Model Railroading > Speaking of ScaleTrains.com's beautiful SD40's Here's my take...

I don't really model CSX, but I do work for them and for that reason I knew I needed a "sponge bob" cab SD40-3 when they announced them a year ago.
CSXT 4035 got placed into service today after a few adjustments to the sounds and lighting effects. I will say this locomotive runs extremely well, very smooth and has decent lighting functions. The headlights, both front and rear are well done and a prototypical color effect. They are both sufficiently bright to compare to a prototype locomotive. The ditchlights, both on the front and rear, are not as brilliant, but by no means would they be considered too dim. Since I am talking about lighting, I will mention that I turned down the brightness of the numberboards considerably. These are not really bright in real life and on the real locomotives, the rear lights do not light at all (although they look like it).

I also took the time to lower the noise the unit produces to 28%. This allows the locomotive to sound right to my ears up close and not drive me nuts when it is over on the other side of the room. Oh, and the sound??? Freakin awesome.

A little bit of aging and this machine was ready to go.

I like this offering and I can fairly give it an A. Good Job www.ScaleTrains.com

Andy

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It looks great and I appreciate the review!

When the SD40-3 s were rebuilt was the dynamic brake vent behind the DB fans eliminated ?

Jim McIntyre

@Wheel Slip,

Why is it called a Sponge-Bob cab?

Peter

Hey Andy,

Looking good. Nice work and Scale Trains did a very good job on these. One complaint I have heard from many folks who have these are the ditch lights are not bright enough on their models. Scale trains had the same issue with the GE T4 ditch lights also and they really should put some energy into getting this fixed for future runs. Well done. Bruce

herronpeter Wrote:
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> @Wheel Slip,
>
> Why is it called a Sponge-Bob cab?
>
> Peter

The railfan community stuck the name "Sponge Bob Square Cab" to these units because of the unique cab design that was used on these locomotives during the rebuilding process.

Andy

jmcin Wrote:
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> When the SD40-3 s were rebuilt was the dynamic
> brake vent behind the DB fans eliminated ?
>
> Jim McIntyre

Yes, the vent on the car body behind the dynamic break fans (where the horn is now mounted) has been removed.

Andy

brfriedm Wrote:
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> Hey Andy,
>
> Looking good. Nice work and Scale Trains did a
> very good job on these. One complaint I have heard
> from many folks who have these are the ditch
> lights are not bright enough on their models.
> Scale trains had the same issue with the GE T4
> ditch lights also and they really should put some
> energy into getting this fixed for future runs.
> Well done. Bruce

Bruce,
They are OK... You probably won't be able to scare spiders away from the tracks, but they are fine. My only complaint in the lighting department is the number boards. They are way too bright from the factory,but this is an easy fix with a LOK Programmer. The black background is just not thick enough to look right with all that light back there. So, I turned down the lights to about as low as I can get them to go. Issue #2 with the number boards is the rear number boards should not be lit at all. On the real ones they do not light and when you are going after this level of accuracy that should carry over to the model. Oh, and one other observation I forgot to mention... The side windows should be tinted. They are not on the model.
All that said, it is a very well done model, both in terms of detail, finish and operation and any CSX operator should have a couple... ;)

Andy

I have had my MILW 172 long enough to decide to put a
sound card in it....Its just too smooth,I can’t hear where it is..
................Swede............Albany,OR.......................................

A lot of fans think these engines ugly, but I like them. Something different and unique to look at amidst the sea of wide cabs.

Art House

Nice looking loco, and photo background. Wonder when they will get around to the 1972 Union Pacific order?

Anyone interested in a couple of Athearn -2 undecs? Old enough to have blue boxes and metal railings.

aehouse Wrote:
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> A lot of fans think these engines ugly, but I like
> them. Something different and unique to look at
> amidst the sea of wide cabs.
>
> Art House

They are funky looking - they remind me of something European - or like those strange looking SP switchers.

But maybe I'm becoming an anachronism.

Cheers, Jim

Do the bearing caps spin on these and other versions with the timken bearings?

Mike N.

Helo-Mech Wrote:
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> Do the bearing caps spin on these and other
> versions with the timken bearings?
>
> Mike N.

Yes, the bearing caps do turn.

herronpeter Wrote:
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> @Wheel Slip,
>
> Why is it called a Sponge-Bob cab?
>
> Peter

Unless someone is standing in the gauge, it is kinda hard to see the family resemblance. I searched a bunch of threads on TO, and this is the best that I could find. It has a prototype photo, a song, and a photo of SpongeBob himself.

Who lives on a railroad called CSX?

https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?2,2764834,2764841#msg-2764841


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Post Script I’ve just now realized that I’ve never seen both SpongeBob, and PhotoBob in the same place at the same time...