Rivet Counter HO Scale EMD SD38-2, Frisco

Following the success of the “1966-Line” of that same year, in January 1972 EMD was to give its product catalog a refresh, introducing what it dubbed the “Dash 2” line. Based upon customer feedback, EMD retained the basics of the previous 1966-Line, adding various improvements aimed at increasing reliability and performance. The Flexicoil-C truck used under the 1966-Line, its original iteration dating back to the SD7 of 1951, was replaced by a new truck design, called the HT-C, which offered greater adhesion, and was slightly longer than the Flexicoil-C. The frames of the six-axle Dash 2 units were lengthened slightly to accommodate the new truck design, and internally, all sported a new main electrical control cabinet featuring modular, solid-state components in the form of “cards” controlling various locomotive functions that could be pulled and replaced as needed, greatly simplifying the troubleshooting and repair process. The new models received a “-2” suffix, with the SD38 of 1966 being revised into the SD38-2.

Much like its SD38 predecessor, the SD38-2 was envisioned as a medium horsepower, high tractive effort machine, designed to haul heavy tonnage at relatively lower speeds. In contrast to its SD40-2 and SD45-2 brethren, which were optimized for hauling tonnage at higher speeds across all types of operating profiles, the SD38-2 was more at home lugging heavy commodity trains at low speed, or shuffling long cuts of cars in yards. While it wasn’t the ideal choice for blasting high-priority TOFC trains across the country, it would be right at home dragging a heavy iron-ore train up a 2% grade. Powered by the same basic 16-645 prime mover that drove the SD40-2, the SD38-2 lacked turbocharging, which kept its horsepower (HP) at 2,000, as opposed to the 3,000 of the 40-series. 

The lower HP rating suited its intended duty just fine however, and the lack of a turbocharger simplified maintenance and reduced overall costs. Externally, the SD38-2 was very similar to the SD40-2, with the primary spotting features being a pair of radiator fans instead of the trio used on the SD40-2 (1,000 fewer HP didn’t require as much cooling), and it had a pair of small, oval stacks coming from its prime mover’s exhaust manifold instead of the single large rectangular stack coming from the turbocharger on the SD40-2. Lastly, the SD38-2 featured a large boxy housing on its roofline, just behind the inertial air filtration compartment, that housed groups of filter elements for engine combustion air.

While the overall number of SD38-2s built was but a tiny fraction of what EMD produced for the wildly popular SD40-2, the SD38-2 was sold to a wide variety of owners, representing most of the major carriers of the time during its production run from 1972 to 1979. Its performance characteristics were reflected in the roads that ordered them; Bessemer & Lake Erie and Elgin, Joliet & Eastern were tied for the most by an original owner, and utilized them in the heavy terminal switching and drag freight service those roads handled. At the other end of the service spectrum were roads like Chicago & North Western and Southern Pacific, which ordered SD38-2s for heavy yard switching and hump duty, already having plenty of higher-HP units on their rosters, like SD40-2s, for handling higher-speed road applications.

While not as prolific as other models in the catalog at the time, the SD38-2 served an important role for the roads that ordered them, and have had long careers, with many going on to new owners and paint schemes through sales and mergers. This new model from ScaleTrains is a logical addition to the product line, being an extension of the SD40-2 project, similar to how the prototype SD38-2 and SD40-2 were part of the same product line. Inside you’ll find the same smooth, proven mechanism as used in the SD40-2, and HT-C truck gearbox with “clasp” brake shoes, or standard brake shoes, per prototype. Square or angled paper air filter boxes are present, as are different dynamic brake and exhaust stack options. It also features all of the road-specific detailing you’ve come to expect on ScaleTrains models, down to the unique extended walkway ducts and raised rear walkway and slug electrical connections found on the SP units. These new units would be right at home on just about any layout, handling heavy switching and drag road duty, just like their 1:1 counterparts.