Athearn #G70653 SD75M W/DCC & Sound PRLX/ex Warbonnet #236

PRLX FEATURES All PRLX locomotives are Primed for Grime with road numberspecific patches and fading Many of BNSF’s SD75Ms were in storage by 2014-2015. The 20+ year old units were definately past their prime at this point however most of them still had a future. Norfolk Southern bought a total of seven units to become NS 2800-2806. In addition Progress Rail Leasing (PRLX) bought a large group of the units. They arrived to PRLX wearing several paint schemes including the Santa Fe Warbonnet as well as BNSF’s Heritage II paint. The units were hastily patched and placed into service as of this writing they are leased to CN and KCS but future leasing assignments are likely. LOCOMOTIVE FEATURES DCC-ready features Quick Plug™ plug-and-play technology with 21-pin NEM connector Scaled from prototype resources including drawings field measurements photographs and more Accurately-painted and –printed paint schemes LED Lighting for realistic appearance Coupler cut levers MU hoses Trainline hose See through cab windows Full cab interior Walkway tread Fine-scale Celcon handrails for scale appearance Windshield wipers Lift rings Wire grab irons Detailed fuel tank with fuel fillers fuel gauges & breather pipes Sander lines McHenry scale knuckle couplers – Kadee compatible Genesis driveline with 5-pole skew wound motor precision machined flywheels and multi-link drivetrain All-wheel drive with precision gears for smooth & quiet operation All-wheel electrical pickup provides reliable current flow Wheels with RP25 contours operate on all popular brands of track Heavy die-cast frame for greater traction and more pulling power Packaging securely holds for the model for safe storage SOUND EQUPPED MODELS ALSO FEATURE Onboard DCC decoder with SoundTraxx Tsunami2 sound Sound units operate in both DC and DCC Engine horn and bell sounds work in DC All functions NMRA compatible in DCC mode Precision slow speed control Program a multiple unit (MU) lashup with lead unit only horn bell and lights Many functions can be altered via Configuration Value (CV) changes CV chart included in the box PROTOTYPE SPECIFIC INFORMATION Continuing upon the successful SD60-series in 1992 EMD debuted the next step in locomotive evolution with the SD70-series. While outwardly similar at first glance to the SD60M the D.C.-drive SD70M featured several external design refinements from the predecessor model. Battery boxes were relocated to the left-hand side walkway immediately behind the cab a large boxy forward traction motor blower housing replaced the angular version used on SD60s the raised walkway duct on the left hand walkway was eliminated and an intake for the rear traction motor blower on the left hand side of the carbody directly under the rear radiator intake grill was added. Internally the SD70 boasted improvements as well a 16-710GB prime mover rated at 4000hp was coupled to a new alternator design the AR20. New D70TR traction motors were standard and controlling all of this power and locomotive function was EMD’s new EM2000 microprocessor which boasted more memory twice the processing speed and improved locomotive self-diagnostic capabilities compared to the processor suite used in the SD60. Even more revolutionary was the inclusion of EMD’s patented “Radial” truck design the HTC-R. This design which made its debut under EMD Demo SD60 #3 replaced the venerable HT-C truck and is unique in its ability to shift or “steer” the wheelsets laterally through curves resulting in greatly reduced wheelset and track wear and coupled with the new D70TR traction motors and EM2000 microprocessor greatly improved adhesion. Continuing with previous practice EMD built a set of Demonstrator SD70Ms EMD 7000-7002 all equipped with the North American safety-cab (hence the “M” in their model designation) and decked out in an attractive gray silver and burgundy paint scheme. These units travelled all over North America showing off the latest technology from EMD. Southern Pacific Union Pacific and eventually Norfolk Southern would sign up for the SD70M models. Although NS started out with the “Spartan” cab SD70 they eventually returned for the SD70M model. By 2004 the SD70M began to be delivered with the familiar “flared” radiator grilles. Both NS and UP have examples of these locomotives on their roster and you can still find the entire fleet of SD70Ms in regular service today.