# Lesson learned... Open before buying (SD40 vs 40R)



## LateStarter (Mar 12, 2016)

I purchased an Athearn SD40 from a hobby shop that's quite a distance from me when I was visiting friends.
I bought it because I'd been having trouble finding one, and also because it was priced at only $89.99 with sound.

It's well detailed, and runs great.
But there's something wrong... Athearn mislabeled the box.

This is not an SD40, which would be 1966 vintage.
It's an SD40R, or an SD40-2, which is 1980 vintage.

Shame on me, for not noticing the long decks through the packaging, and for not opening the box for a test-run, but I was in a hurry, and had to leave.
But shame on Athearn, for labeling it incorrectly (I've since seen the same diesel at my LHS, and the discrepancy is the same).
It should've been labeled "SD40R" or "SD40-2".
Fifteen years difference is a big deal if you're trying to stay era-specific.

Lesson learned...
From now on, I vow to open the box before leaving with it.


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## LateStarter (Mar 12, 2016)

Note:
The only real sure-fire way to tell an SD40 from an SD40R or a dash-2 is to look at the 'porches'.
The front and rear porches are hugely extended on the R's and dash-2's.
The prototype R's and dash-2's measure three feet longer than a 40.
Also, SP original SD40's were numbered in the 8400's.


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

It would be interesting to see how long the Athearn loco is......in H.O. scale, of course.....

SD40 is 65 ft 8 in......SD40-2 is 68 ft 10 in....


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## LateStarter (Mar 12, 2016)

It's a scale 69 feet.


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## Tom17 (Jan 14, 2016)

On the Athearn website it is a SD40R http://www.athearn.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=ATH98846


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## Schwinn68 (Dec 22, 2016)

That was a great price for a loco with sound. Looks very detailed. I'm starting to feel like the dash twos are my favorite era and after reading your post it's because the are the era of my childhood. And yes 15 years can make a big difference in trying to stay in the correct era


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## Cycleops (Dec 6, 2014)

I think that's a great loco at a great price. Are you saying you'd have passed it up if you'd noticed it wasn't the exact era you wanted?

And didn't you even open the box to look inside just to see it was all present and correct?


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## flyboy2610 (Jan 20, 2010)

In my 2016 Towers Hobbies RC catalog Top Flite has a page where they are extolling the virtues of their P47 Thunderbolt WWII fighters.
Immediately to the right of the description is a picture of a P51 Mustang.


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

Nevertheless, a well done model.....but clearly the SP version was mis-labelled on the box.....


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## LateStarter (Mar 12, 2016)

Cycleops said:


> I think that's a great loco at a great price. Are you saying you'd have passed it up if you'd noticed it wasn't the exact era you wanted?
> 
> And didn't you even open the box to look inside just to see it was all present and correct?


Yeah, I would've passed. Nothing I have is beyond '72, (a few boxcars) and that's pushing it.

The manager pulled the box-top off to make sure the bag of included parts was there, and he gave it a look-over.
My friends and I were on our way to a movie, and we were running late. My focus was averted by conversation.

I'll probably sell or trade it at a club meet.


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## LateStarter (Mar 12, 2016)

I have RS11's, GP9's, and SD7's and 9's... all in the '50's and '60's.
An '80's era diesel would throw it all too far out of whack.

I bought a few 1972 Gunderson 50-foot boxcars, only because I caved in to their attractiveness... but that's as far out-of-era as I want to get.


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## LateStarter (Mar 12, 2016)

Besides...
I believe I've seen CSX 40-2's running through Belmont as recently as a month ago.
That's about as contemporary as you can get.


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## D&J Railroad (Oct 4, 2013)

I did the similar at the Timonium show on 3 Dec. I bought an MTH Dash 9 with Norfolk Southern road name. I had opened a few of the boxes to check the model. When the dealer gave me one that was still in his stock on the floor, I only looked at the label. It was all that I was looking for, Road name, sound, model, etc. He gave me about $20 off the posted price. I didn't open the box till I got home. When I did, I found that it was Monohange road name instead. I contacted the dealer right away and he said he would get it corrected. Well we are into Jan now and after a few phone calls and emails, I still don't have the right model.


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## LateStarter (Mar 12, 2016)

D&J Railroad said:


> I bought an MTH Dash 9 with Norfolk Southern road name.


That diesel puts lead in my pencil... especially in NS. It's one handsome locomotive.
I sure hope you get that resolved!


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## LateStarter (Mar 12, 2016)

Accurail also bit me with a 'package snafu'...
I bought the SP triple hopper, #7504, and the 3-car set, #8060, hoping to have four cars with different numbers.
But one of the cars in set #8060 is the same car number as the #7504 single.
That makes no sense whatsoever.


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## LateStarter (Mar 12, 2016)

In the '50's and '60's, train sets often came in wierd loco/caboose combos...
My cousin got a train set for Christmas, with a PRR F unit, and a UP caboose.
No one picked up on it, as though it was no big deal.


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

LateStarter said:


> I have RS11's, GP9's, and SD7's and 9's... all in the '50's and '60's.
> An '80's era diesel would throw it all too far out of whack.
> 
> I bought a few 1972 Gunderson 50-foot boxcars, only because I caved in to their attractiveness... but that's as far out-of-era as I want to get.


Well, a lot of those RS 11's, GP9's, and SD7's ran well into the '80's, so I don't really see the problem.....besides, you're the President of your railway, so you can chose to run what you want....as you've already broke your year "rule".....hwell:


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## LateStarter (Mar 12, 2016)

Old_Hobo said:


> .....besides, you're the President of your railway, so you can chose to run what you want.


Which is precisely why I'm avoiding the '80's, and exactly why I can justify it.

SD40's were originally sold to the Southern Pacific in 1966. The center-line of my era is 1956 ('46 to '66).
Add to that, I hesitated in the first place, to even consider an SD40, because I prefer high hood diesels.
Extending the period or era of my layout isn't a subject that's open for debate, nor is it the main subject of the O.P.


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## JNXT 7707 (May 5, 2013)

LateStarter said:


> In the '50's and '60's, train sets often came in wierd loco/caboose combos...
> My cousin got a train set for Christmas, with a PRR F unit, and a UP caboose.
> No one picked up on it, as though it was no big deal.


Yeah my first set had a Penn Central locomotive and a C&O caboose :laugh:
We didn't think anything of it at the time!


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## LateStarter (Mar 12, 2016)

At the risk of corrupting this thread, I have an unrelated question...

I just noticed the Bowser edition of the _Baldwin VO-1000 switcher_, with sound, in Southern Pacific, black/orange, in one, two, and four stack versions (vintage 1940).

_My question is..._
*How good (or bad) are Bowser locomotives, and what sound system do they employ?*

Kudos to Bowser, for recognizing the importance of the stacks.
The four-stack arrangement was the most successful -- along with the accompanying shock-mounted radiator. Together, it doubled their longevity.

NOTE OF INTEREST:
I have notes by Jed Ingaller (sp?) -- a welder at the West Oakland yard, in which he notes that he worked on repair of a VO-1000's front handrail... in 1961!
He refers to the VO-1000 as "The Prince of Darkness", because of it's frequent front-end damage, which usually necessitated headlight replacement.


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## jlc41 (Feb 16, 2016)

LateStarter, what do you by stacked???


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## LateStarter (Mar 12, 2016)

Exhaust -- "smoke stacks".


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## jlc41 (Feb 16, 2016)

LateStarter, thanks.


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## riogrande (Apr 28, 2012)

LateStarter said:


> Which is precisely why I'm avoiding the '80's, and exactly why I can justify it.


People like what they like. I was too little to remember much at all in the 1960's although I enjoy looking at photo's in that time frame and there were private passenger trains like the California Zephyr - which I couldn't resist buying.

I was a teen in the 1970's and watched the Southern Pacific during those years and into the early 1980's; in the early 1980's I took some trips to Colorado to drop my sisters off at Aspen music camp, and also passed through on the way to University so D&RGW and the Rockies became a major favorite too.

Like many, I liked modeling what I could see in real life so bought models representing "modern" trains right up until the early 1990's including a few wide cabs. But then manufacturers started making really nice 1970's rolling stock like the SP PC&F box cars, bay window cabooses, SD45's with RR specific details, tunnel motors etc. and most recently the Wheels of Time SP F-70-43 bulkhead flat cars so I've totally abandoned the post caboose era D&RGW and SP and now am modeling mostly 1974-1984 and loving it.


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## dinwitty (Oct 29, 2015)

Great price, ask the dealer for a swap or Athearn themselves. oopsies on Athearn, in the electronics industry, one number differrence on an IC means a whole lotta differrence.


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## riogrande (Apr 28, 2012)

The SD40R's were a result of the Sacramento SP Shops rebuild program in the early 1980's - I picked up one myself - same as the OP showed.

I haven't seen Athearn announce but hopefully they will soon offer the original SP 84xx series SD40's. I'd like 1 or 2 of those.


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## LateStarter (Mar 12, 2016)

riogrande said:


> I haven't seen Athearn announce but hopefully they will soon offer the original SP 84xx series SD40's. I'd like 1 or 2 of those.


That's what I _thought_ I was buying.
The SP had 90 units (80 in 1966) and they were everywhere. Despite that I'm not much of a low-nose fan, I figured an SD40 might lend some character to the roster.
Shame on me, for not remembering cab numbers.


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## LateStarter (Mar 12, 2016)

dinwitty said:


> Great price, ask the dealer for a swap


When I called, the manager said he'll offer store credit for 90 days.
Since then I call to see if he has something I'm interested in... maybe something in Black Widow.
He promised to let me know.
Its 180 miles from me. Not exactly a "drop by to browse" situation.


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## riogrande (Apr 28, 2012)

Yeah, I've been watching those Athearn SD40R's for a year before they came out because they were regular in my area in the early 1980's when I lived in northern California. The bummer is these are signature models but Athearn botched them in some ways, such as no -dynamic brake sounds on the sound chip, the side frames on the high brake cylinder versions (#7305 and #7372) and a few other errors. I have #7350 and it's pretty spot on except the numbers above the windshields are past 1990 numbers and I prefer the "as re-built" numbers. Athearn has offered correct replacement side frames for the high brake cylinder version so I may pick one up when I can swing the funds.

Anyway, if you follow the Athearn announcements and check the models coming on their website, you can be sure of what is coming and be ready for it. So far they have not offered the original as built SD40 but I expect they will - take your time Athearn!


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## LateStarter (Mar 12, 2016)

UPDATE:
Shop manager called me with a 'swap' offer...
He said he had a BLI SD7 with sound, that he'd trade me with a $70 additional payment.
I jumped on it.
He track-tested it for me, and for an additional $12, installed Kadees, as part of a promo that ended the day before (I saw a sign on the window that he'd forgotten to remove).
Cab #5334. Turns out, it's in Black Widow.
I feel like I hit the Lotto.


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## Magic (Jan 28, 2014)

BINGO! 
Some days you step in it, other days you don't.

Magic


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## Cycleops (Dec 6, 2014)

jlc41 said:


> LateStarter, what do you by stacked???


And I thought he was talking about Marilyn Munroe.


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

You know my neighbour?

Oh, you mean Marilyn Monroe, the actress....I see.....:laugh:


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

Sorry to resurrect this thread from January, but I noticed that MR (finally) had a review of this Athearn locomotive in their June 2017 edition (page 64, if you are looking).....allow me to quote:



> History: When EMD came out with the SD40 in 1966, many railroads shied away from the 3,000 hp diesel in favor of the higher horsepower SD45. However, they soon warmed to the easier maintenance of the SD40's 16 cylinder 645E3 engine compared to the SD45's 20 cylinder engine. Almost 1,200 of the six axle diesels were sold in the United States and Canada, 62 in Mexico, and 10 more for the export market.
> 
> *Though the other locomotives in the series are true SD40s, the Southern Pacific models like our sample are technically SD40Rs*, re-built (SP said "upgraded") under the General Rehabilitation and Improvement Program, or GRIP, which started in 1977. The SD40R can be spotted primarily by the battery box doors on the cab sides; GRIP rebuilt locomotives have three doors, with two sets of four louvers on the forward door. Athearn's SP models have this feature.


As has been said, this is a nice looking and accurate model, but it's too bad Athearn didn't label the box as *SD40R*.....that would have cleared up this issue...


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

Another resurrection of this thread: Athearn just announced some SD40's in SP schemes.....looks like they are actually straight SD40's this time!

http://www.athearn.com/newsletter/022318/04_RTR_SD40_022318.pdf


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