Model Railroading > Another Grand Slam by ScaleTrains - Conrail SD40-2's

I made time in the last few days to get the new ScaleTrains Conrail SD40-2's that were delivered a few weeks back out of the boxes.  Like the C39-8 a few months ago, these are incredible models.  I added some weathering and they are now part of the roster on the Onondaga Cutoff, which will be hosting a few operating sessions in the next few weeks.  

These are out of the box superdetailed, with excellent sound and incredible prototype-specific paint and detail differences.   Working marker lights add to the equation, too.  I wish the markers in these were the same as in other SD40-2's, since Conrail's were, but instead they are either red or off depending on how you set things up.  That's a compromise I can easily live with in the 1990's when Conrail only used the red in most cases anyway.

That said, take a look - images below are from CP282, with a pair of light SD40-2's coming onto the North Runner at Onondaga Yard.  These are clearly the definitive model of this locomotive on Conrail.  

1.   High wedgie view.

2.  Lower wedgie view.

3.  Broadside view, with some backlight to highlight the incredible details on the model.  

Well done, ScaleTrains!
~RGDave
https://onondagacutoff.blogspot.com/

 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/13/18 09:39 by RGDave.

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 Your weathering technique is awesome-----subtle and to the point!

Almost look like the real thing.

The C39 units had marker lights, red or off. SD40-2 units were built from the factory with classification lights, white, green, red, off. C39s would never be seen with white or green since they weren't built that way. Scale Trains got both models right.

fbe Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The C39 units had marker lights, red or off.
> SD40-2 units were built from the factory with
> classification lights, white, green, red, off.
> C39s would never be seen with white or green since
> they weren't built that way. Scale Trains got both
> models right.

Partly true.  ScaleTrains got the C39-8's correct, and they are amazing models.

However, the ScaleTrains Conrail SD40-2's come with red-or-off class lights, which are not correct, as Conrail factory-built SD40-2's had red-green-white-off markers like other road's SD40-2's.

My point was that by the mid 1990's green or white marker lights on Conrail were used very rarely.   In practice I have seen the red lights only, at least from all my photos of that era on signaled main lines.  And so, I am quite fine with them installed as they are.   These are incredible models and I do not mean to complain!

I did contact Matt Herman from ESU to get the CV's to program the marker lights to operate independently from the headlight or direction, instead of the 'Helper Mode' included from the factory.    Other than that, some weathering, and I am thrilled!

~RGDave  
 

Love that third photo. Keep your updates coming, your layout is fabulous!

dt

Would you mind sharing which CV's you changed?  I would like to do the same with mine!  Thanks!
Patrick



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/13/18 16:59 by traint723.

I saw green lights once, in the early post-Conrail CSX era... The unit in question was an 8800-series ex-Con SD40-2, and it was the third unit of three on some freight... It was after dark, so I could see those green lights lit up pretty vividly... Some hostler must have left them on maybe... I can't imagine they were used very often from the '90s on or so...

Again, excellent weathering, Dave... Hoping they do these SD40-2s with ditchlights like they're going to do with the C39-8s...

I got a pair from a shop that was shutting down for a good price. One BNSF and One NS , they are the best factory built , detail specific units made at the moment IMHO !!!

Mike Bannon
St Catharines, ON

traint723 Wrote:
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> Would you mind sharing which CV's you changed?  I
> would like to do the same with mine!  Thanks!
> Patrick

Patrick,

Sure!  Same trick that worked on the C39-8's, courtesy of Matt Herman at ESU.  See below!

~RGDave

CV8 = 8 to reset loco.   Remove from power for 5-10 minutes due to capacitors.  Return to power.   Loco should respond to cab address 3 as it should be reset at this time. 

Then: 

CV31 = 16, CV32 = 2 
---------------------- 
CV258 =   0 
CV274 =   0 
CV353 =   0 
CV363 =   2 
CV364 =   0 
CV369 =   0 
CV372 =   0 
CV378 =   0 
CV379 =   1 
CV385 =   0 
CV387 =   0 
CV388 =   0 
CV394 =   0 

CV31 = 16, CV32 = 3 
---------------------- 
CV385 =   0 
CV386 =   0 
CV394 =   0 
CV395 =   0

Those are great looking additions to your layout!

On some older Canadian power they still have the 3-to-a-side class lights, and while they're no longer used under current operating rules, I've seen some crews turn one red and one green around Christmas time!

Posted from Android

Darren Boes
Lethbridge, AB
Southern Alberta Railfan

These are beautiful. And your weathering is awesome especially trucks and fuel tank.