Athearn HO 72080 SD40-2, Norfolk Southern #3299

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 like 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.

NS FEATURES:
Former SOU units
Nathan P5 horn on each end
Bell mounted on long hood
Walkway lights
“Breakaway” style end handrails
Long hood-forward operation

After the 1982 SOU-NW merger into Norfolk Southern, the SD40-2 remained a principle mainline locomotive for the road. Early repaints did not feature white delineators on the frames, and many units lasted this way through the 2000s. They could be found on all types of NS freight movements, and they also had a penchant for showing up on Southern Pacific trains in the late 80s and early 90s.

ROAD NUMBER SPECIFIC FEATURES:
#3280
“SOU” on cab
Two “Firecracker” antennas

#3299
“AGS” on cab
Three “Firecracker” antennas

#3306
“SOU” on cab
Six “Firecracker” antennas (for Locotrol equipment)

SD40-2 LOCOMOTIVE FEATURES:
Fully-assembled and ready-to-run
DCC-ready features Quick Plug plug-and-play technology with 21-pin NEM connector
Scaled from prototype resources including drawings, field measurements, photographs, and more
Accurately -painted and -printed paint schemes
Coupler cut levers
Flexible rubber MU hoses for durability
Flexible rubber trainline hose
See-through cab windows
Fine-scale Celcon handrails for scale appearance
Photo-etch stainless steel windshield wipers
Wire grab irons
Detailed fuel tank with fuel fillers, fuel gauges, & breather pipes
Separately applied air tanks
DCC-ready Non-sound version features 21-pin NEM DCC plug
See-through dynamic brake and radiator fans
Exhaust stack
Frame mounted bell (unless noted)
Detailed 4000 gallon fuel tank (unless different capacity is noted)
McHenry scale knuckle couplers – Kadee compatible
All-wheel drive with precision gears for smooth & quiet operation
All-wheel electrical pickup provides reliable current flow
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
Minimum radius: 18″ – Recommended radius 22″