Finally the SD40-2 has arrived

if you look at the MKT, you'll see that i shortened the coupler mount on it. on both ends.
dave f.

 

Dave F and Hien, your SD40-2's look great.
Dave, the changed coupler mounting is surely an improvement.

 

Thanks Rob.

I got tired of watching my Ferromax engine toss Well Cars off the track and went in and modified the opening and added a different spring. I wish there was more room to push back the coupler, but there was no way we could get it back much more without new tooling. We have another design under consideration that might allow us to have a shorter shank...shorter box and get in closer. the only other way would have been to do a truck mount, and there goes the pilot.

Joe

 

David F,
We need close up photos of how you mounted the couplers on the shell, and exactly what you did to shorten them. Thanks.

Bob

 

Joe,

Your team did a good job with this. I tested with the intermodal cars and no problem. The only cars which I had jump where the really light ones such as the Full Throttle cylindricals and the smaller PS2s. I may recommend putting a heavier car right behind the loco on tight curves just to be safe, but this is my standard advice for longer locos. Overall, I am really enjoying the SD40-2. It is a great addition to our Z fleets!

Rob

 

Why do you have to file the post? Is the TC decoder too wide or the space between the posts too narrow? Thanks

 

A short with the Digitrax DZ123M0 in a GP chassis (same as the new SD) ?? Never heard of this issue on any of the forums. Only the spring loops to the motor sometimes, but that's easy, hook them from the inside out and also make sure you put them back in correctly (they are not symetrical, the coil is closer to one end, bottom I believe).

The TCS board was design to be 'dropped in' after loosening the chassis screws, then retighten. Or, on some looser chassis, be pressed LIGHTLY in.
.

 

To shorten some of the coupler boxes, I have disassembled, pulled the spring and cut the back area off. This lets it sit back a bit farther but the coupler doesn't auto center. You can also to the same with the AZL's or mount the AZL AutoLatch coupler in ther and loose that uncoupler hook (if you are not switching). Especially if you are switching. If you run larger curves like the BAZ BoyZ do, you can shorted the AZL at least a 1/3.

Usually we just run shows and do a one-time lash up for hours of running so it's not bad.
.

 

Well that didn't take long. I see over on everyone's favorite auction site there are two SD40-2 repainted into BNSF up for sale. Repainted into H2 and H3 schemes.

 

It looks like MTL changed the orientation of the posts that secure the boards when they designed the sd40-2. They appear to aim inward on the sd40-2. In doing this, there had to be a modification of the board since it does not appear that the posts would contact the original board if they did not modifiy the board itself. It doesn't even look like the digitrax decoder would work since it was designed for the original posts in the GP9 and GP35 which were oriented forward not inward. The TC decoder should work unless the posts are larger and doesn't allow the TC decoder to fit. These are just my observations based on photos on the internet, not from personal experience so this may be completely wrong but I think it might be the cause of the issues.

 

Great Photos Rob....you would be hard pressed to believe that these very fine models are in fact Z...

Re DCC: I was hoping MTL would have had these with the factory installed dcc option, maybe thats the next big step?

I think its great that some of you guys have raced to do re-paints makes it interesting to log in here more frequently to see all the fine work, keep it up..

Mike..

 

thanks robert, very well done.
dave f.

 

It's just Robs luck 1st to order last to recive....LMAO:tb-biggrin:

 

John,
I'm afraid I must raise my hand and claim to be Murphy this time out.

I forgot to take Robert's SDs with me to California last weekend, otherwise he would have had them on Sunday morning. My bad.