N&W SD40-2 Non-Powered #6106
| Item # | 6-34775 |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Lionel |
| Loco Type | EMD SD40-2 |
| Wheel Arr. | C-C |
| Proto. Manufacturer | Electro-Motive Division (EMD) |
| Loco Category | Diesel Locomotives |
| Road Name | Norfolk & Western |
| Road Number | 6106 |
| Prototype Era | 1970s-1990s |
| Catalog Year | 2012 |
| Catalog Season | Signature |
| Product Line | Legacy |
| Features | |
| Scale | Scale |
| Min. Curve | O31 |
| Run Type | Catalog Run |
| MSRP | $239.99 |
| Notes | |
| Non-powered SD40-2; die-cast trucks/pilots/fuel tank; magnetic couplers; 17"; O-31 | |
| Control Systems | |
| Bluetooth | |
|---|---|
| Legacy Control System | |
| TMCC | |
| LC Universal Remote | |
| LC Individual Remote | |
| Conventional | |
| Features | |
| Sound | |
| Smoke Unit | |
| Odyssey Speed Control | |
| ElectroCoupler | |
The EMD SD40-2 is the most produced and most widely operated diesel locomotive model in North American railroad history — a 3,000-horsepower C-C road switcher produced from 1972 through 1988 that became the standard heavy freight locomotive for Class I railroads across the continent. The "-2" designation indicated EMD's adoption of a modular electrical system — the Super Series — that improved reliability and simplified maintenance by standardizing electrical components across multiple locomotive models. At 3,000 horsepower from the 645E3 prime mover distributed across six C-C axles, the SD40-2 provided a well-balanced combination of horsepower, tractive effort, reliability, and fuel economy that matched the operational requirements of virtually every heavy freight application American railroads faced in the 1970s and 1980s.
Over 4,000 SD40-2s were built for North American railroads — a production run that dwarfed every contemporary competitor — and the model appeared on the roster of every major Class I railroad. Its sixteen-year production run covered the period when American railroads were consolidating into larger systems and standardizing their locomotive fleets, and the SD40-2 became the default choice for that standardization. Many examples remain in active service today on short lines and regional railroads decades after their original construction. In O Gauge, the SD40-2 is one of the most produced and most collected diesel subjects in the catalog, its universal presence on American railroads from the 1970s through the present day making it appropriate for virtually any layout set in the modern era.
The Norfolk and Western Railway was the preeminent coal-hauling railroad of the southern Appalachians, operating a network centered on the coalfields of southwestern Virginia, southern West Virginia, and eastern Kentucky that made it one of the most profitable Class I railroads in the United States for most of its history. The N&W's main line ran from Norfolk, Virginia — where its coal piers loaded oceangoing vessels for export — westward through the Blue Ridge and Allegheny mountains to Columbus and Cincinnati, Ohio, and connections with midwest carriers. The railroad's coal franchise was so dominant and so profitable that the N&W was able to resist dieselization far longer than any other major American railroad, continuing to build and operate steam locomotives into the late 1950s while its competitors completed their transitions to diesel power.
The Norfolk and Western's steam locomotive program was the most sophisticated in American railroad history. The railroad's Roanoke shops designed and built its own locomotive classes — the J-class streamlined passenger locomotive, the Class A articulated for fast freight, and the Y6b compound Mallet for heavy coal drag service — to standards of engineering refinement that were unmatched in the late steam era. The J-class Northern in particular is widely regarded as one of the finest steam locomotives ever built for passenger service, combining high speed capability with exceptional reliability in a package of considerable aesthetic beauty. The N&W also operated the earlier Y-3 and K2 Mountain classes, giving it a steam roster of remarkable depth and consistency. The railroad merged with the Southern Railway in 1982 to formNorfolk Southern.
The Norfolk and Western is one of the richest prototype subjects in the O Gauge steam catalog, and the depth of its representation in the hobby reflects the extraordinary quality and variety of its locomotive fleet. The J-class Northern in black with tuscan red and gold trim is one of the most visually stunning steam locomotives in American railroading, and the massive Y6b Mallet — with its two engine units and enormous boiler — conveys the scale and power of Appalachian coal-hauling steam in a way that few other prototypes can match. For modelers interested in the late steam era and the coal-hauling character of the southern Appalachians, the N&W provides an unmatched combination of historical significance, engineering achievement, and visual drama.
Modeling Significance & Notes[edit | edit source]
The 2012 Legacy EMD SD40-2 is a Scale eighteen-product release built to Legacy Control System standards without Bluetooth, featuring Odyssey II, dual motors, fan-driven smoke, front and rear ElectroCouplers, ditch lights, marker lights, lighted number boards, and die-cast trucks, pilots, and fuel tank at 17 inches overall length on O-31 curves — covering six prototype operators with multiple road number variants and powered and non-powered unit configurations, representing Lionel's initial Legacy treatment of the ubiquitous SD40-2 road switcher type.
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