Intermountain SD40-2

[nkalanaga]

I would say that I was satisfied with them, as most of my locos have had to have the flanges turned anyway.

Mine need to be repainted, someday, because they have the 1980s BN scheme, too new for my era, but the paint itself looks good.

[nscaler711]

*waits patiently for a ATSF rebuild SD40-2*

Seriously I suppose I have to stick with the Katos (nothing wrong with that and do not point it out please,) since they actually have low mounted headlights and ditchlights.
Oh well now where do I find a walk through to add loksound to Kato SD40-2 Mids?

[Mark5]

As far as retrofitting goes, those nice and fairly inexpensive Kato wheelsets (which look even better than the S-2 wheels) are almost a drop-in fit into Atlas trucks. The half-axles just need to be pushed in a scoobitch.  This retrofit has been discussed few times on TRW (including retrofitting them into BLI diesels).

Yes, I am aware of the Kato wheelsets and I have a an inventory of them that I originally bought to retro-fit some of my older Kato units. I was hoping for a solution from Atlas for my Atlas locos (which unfortunately this isn't), as I think this is one area where Atlas is lagging behind on it terms of improving their models.

Gotta send off an email to Atlas requesting improvement on the wheel contours for the rank and file locos.

Mark

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I've been in the wait and see camp myself. Going back and forth with excitement and dread every time new information has come out.

Well, I just had a chance to check out a BN model at Kleins.

As I was leaving (not with the engine), I was cursing under my breath. Not because the model was bad, but because I'm soon going to be shelling out $800 for a four banger of the Conrail ones.

They looked good. Were there imperfections, yes. Am I sad I'll probably have to hack up the trucks to get them to look like Flexicoils? Yes

But were they good enough to make me ok with my decision to sell off my old kitbash fodder? Absolutely.

Good job Intermountain.

[Mark5]

Yeah, I am definitely in the wait and see camp. I gotta say, that for my Kato units - their days may be numbered.

Mark

[jagged ben]

... I was hoping for a solution from Atlas for my Atlas locos (which unfortunately this isn't), as I think this is one area where Atlas is lagging behind on it terms of improving their models.

Gotta send off an email to Atlas requesting improvement on the wheel contours for the rank and file locos.

Mark

Thanks, I'll try to do the same.  Any solution will work equally well for IM.    I hate to think what it would cost me to retrofit my whole fleet, but they'd gross at least as much revenue off me as from a couple of locos.   Easier than cleaning wheels, too.

[Mark5]

Thanks, I'll try to do the same.  Any solution will work equally well for IM.    I hate to think what it would cost me to retrofit my whole fleet, but they'd gross at least as much revenue off me as from a couple of locos.   Easier than cleaning wheels, too.

Yeah, I know - I have 50+ Atlas locos.

[drgw0579]

Question:  I've heard the locomotive, but I wasn't able to look inside to see how they designed the speaker and enclosure.  Any idea what speaker they used?  How is it mounted?  I understand there are no nasty wires.  Could it be done better?  I wonder if we'll see this in other n scale locomotives (they are built in China, after all).

Bill Kepner

[mu26aeh]

Question:  I've heard the locomotive, but I wasn't able to look inside to see how they designed the speaker and enclosure.  Any idea what speaker they used?  How is it mounted?  I understand there are no nasty wires.  Could it be done better?  I wonder if we'll see this in other n scale locomotives (they are built in China, after all).

Bill Kepner

The speaker is in the fuel tank, mounted facing up.  Not sure what speaker though.  Can get pictures later if no one else does.

[mu26aeh]

I've been in the wait and see camp myself. Going back and forth with excitement and dread every time new information has come out.

Well, I just had a chance to check out a BN model at Kleins.

As I was leaving (not with the engine), I was cursing under my breath. Not because the model was bad, but because I'm soon going to be shelling out $800 for a four banger of the Conrail ones.

They looked good. Were there imperfections, yes. Am I sad I'll probably have to hack up the trucks to get them to look like Flexicoils? Yes

But were they good enough to make me ok with my decision to sell off my old kitbash fodder? Absolutely.

Good job Intermountain.

I hope that my pics, short videos and thoughts on mine helped you come to that conclusion !  I love getting other people to spend their money 

[wazzou]

The speaker is in the fuel tank, mounted facing up.  Not sure what speaker though.  Can get pictures later if no one else does.

I don't have a dog in this hunt one way or the other, but...
That probably explains why the fuel tank detail looks a little on the shallow side.  I'd have hoped the air reservoir would have a little more dimension to it.

[mu26aeh]

Fuel tank (Sorry for the blur, I didn't see that on the phone  )

20170109_173327 by Adam Henry, on Flickr

Underside of locomotive showing the bottom of speaker.  I don't want to tear this thing apart to see how it goes together.  There are others here that can take that job 

20170109_173344 by Adam Henry, on Flickr

[jagged ben]

I don't have a dog in this hunt one way or the other, but...
That probably explains why the fuel tank detail looks a little on the shallow side.  I'd have hoped the air reservoir would have a little more dimension to it.

Have you looked at other N scale fuel tanks?  I'd love to see more depth to them, but what I'm seeing sure looks standard for N scale EMDs.

[daniel_leavitt2000]

Yeah, I know - I have 50+ Atlas locos.

Think that's bad? I have 160 Atlas engines at last count and another 20 Katos equipped with similar wheels. There is no way I am swapping out all of them.

I do swap out the ones in my Life-Like units to operate on C55.

[wazzou]

Have you looked at other N scale fuel tanks?  I'd love to see more depth to them, but what I'm seeing sure looks standard for N scale EMDs.

The subject is the Intermountain SD40-2 not all other EMD models by other manufacturers, thus my comment and it's specificity.

Now, back to the topic....
Thank you Adam for the end view of the tank.  It doesn't look quite as bad as it first appeared.