Athearn 86978 – EMD SD45T-2 (DCC And Sound) Cotton Belt (SSW) 9383 – HO Scale

SSW FEATURES:

• Nose headlight
• Modified “L” window cab
• Roof A/C
• Nathan P-3 Horn
• Large front plow
• Large front anticlimber
• Faded colors

SP’s subsidiary Cotton Belt, ordered a small batch of SD45T-2’s for service all over the system. By the late 1980’s, their original paint was starting to fade showing the signs of hard service. To help reduce maintenance costs, the SP-ordered gyra lights were removed and a modified “L” window was installed.

SD45T-2 SERIES LOCOMOTIVE FEATURES:

• Fine scale handrails
• Photo-etched windshield wipers
• Separately applied air tanks
• LED Lighting
• HTC truck sideframes
• Fixed, see-through cab windows
• Welded ECAFB
• All-wheel electrical pickup
• See-through dynamic brake fans
• Separately applied wire grab irons
• Rubber trainline and MU hoses with silver ends
• Standard late Dash-2 cab with or without “L” window per prototype
• See-through radiator grilles with new rear truck gearbox specific for the tunnel motor
• Speed recorder attached to appropriate axle per prototype (except undecorated)
• McHenry® operating scale knuckle couplers
• All-wheel drive with precision gears for smooth and quiet operation
• 5-pole motor with flywheels and multi-link drivetrain for trouble-free operation
• DCC Ready 21-pin NEM Quick Plug™ technology
• Nickel plated, blackened machined wheels
• Wheels with RP25 contours operate on all popular brands of track
• Highly-detailed, injection molded body
• Minimum radius: 18” — Recommended radius: 22”

PRIMED FOR GRIME MODELS FEATURE:

• Duplicated look and feel of “In Service” equipment
• Faded base colors matched to the prototype
• Perfect starting point for adding grime and rust

SOUND-EQUIPPED MODELS ALSO FEATURE

• Onboard DCC decoder with SoundTraxx Economi sound
• Sound units operate in both DC and DCC
• Full DCC functions available when operated in DCC mode
• Engine, horn, and bell sounds work in DC
• All functions NMRA compatible in DCC mode
• Excellent Slow speed control
• Effect lighting (if applicable) using F5 and/or F6
• Program a multiple unit (MU) lashup with lead unit only horn, bell, and lights
• Many functions can be altered via Configuration Value (CV) changes

PROTOTYPE SPECIFIC INFORMATION

The SD45T-2 is a six-axle diesel electric locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division having a 20-cylinder 645-series diesel engine producing 3600 horsepower. Over 200 examples were produced between 1972 and 1975. This locomotive including the SD40T-2 were nick-named “Tunnel Motors” due to the rear cool air intake lowered to just above the walkway at the rear of the locomotive. This helped provide cooler air into the locomotive’s radiator cooling system and ultimately reducing the chance of the engine overheating in tunnels.