" look when they first started doing it, but it's grown on me. I'm glad you liked the video. Thanks for watching!

[@Vman7757]

Thank you for sharing.

[@DanielCortopassi]

You're welcome. Thanks for watching!

[@randallellison6421]

It looks great, Dan! That's basically how I look at models too, if it looks the part, even if it's not 100% accurate, it's good enough, not to mention, there's times where prototype accuracy just isn't worth compromising the structural integrity of the locomotive!

[@DanielCortopassi]

I'm glad you like the model. There's definitely an art to it, along with personal preferences. I want my models to look realistic, but I try not to go too crazy with stuff that can't be seen. Thanks for watching!

[@CustomLime]

Great looking engine. I love the look of weather beaten SP engines

[@DanielCortopassi]

I'm glad you liked the model. Thanks so much!

[@thomasdarwin6174]

Beautiful model - I have a bunch of these in different variations but haven't modified them - I might put lifting eyes on the roof but they look pretty good without them. These are a great value from Athearn for the SP specific detail you get.

[@DanielCortopassi]

I like the Athearn tunnel motors too. They're mostly correct, so turning them into a more accurate model is mostly about tweaking some details. I have a couple more of these to weather and detail. Thanks for watching!

[@JamieBarrow-zu8fl]

Still a great looking model Dan, I hope to be able to start on mine soon

[@DanielCortopassi]

I'm happy with it. I'm sure yours will turn out great. Thanks for watching!

[@Sara_PY]

Also one of my favorite engines. Nice work on yours, Daniel! Thanks for sharing.

[@DanielCortopassi]

I'm glad you liked the model. Thanks for watching!

[@davidl.miller8168]

Dan, Cool video, I always enjoy seeing your modeling efforts as they are so well done. I actually shot slides of this unit on the Ohio Central, it eventually became OHCR 4027

[@DanielCortopassi]

I'm glad you liked the video and the model. That's cool you got to see the real thing. It's nice to know it was still being used after SP's demise. Thanks for watching!

[@XxXGhostXxX417]

Nice job!

[@DanielCortopassi]

Thanks so much!

[@struck2soon]

Lovely!

[@DanielCortopassi]

Thanks so much!

[@TheSantaFeGuy]

8277 is the only ex SP engine I've been on, as Ohio Central 4027, it was one of the best pulling engines we had but just recently got sold off. The first thing I did on this engine was hit my head inside the cab because I'm 6 foot 4 and the air conditioner sits sunk down below the ceiling inside.

[@DanielCortopassi]

That's cool you got to see the real thing. Sorry you hit your head in the cab. Thanks for watching!

[@hyperian_one]

Great as usual. One of my favorite locomotives and railroads.

[@DanielCortopassi]

I'm glad you liked it. Thanks for watching!

[@conrailfan6277]

Nice work Dan!! I remember the video you did drilling out those ditch lights for the LEDs on the Santa Fe unit, well worth the effort!!!

[@DanielCortopassi]

I'm glad you like the model. I agree that it's worth it to make the ditch lights work if an engine has them. I like to make as many of the lights on a model functional as I can. Thanks for watching!

[@paulkirkmanMYTRAINS]

Really nice work on the locomotive !!!!!!

[@DanielCortopassi]

Thanks so much!

[@davidwallace6877]

WOW LOOKS SO COOL TO ME A GOOD JOB

[@DanielCortopassi]

I'm glad you like the model. Thanks for watching!

[@Hunter_Dawso]

Nice work. If I recall correctly, the real 8277 (Ohio Central 4027) was recently retired and is due to be shipped to South Africa. I may at some point make my own 8277 as it appeared in a 1993 video with a beacon and an M3 horn. The video can be found on KZbin.

[@DanielCortopassi]

It's cool that the real thing was still in service after the UP merger. South Africa is a long way from Donner Pass! Thanks for the info and for watching!

[@matts2806]

Great work! Not only are (as you said) tunnel motors quintessential Donner locomotives, the 8200s in particular tended to hang around California, really throughout most of their lives -- as reflected by the Los Angeles shop decal on this one.

[@DanielCortopassi]

I'm glad you liked the model. I have at least one other 8200 like this one. Maybe I'll do a video on that one sometime. Thanks for watching!

[@williamflowersrailfannerpr3808]

Nice art work ❤

[@DanielCortopassi]

Thanks so much!

[@ScottJohnson4449]

That's really nice. I have N scale versions on my layout.

[@DanielCortopassi]

I'm glad you like the model. I had an InterMountain N scale tunnel motor for a while, but I don't have it anymore. Thanks for watching!

[@estebanmartinez7428]

As always, excellent work!

[@DanielCortopassi]

Thanks so much!

[@Eduardomd54]

always good work and good considerations. I Have Scale Trains SP 8307 SD40T-2 that I enjoy very much, my first DCC HO Loco. I will ad truck lights and weather it. Your work inspire me. Thank you

[@DanielCortopassi]

I'm glad you liked the model. I have some ScaleTrains tunnel motors as well. It's very nice of you to say that you find my work inspiring. Thanks for watching!

[@ApproachDiverging013]

Nice overview of SP 8277 Daniel! Do touch base with Rickey Hall or Harry Wong? They are both active with Bay Area Prototype Modelers and heavily model SP during the 80s and 90s. I have SP 9254 and UP 4794 (SD45T-2s) that I recently overhauled with LEDs, cube speakers, and redid the wiring. Although I don't weather my engines, I detail them as best as I can from the mid-2000s Athearn RTR stock to a fairly detailed model with a first generation Soundtraxx Tsunami decoder. I've had them marked up for 15 years and its good to see fellow SP modelers also keeping older Athearn models on the mainline!

[@DanielCortopassi]

I met Harry Wong briefly at the 2016 BAPM meet. I haven't made it to another one since then, unfortunately. I like the Athearn tunnel motors. It sounds like you've made some cool upgrades to yours as well. Thanks for watching!

[@lucgagnon5241]

Hey Dan. Thanks again for sharing. Tunnel motors 101 ! Pretty interesting. I've learned something new from you today. I REALLY like your SD40 engine. Very well done with many many details added. Weathering is cool. I like the different shade of colors on top. Runs very smooth. Customized number boards are well done. Congrats for showing us ALL that work. Impossible to know how many hours you've putted in that engine but I have a pretty good idea ! Thanks and keep on your good work. You're a king of model railroading.

[@DanielCortopassi]

I'm glad you enjoyed the models. These did take some time but I like the results. Thanks for the kind words and for watching!

[@lucgagnon5241]

@@DanielCortopassi Hey Dan. I like all the models you've done recently or in the past. I'm pretty much like you. I did many engines jobs by adding detail parts and painting like 25 years ago. I was doing those jobs for other modelers back then. In the past 3 years, I'm nearly doing only 3D print cars. It's still and always will be a pain in the a**. But I'm still doing it because I like it. Buying a model without doing something on it is kinda boring for me. As we say in french : J'aime me donner de la misère ! Hope you'll come back soon with some more reviews.

[@JimmySpears-xv7bg]

Nice looking model

[@DanielCortopassi]

I'm glad you like it. Thanks for watching!

[@shipbuilding1000]

Nice work. If 8277 is the original road # then it’s from the very first release of these in 2007. The 8200’s were interesting since they had the extended range dynamic brake bulge and a flat exhaust silencer similar to the GP50 style. I often see older blue box locomotives and brass units painted/modified into this variant that people incorrectly number into the 8400-8500 series. 😮

[@DanielCortopassi]

I'm glad you liked the video. It is the factory number, and the year sounds about right. I don't remember exactly when I got this model but I've had it for quite a while. The model was mostly correct. Most of what I did was just tweaking some of the smaller details. Thanks for watching!

[@clintonpringle8537]

Forgot to mention the jacking pads and the ex L shaped window

[@DanielCortopassi]

You're right. I fixed that window with a decal. I'll have to mention that when I get around to doing another tunnel motor episode. Thanks for the reminder and for watching!

[@BritanniaPacific]

The tunnel motors with the flat long hood looks somewhat like the sdp40, a passenger variant. Mechanically identical to the sd40-2 but with a steam generator for those old fashioned coaches. Those would’ve suited the SP in the Bay Area like the tunnel motors did.

[@DanielCortopassi]

SP had a few SDP45s that they used in Bay Area commute service. Some years ago I was toying with modeling a BN SDP40, but I ended up not doing it. They're neat locomotives. I'm glad you liked the video. Thanks for watching!

[@DirtyDan490-t2v]

What kind of LEDs did you use to replace the headlights?

[@DanielCortopassi]

The headlights are warm white 3mm LEDs inside the shell, with fiber optic strands running to the headlight openings. Thanks for watching!

[@DirtyDan490-t2v]

@DanielCortopassi Another question. Were the number boards already lit, or did you have to modify the shell to be able to have them lit?

[@DanielCortopassi]

@@DirtyDan490-t2v I had to modify them. Thankfully the number boards are separate parts, and they're actually clear plastic that's been painted. I removed them, stripped off the factory paint, and then used decals to re-apply the numbers. I printed the black part on decal paper, and then put a white decal behind it (the decals are applied inside the "glass"). I had to make a mount for the 603 LEDs from some styrene sheet. There's one LED for each number board. They're mounted in the cab roof toward the front.

[@RFMCabooseNP1713]

Nice work.

[@DanielCortopassi]

Thanks so much!