Athearn ATH-1258 HO EMD SD40-2, Econami DCC Sound, Kansas City Southern #684

EMD SD40-2 Locomotive Model Features:

• Flexible rubber MU hoses for durability


• Flexible rubber trainline hose


• See-through cab windows


• Coupler cut levers


• Wire grab irons


• Exhaust stack


• See-through dynamic brake and radiator fans


• Frame mounted bell (unless noted)


• Detailed fuel tank with fuel fillers, fuel gauges, & breather pipes


• Separately applied air tanks


• Fine-scale Celcon handrails for scale appearance


• Photo-etch stainless steel windshield wipers


• LED Illuminated front and rear headlights, ditch lights, and beacons (where applicable to the prototype)


• DCC-ready Non-sound version features 21-pin NEM DCC plug


• McHenry® operating scale knuckle couplers


• All-wheel drive with precision gears for smooth & quiet operation


• All-wheel electrical pickup provides reliable current flow


• 5-pole motor with precision-machined flywheels and multi-link drive train for trouble free operation


• Wheels with RP25 contours operate on all popular brands of track


• Bi-directional LED lighting for realistic appearance


• Heavy die-cast frame for greater traction and more pulling power


• Scaled from prototype resources including drawings, field measurements, photographs, and more


• Accurately –painted and –printed paint schemes


• Packaging securely holds model for safe storage


• Fully-assembled and ready-to-run


• Minimum radius: 18” Recommended radius 22”

Sound Equipped Models Also Include:

• Onboard DCC decoder with SoundTraxx Econami sound


• Single cube speaker for optimal sound quality


• Sound units operate in both DC and DCC


• Engine, horn, and bell sounds work in DC


• Some functions are limited in DC


• All functions NMRA compatible in DCC mode


• Effect lighting (if applicable) using F5 and/or F6


• Excellent low-speed operation


• Program a multiple unit (MU) lashup with lead unit only horn, bell, and lights


• Many functions can be altered via Configuration Value (CV) changes


• CV chart included in the box

Prototype Overview:

The SD40-2 was introduced in January 1972 as part of EMD’s Dash 2 series, responding to competing products from GE and ALCO. Reliability and versatility of the 3,000-horsepower SD40-2 made it the best-selling model in EMD’s history and the standard of the industry for several decades after its introduction. The SD40-2 was an improvement over the SD40, with modular electronic control systems similar to those of the experimental SD45X and DDA40X. The last SD40-2 delivered to a United States railroad was built in July 1984, with production continuing for railroads in Canada until 1988.