Review: Athearn HO SD40T-2 Union Pacific DC/DCC ready

www.trainworld....

[@Bobo0890]

I've got two of the drgw sd40t-2's, they're very nice engines and can be run on an 18 inch radius curve, though they do preform better on a 22. Great review.

[@TrainTrackTrav]

The horn is actually a Nathan K3L, not an M3. Great review as always, and thank you for sharing your thoughts on this engine! :-)

[@jllopez787]

I'm glad you posted this review I was thinking of purchasing one but wasn't to sure. But you but talked me into it.lol thanks☺

[@projimoproductions6379]

Imperial vato Vi James I justo Wang yo say guay tve inmueble thing Thierry engine os lacking on os DCC AND SOUND BUT o atolladero real with iy bit I know guay Qthern has j ot released epilepsia enjine with epilepsia at all. I guiño guay fue enjundia os suffering sometidos aborto comming bit guerra is no t a function for starying secuence or Bell and horno. Luis urbieya.

[@Ollie1979]

Another great review. Thanks James

[@iLoVeSD70Ace35]

Fantastic review James!

[@TheSteamKing]

He said "It's not the sexiest thing I've ever seen, It's kinda flat" I'm done! lmao James likes em thick lol good review my friend

[@seangraham6899]

Very sexy locomotive great price too I think too great review as always love your channel you always have great reviews

[@16thaveproductions]

Excellent review James

[@railroadpics]

I was thinking of getting it...You have made it get top consideration...😏

[@16thavestudios19]

Another great video James

[@trains1018]

hey jlwii2000 your videos are the most indeapth that i can find on products. so do you think you can do a review on bachmanns gp40 dcc sound value loco. when it comes out in like two months? if you can that would be great

[@donaldmoore8920]

When are you going to do a review of a Southern Pacific SD40T-2 DCC Ready locomotive?

[@RodimusPrime]

Id be extremely surprised if this couldnt run on 18 radius. Its a relatively small loco. Not really an SD40 fan myself but other than cost I dont see this beating an intermountain or BLI unless the minute road specific details outweigh lack of sound, ditchlights or lit numberboards. Warm white LED kinda solves the issue of not looking real. Would be nice to open one of these up to see what kinda room is inside the shell for modifications. Older SD45 blueboxes are rather limited in terms of space to work with, I wonder how different these are

[@UnionPacificFan]

you can run 3- axel loco motives on 18 inch curves

[@UnionPacificFan]

+Sasha Shewchuk I've done it before

[@MrCystic89]

How do you find the motor in your SD40T-2?, i recently purchased an Athearn RTR Dash 9 and it sounds like an electric tooth brush, so I am either going to purchase a genesis motor, or kato both with hex flywheels... The motor it came with was very disappointing.

[@retrainrun]

You pull the sun shade out when you pull the plastic of James. The amount of detail that Athearn is putting out weights some of the minor issues. Lousy lighting James LOL! But great review. RT

[@stewarttrains98]

I took the shell off of mine and does not appear to be an easy way to light the number boards. As they are a completely obscure on the inside of the cab. You could possibly carefully remove them and drill thru to the cab to add lighting. But for those who would like to add sound your self there is plenty of room to add a really nice size speaker in the rear with minimal work.

[@ClassIRailroader]

Athearn Rtr is turning into genesis. EXAMPLES: in the future runs: ditch lights, sound option, improved detail, better lighting, smoother drives

[@RailsOfTheSouthProductions]

But still pretty much rate prices

[@RailsOfTheSouthProductions]

+Panzer Fulmer rtr, stupid autocorrect

[@McOLD1973]

is this ready for H0?

[@dgrundman7499]

Very disappointed to see the #1 defining feature of Tunnel Motors, the see thru radiator intake grille on the rear just above the catwalk is cast plastic and not see thru. Which is where I'm a little confused. I 'dropped out' of the hobby about 10-12 years ago, didn't follow it or the magazines/manufacturers, etc. But, being that the train bug never really leaves you, I perused a well stocked hobby store I'd say about 5-6 years ago and saw a new, totally remodeled and Superdetailed SP tunnel motor (without the very stupidly chosen by Atherarn rarely seen prototype 88" Locotrol long hood this time), and to my joy, it had SEE THRU GRILLES!!! So, what happened! Was it a Genisis model I keep hearing your mention? Are there many left available? Can't stand these limited runs, but understand the necessity. On an interesting side note, I once had a 'Questions to Model Railroader' (I've forgotten what they used to call that dept. in the magazine, oh the joys of growing old!) question answered in surprisingly lengthy detail by none other than Jim Kelly about converting the only existing SD40T-2 HO model available at the time, the Athearn (this is a good 20 years b4 they started coming out with the super detailed stuff) into see thru grills with a really nice paper thin etched brass grille offered by Details West I think it was. Being a fellow rabid SP fan, Jim actually went ahead and instead of just explaining how to do it, DID IT!! The big issue at the time was the fact that after it was finished, and boy, did it look SO much better, there was the problem of the gear tower on the rear truck semi blocking the true, unobstructed view, which he went to great lengths to remedy even that!! It was awesome. I was really getting into what was called 'Superdetailing' when the whole 'hobby within a hobby' got sidelined with these new, and extremely welcome, superdetailed out of the box/RTR offerings. Been some amazing changes in my lifetime, mostly in the last 15 years or so in MRing. For me, the most glaring existing problem that exists now (but has been helped immensely by DCC) is the problem of electrical pickup on elaborate switching layouts/complexes and little used out of the way tracks. I know the technology exists where there could be an AFFORDABLE battery 'backup' system, something that would instantaneously switch over to temporarily power the loco when the electrical pickup was compromised, especially at slow speeds on little used tracks and industrial mazes. Has there been any strides in this area besides DCC? And, no offense, but please don't reply that DCC has resolved this problem, it certainly had helped incredibly with slow speed running, but dirty track is dirty track, and there are loads of you who have industrial areas that its simply not convenient to bright boy down the railheads every time you want to do some switching.

[@bryiansones150]

I know this is an old thread so I'm sure you found out by now that the intake grills are brass mesh and see through. They are painted yellow so it is difficult to see the effect from the camera view. All of the RTR Tunnel motors have this feature. Only the old blue box Athearn models are non see through intakes.

[@ALL-bj7mj]

they are great locomotives.....im so sick of paint stripping though.....

[@ClassIRailroader]

I don't know why but the sd40t-2 seems like an sd40-2 with a big butt.

[@railroadpics]

Your not kidding when you talk about flimsy hand rails on some RTR Products. My BNSF Dash 9-44CW and my brothers NS Dash 9-40CW handrails cannot stay. I'm gonna have to glue them in.

[@seankolker]

does anyone else find it annoying that this along with other locos should have working ditchlights and Athearn makes no attempt at all to put them on...esp the C44-9Ws ?

[@TheEMD710]

So far, I have had to completely disassemble ALL of my T-2's to make them run.... Very poor electrical pick up.. cleaned all the paint off of the pick up plates on the trucks to make them run well. Junk.... sorry.

[@Josedav3]

Runs like a jerky toy, save your money until manufacturers equip and sell high quality locos (DCC ready to go) with the latest and best decoders for realistic, slow operation and great sound and lighting...