Kato SDP40F Amtrak Phase II units have arrived

[bbussey]

The Phase II SDP40F units have shipped from Kato. Look for them to appear in the stores within the next few days.

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[wazzou]

Already at MBK along with Northern Pacific NP F7 A/B sets.

[EspeeGoldenState]

I cringe the day they announce Phase III versions. I'll pick up a couple and a F40PH to do a Southwest Chief.

Chris

[Ngineer]

I cringe the day they announce Phase III versions. I'll pick up a couple and a F40PH to do a Southwest Chief.

AFAIK there was only one SDP40F in the Phase III paint scheme. They used that loco for MoW.

I am not sure what kind of nose it had, the flat one or the "elaborate" (What is the right name?) one.

BTW, that Phase II model is tempting.

   Javier

[davefoxx]

There was definitely more than one SDP40F in Amtrak Phase III paint.  A quick search on the internet confirms that at least Nos. 622, 643, and 631 made it to Phase III.  Of the pictures I saw, one was on a work train, but the others were on passenger trains.

Hope this helps,
DFF

[Philip H]

Hopefully the ATSF units look just as good . . . .

[SP-Wolf]

There was definitely more than one SDP40F in Amtrak Phase III paint.  A quick search on the internet confirms that at least Nos. 622, 643, and 631 made it to Phase III.  Of the pictures I saw, one was on a work train, but the others were on passenger trains.

Hope this helps,
DFF

We can add : 618,634 and 649 -- all of these were on passenger trains.

Regards,
Wolf

[Ed Kapuscinski]

This is damn tempting. I've realized my F40 needs company.

But... I also read the last one ran in April of 85.

Now, do I give in, and go earlier? Hm....

[Missaberoad]

There was definitely more than one SDP40F in Amtrak Phase III paint.  A quick search on the internet confirms that at least Nos. 622, 643, and 631 made it to Phase III.  Of the pictures I saw, one was on a work train, but the others were on passenger trains.

Hope this helps,
DFF

Only issue is that those are all Phase two units with the flat nose and low profile roof accoutrements. The Kato model represents 500-539 which I cant find any painted in phase 3.

[davefoxx]

This is damn tempting. I've realized my F40 needs company.

But... I also read the last one ran in April of 85.

Now, do I give in, and go earlier? Hm....

I might . . . as stand-ins for a pair of P30CHs for my AutoTrain.

DFF

[squirrelhunter]

This thread has the info many of you are looking for:

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?11,1594321

Basically, per the posts in the thread, Amtrak rebuilt 21 of the flat nose SDP40F's with heavier HEP cabling and Phase 3 paint. By 1980, 18 of the remaining operation SDP40F's were based out of SCL Hialeah and 19 were based out of Los Angeles.

All the units out of Hialeah were flat nose SDP40F's, with 15 in Phase 3 and 4 in Phase 1. LA has a more diverse roster, with 5 pointed nose Phase 2 SDP40F's still in service, along with 6 flat nose Phase 3 rebuilds and 7 flat nose units in Phase 1 paint.

If I was an eastern modeler, I'd wait until Kato comes out with the flat nose SDP40F's. The pointed nose units were pretty much western units, used a lot on the trains on ATSF routes. The Lone Star had 4 sets of passenger cars to cover it and the Southwest Limited had 5, and the base assignment for both trains was 2 SDP40F's, with the Southwest Limited rating a 3rd when traffic was heavy.  Those assignments alone, plus counting for spares, etc, probably accounted for 25 or so of the first 40 units. I've also seen photos of them on the Sunset Limited and on the North Coast Hiawatha/Empire Builder.

One other quirk is that the pointed nose Phase 1 units can't be run prototypically with the pointed nose Phase 2 units unless you are modeling a brief window in 1976-77 because all of the first 40 units got a heavy overhaul by ICG Paducah in that time frame- which was when they got the Phase 2 paint.