Product Review HO SP DRGW SD40T-2 Tunnel Motor

[@rynetreatch9558]

Man do I miss seeing these all over Bakersfield and along 99 when I was a kid! Have fun with the detailing and weathering!

[@DanielCortopassi]

I miss them too, but at least we have models. Thanks for watching!

[@ALL-bj7mj]

go to Brasil….there are plenty of ex SP with some DRGWs.....FCA/VL! rebuilt theirs to BB40T-2 status....

[@jimramos7839]

Hi Dan. Thanks for the great review. Well I think you've helped me make up my mind on my second locomotive purchase after the Camp Fire. I remember when Athearn came out with there first model, plastic instead of metal screens at the most eye drawing part of the locomotive, the low air intakes! Well time goes by and models get better. Good for the hobby. I'm starting over, and just enjoy the high level of detail strait out of box now a days. I've been waiting for Athearn to wise up and start using LED's. Finally. DCC and sound for under $170. Can't beat that.

[@DanielCortopassi]

I think this model is a good value. It's got pretty nice detail out of the box, and can always be upgraded with more aftermarket parts. Thanks for watching!

[@SGTGhost]

Still loving these reviews models Dan

[@DanielCortopassi]

Thanks for watching!

[@struck2soon]

So pleased you got another SP loco Dan...'cause you really needed one! (Nice review btw)

[@DanielCortopassi]

I have to make sure the home road outnumbers the other stuff. Thanks for watching!

[@dave3156]

Nice looking loco. Good pulling power--ideal for your use and consists. Thanks Dan!

[@DanielCortopassi]

It's a pretty nice engine. Thanks for watching!

[@Hunter_Dawso]

I preordered the model of 5388 when they were first announced and received it in November. I am very pleased with the results from Athearn!

[@DanielCortopassi]

It's a pretty good model. Thanks for watching!

[@natestrains1166]

The prototype, now owned by ATN, still has class lights installed. The gyralight is patched but the box it sat on is still there. The tall SP ditch lights still remain today. It also wears the same paint since its been from SP, but is patched. The beacon has been removed.

[@DanielCortopassi]

Cool. I'll have to search for some pictures of it. Thanks for watching!

[@natestrains1166]

@@DanielCortopassi the model is quite accurate.

[@AGSGuy]

The Prototype is also equipped with a Blue RS3L and as of recent, the Original DRGW "5387" is bleeding thru the SP paint and all SP Markings have been painted over. It is also Only 1 of 2 Tunnel Motors in the State of Alabama and I believe the only unit in SP Paint in Alabama as well.

[@boylesterminalshops6841]

Pretty cool that Athearn made this one. I can go see it, still in it's SP colors, pretty much any day of the week still in regular service.

[@DanielCortopassi]

Cool. I didn't think there were too many of these around anymore. Thanks for watching!

[@honeywafer8225]

Finally a review on this, I’ve been looking in to getting one of these

[@DanielCortopassi]

Glad you liked it. Thanks for watching!

[@traindad77]

Compared to the scale trains RioG tunnel motor, the nose light box looks too large, it seems to extend too far out from the nose. Do you notice this as well?

[@DanielCortopassi]

Catching up on comments... I haven't measured it, but looking at photos of the real 5387, it looks like the box sticks out pretty far on that unit. The proportions seem different on some other DRGW SD40T-2s, so it's possible there was some variation between orders. Thanks for watching!

[@paulkirkmanMYTRAINS]

Accurate and fair review as usual. Nice looking loco. I have a lot of the Athearn RTR loco with sound as they are priced more reasonably. The newest ones have slight upgraded features such as start up and shut down sequences. And the LED's are certainly an improvement from the bulbs. Thanks for sharing.

[@DanielCortopassi]

The LEDs are an awesome improvement. Glad you liked the review. Thanks for watching!

[@donaldmoore8920]

Awesome review of the athearn sd40t-2 5387

[@DanielCortopassi]

Thanks for watching!

[@sterlingmyers560]

That's cool,, I saw a video on a Tunnel Motor being donated to a museum, and moved to that museum,, very interesting, I'm learning.

[@DanielCortopassi]

I'm old enough to remember seeing SP tunnel motors going over Donner. I always thought they were neat. I'm glad at least a couple of them have been preserved. Thanks for watching!

[@natestrains1166]

I like the gyralight and tall ditch lights. The model looks much better than the older run.

[@DanielCortopassi]

The lights are pretty good in this one. The ditch light LEDs are small and face forward. Some of Athearn's older ditch light attempts used bulbs that pointed up instead of forward. This is way better. Thanks for watching!

[@saxmusicmail]

Do the newer Athearn tunnel motors still have the old "blue box" style motors? I have RTR tunnel motors I purchased a few years back and the motors were terrible, requiring a lot of starting voltage and just did not run smoothly at low speeds. With a little help from my Dremel and a mill bit, I was able to drop in Genesis motors in three of them, and a Kato motor in the fourth one. The Genesis motors are pretty good, but the Kato is even better. I've installed TCS WOWSound decoders in them, and two ESU "sugar cube" 50321 speakers in them, the speaker firing down just above the rear grills. My tunnels had the bulbs, but those have been replace with LED's.

[@DanielCortopassi]

The one in this review has the "blue box" style motor. I have several older Athearn RTR tunnel motors with the same stock motor that I set up with ESU decoders, LEDs, etc., and they work really well. The ESU decoders may have something to do with that. I'm pretty fussy about slow speeds, because I like smooth starts, and I like smooth, non-jerky running throughout the speed range. I put my speakers in the same area you did. They sound great. Thanks for watching!

[@mgr_video_productions]

Dan reviewing something in SP? Go figure. Great review Dan!

[@DanielCortopassi]

I think it's safe to say that I love just about anything that runs on rails, but I do have a soft spot for SP. Thanks for watching!

[@needs2quit1atgmail87]

I got some of these as well and they're outstanding they really did a really good job

[@DanielCortopassi]

It's a nice model, especially for the price. Thanks for watching!

[@Denniss7420]

Nice! Is this a First for RTR models to have windshield wipers? Such a small detail which makes a big difference.

[@DanielCortopassi]

Well, I have an Athearn RTR P40DC from a few years ago in my office right now and it has wipers, so no, not the first. It does make a big difference in realism, for sure. Thanks for watching!

[@chuckythedoll4815]

Grabbed it on eBay dcc ready. Just gotta decide if I want to stay with soundtraxx or go loksound.

[@DanielCortopassi]

It's a pretty good model. I'll probably put a LokSound in mine eventually. Thanks for watching!

[@JoeG-firehousewhiskey]

Thanks for this in-depth review.

[@DanielCortopassi]

You're welcome. Thanks for watching!

[@HolyMoley2u]

My question is if the ECO sound version has the newer Genesis ATHG63839 motor or the older solid case RTR motor? Supposedly, the new retro fit kit is better for converting the DCC ready version of the same model loco to sound.

[@DanielCortopassi]

I had to open my engine up to see. This model has the older style motor. I have several older Athearn tunnel motors with the same older style motor. I installed LokSound DCC / sound decoders in them, and they run and sound great with the stock motors, so I'd say that upgrading the motor isn't really necessary. Thanks for watching!

[@riogrande5761]

Would that popular online retailer be MBK? 90 from you is a pretty good score! I have purchased a couple of the D&RGW versions of this model. I expect you will be swapping out the not so great McHenry couplers for Kadee.

[@DanielCortopassi]

Yes, it would. I have bought a lot of trains from them over the years. I agree that 90 is a good score. And you're right, I replace anything that's not a Kadee with Kadees, especially plastic couplers. I've had too many plastic couplers fail because they couldn't take the stress of being in a modestly long freight and bent out of shape. I think in all the years I've been in the hobby I've had one Kadee break on me. Thanks for watching!

[@rcandtrains1]

Why aren't you with TSG anymore?

[@DanielCortopassi]

Sometimes it just becomes impossible to continue to work with someone. Thanks for finding my new channel!

[@rcandtrains1]

@@DanielCortopassi I understand! Just letting you know that I really enjoy your style of review, really shows some of the "smaller issues" that most other reviews would push aside, even though those "smaller issues" really make or break a model.

[@pretzelogic2689]

As usual a great review. Wish you had taken a quick look at the underframe parts though.

[@DanielCortopassi]

That's a good idea. Thanks for the suggestion. I'll keep that in mind for the future. Thanks for watching!

[@AlikStansberry]

Well, a really good model from what it’s worth! Since 5387 had the Rio Grande name on it like that, I guess that means SP had acquired the unit from Rio Grande at some point. I know Norfolk Southern did the same thing for when they merged and had that same thing with most of their units. Aside from the small accuracy mistakes, it’s close enough in it’s portrayal. I think both couplers were at an alright enough height for my liking.

[@DanielCortopassi]

Most of the ex-DRGW units that were repainted in SP colors had "DRGW" sub lettering under the road number. Many speed lettered ex-Cotton Belt units had "SSW". Most of the ex-Rio Grande units kept their original numbers. Maybe it was an expedient to keep from having to do a massive locomotive renumbering to fully integrate the rosters. If SP had lasted longer as a separate entity, maybe something like that would have eventually happened. Thanks for watching!

[@AlikStansberry]

@Daniel Cortopassi Oh, I figured that was the case! Thanks for clarifying it.

[@gabrielquinones3343]

You know I was trying to see what my ho scale u28c looked like in real life but I could never find it

[@DanielCortopassi]

Sometimes photos of older diesels can be hard to find. Good luck, I hope you find some! Thanks for watching!

[@ovationpdh]

Really like mine. The LED lights are really well done.

[@DanielCortopassi]

They're a huge improvement over the old bulbs for sure. Thanks for watching!

[@StationRailfan]

Great review Dan! I was wondering, are you going to review the new Walthers 60' Gunderson Plate F boxcar?

[@DanielCortopassi]

I'll put the Walthers boxcar down as a maybe, if I can find one. Thanks for watching!

[@MaxSupercars]

Daniel Cortopassi why have you not waited for Scaletrains version? Will be better.

[@DanielCortopassi]

I have a ScaleTrains SD40T-2 on preorder, so I'll be reviewing that, too. Thanks for watching!

[@qtagamahyoutube178]

Ok thats it finally an engine i can get

[@DanielCortopassi]

It's not a bad locomotive for the money, and can be upgraded pretty easily. Thanks for watching!

[@qtagamahyoutube178]

@@DanielCortopassi upgraded with what lol

[@qtagamahyoutube178]

Also if you know any cheap dcc sound loco's, please give me some links, because i bought the bachmann dcc beginner starter set with the 2 santa fe locos and boy do they sound like the 4th of july when they run

[@DanielCortopassi]

In the review I show a second Athearn SD40T-2 upgraded with Cannon dynamic brake fans. That's one example.

[@DanielCortopassi]

Actually the Athearn RTR models like this one with an Econami are probably the nicest sound equipped models I've seen for the money. The Econami is not my favorite decoder but it works fairly well and sounds pretty good. Considering the actual price I paid for this model was around $170, that's not bad. A lot of higher end models cost way more than that. The phrase "you get what you pay for" is unfortunately true in the model railroading world just like everywhere else.

[@chuckythedoll4815]

Just won it on ebay. For my 51st Bday. Mine is dcc/sound ready, so it'll be at least tsunami2 going in. We'll see.

[@DanielCortopassi]

Happy Birthday! I just had one too. I hope you enjoy your new engine. Thanks for watching!

[@Blacktopmafia660]

Its looks good for a athearn rtr. Scaletrains sp, d&rg sd40 is going to put athearns model to shame. Still a very good value for the money tho.

[@DanielCortopassi]

I have a ScaleTrains SD40T-2 on preorder so I'm anxious to see what those will look like. The Athearn models can be really nice, though, with a little work. Thanks for watching!

[@70humdinger94]

When you do get the ScaleTrains unit, I'm sure you'll do a review. Suggestion: do a comparison between the ScaleTrains and the Athearn units. Also include one of the old SD40T-2 units Athearn put out as a kind of baseline comparison also,

[@natestrains1166]

The scaletrains ones look fantastic, but there is no UP scheme, and this new athearn release has many different types and paint schemes.

[@robingagnon9659]

@@DanielCortopassi FYI, I just received my shipping confirmation email for the scaletrains Tunnel motors! :)

[@ALL-bj7mj]

I have many athearns, restrip and redetail and repaint to America Latina logistica…..you cant tell the difference between the kits to RTR....I can put scales trains to shame.

[@budkole]

I truly appreciate your videos. It takes time and dedication to do in such detail. However, seems you tend to focus on very nit picky things to complain about...eg, coupler height. It takes away from your reviews IMO. I know, I dont have to watch, but you are such a great resource, just hate to see it ruined by nit picking it to death. I dont think that you will find perfection in any model. The fact that this model is over $100 cheaper than its upcoming rival release is amazing and should be noted. Nonetheless, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND VERY INFORMATIVE REVIEWS.

[@DanielCortopassi]

I am nit picky about operational issues like coupler height and wheel gauge for a reason. If they're out of whack, they can cause unreliable operation - unwanted uncoupling, derailments, etc. I've experienced this many times. Also, in the interest of fairness I do my best to evaluate each model by the same set of standards. My goal with reviews is to provide as much information as possible, and coupler height and wheel gauge are part of that. Thanks for watching!

[@cjdarts]

I think you should take 5 points off for Athearn not including instructions for the bag of extra detail parts. I have a similar bag of parts for a new SD70ACe with no instructions. Nothing on their website either.

[@DanielCortopassi]

It's kind of a random collection of plumbing parts. I think it's the same bag Athearn has been including on many of their other EMD models. I've used bits from it on other models. The best guide is prototype photos, although that area is usually in shadow so sometimes it's hard to see what's really going on down there. Instructions would be nice. Thanks for watching!

[@daniellucas6573]

This seems to be Athearn's last ditch effort for a detailed SD40T-2 Tunnel Motor, before ScaleTrains.com, and Intermountain come out with their versions. Albit Intermountain may have to really step up their see-through grill detailing in My opinion.

[@DanielCortopassi]

I'm anxious to see what the ScaleTrains units look like when they arrive. They are at a higher price point. With some upgraded details the Athearn models can be really nice, too. I've done up a few and really like them now. Thanks for watching!

[@daniellucas6573]

@@DanielCortopassi and you don't hold back on the slightest details. For such a quality model, the couplers better be at the correct hight! I would love to see more models in epic status.

[@Denniss7420]

I just got my Scaletrains version (I initially wasn't going to buy since I already have 20 RTR Tunnel Motors), Whoa! What a Huge Difference!! No way Intermountain will top ST.

[@Jabond07]

🫶🤩🤩🤩

[@DanielCortopassi]

Thanks for watching!