Rivet Counter HO Scale EMD SD40-2, Conrail/White Sill Stripe/Ditch Lights

The Rivet Counter™ series SD40-2 is the definitive HO Scale model of EMD’s best-selling diesel locomotive. Our model combines smooth operating performance with unparalleled railroad, road number, and era-specific details™. Even though the first SD40-2s were built 50 years ago, many continue in revenue freight service today.

Run: 11

Announced: Sep 4, 2026

Estimated Time of Arrival: March 2027

DCC & Sound Equipped Retail: $399.99 DC/DCC Ready Retail: $264.99

See below for your price

In stock

SKU

11-RCHOSD402-4

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Grouped product items
Item Number	Road Number	Control & Sound Options	Our Price	Availability	ETA Date
SXT43339	6448	DCC & Sound Equipped	$339.99	Preorder	March 2027
SXT43340	6448	DC/DCC Ready	$224.99	Preorder	March 2027
SXT43343	6481	DCC & Sound Equipped	$339.99	Preorder	March 2027
SXT43344	6481	DC/DCC Ready	$224.99	Preorder	March 2027

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ADDITIONAL PHOTOS

PRODUCT DETAILS

Road Number Specific ScaleTrains

New road numbers
Era: early 1990s to early 2000s
Series 6441 to 6482, built 9-11/1978
Road number 6448
- Paint variation with sill stripe
- Speed recorder mounted to center axle on right front
Road number 6481
- Paint variation with sill stripe
Fully-assembled
Multiple road numbers
LED-illuminated front pilot face-mounted alternating ditch lights**
No truck ground lights (prototype not equipped)
LED-Illuminated rectangular walkway lights mounted between front and rear sanding valve doors and round walkway light, aft of raised walkway duct*
LED-illuminated tricolor front and rear flush-mounted class lights with raised gaskets and ribbed Fresnel-style lenses***
Directional LED-illuminated headlights
Printed number boards with separately controlled backlit LED-illumination*
Standard bolted battery box door on left side with short louvers; bolted and latched Conrail-style “split” battery box door on right side to accommodate Cab Signal System (CSS) box on top of battery box
Flange lubrication cabinet
Two strap Cab Signal System (CSS) box
Front and rear EMD-style low pilot plow with multiple unit (MU) hose doors and grab irons
3-hose multiple unit (MU) hose clusters with silver gladhands
Semi-scale coupler buffer equipped with durable metal semi-scale Type E knuckle couplers, painted a dingy gray/brown color to represent the color of couplers in service
Front and rear straight uncoupling levers with loop handles; two inner and two outer mounting brackets
Notched pilot faces with high angled lifting slots
Pilot face-mounted multiple unit (MU) receptacles
“Short” stepwells with see-through steps
Narrow “blunt” front anticlimber
Handrail set with anticlimber front; outward-facing rear-end rail mounting brackets and chain
Rear late “fixed” drop step
Scale sectioned treadplate detail on walkways
88” low short hood with wheel handbrake; nose top and side grab irons repositioned to opposed side for Cab Signal System (CSS) box clearance
Late cab sub-base doors with lift-off hinges
Standard EMD headlight in number board housing
Dash-2 cab with 13-bolt (top and bottom) side window panels
Rectangular vent on left cab side, towards rear of cab
Detailed cab interior with separate floor, rear wall, seats, and standard AAR control stand
Sliding cab side windows
Tall clear wind wings with mirror at bottom mounted fore of cab side window on both sides of cab
No sunshades or sunshade tracks
Lost-wax brass cast Leslie RS-3-LR horn with anti-debris “shower caps” mounted on number board housing
Large Excalibur “ice skate” antenna (communications) and small Sinclair Excalibur “ice skate” (Locotrol/EOT) antenna mounted to cab roof
Accurate hood door and long hood detail
Early electrical cabinet "zig-zag" seam, further from the rear of the cab
Late welded ECAFB
Intermediate inertial air intake grills with top drip rail
Standard turbo exhaust stack
Accurately-profiled extended-range dynamic brakes without batten strip
See-through dynamic brake intakes with resistor grid detail
Corrugated radiator intake grilles
See-through standard 48” radiator fan housings with fan blades visible inside
Angled radiator fan grab iron
Underbody frame rail with separate plumbing and traction motor cables
Detailed Flexicoil side frames with Hyatt bearing caps, high-mounted brake cylinders, outer sanding lines and brackets, and D-77 traction motor and air brake duct details
Wheel faces painted a dingy gray/brown color to represent the color of wheelsets in service
Dimensionally accurate truck centers
Speed recorder mounted to center axle on left front
Forward-facing handbrake chain mount for Flexicoil trucks
Short jacking pads (late)
Forward engineer’s side sidesill notch
Sill-mount EFCO
Frame-mounted steel bell
Graham-White (Salem) brand 824-170 and 818-170 primary and secondary centrifugal air filters (accordion-style)
4,000-gallon fuel tank with fuel fillers, vertical gauge, round gauge in tank sides, electronic gauge, and vertical breather pipe
Factory-applied wire grab irons, wire lift rings, windshield wipers, trainline hoses with silver gladhands, sand hatch covers, and much more
Motor with 5-pole skew wound armature
Dual flywheels
All-wheel drive
All-wheel electrical pick-up
Printing and lettering legible even under magnification
Operates on Code 70, 83, and 100 rail
Packaging safely stores the model
Minimum radius: 18”
Recommended radius: 22”

DCC & sound equipped locomotives also feature:

ESU LokSound 5 DCC & Sound decoder with “Full Throttle” functions
Two (2) cube-type speakers
Turbocharged EMD 16 Cylinder 645E3 prime mover
ESU designed “PowerPack” with two super capacitors****
Operates on both DC and DCC layouts

DC/DCC & sound ready locomotives also feature:

Operates on DC layouts
DCC ready with 21-pin connector

* Lighting features operate when using an ESU decoder with appropriate programming while operating using DCC.

** In DC operation, both front ditch lights illuminate; rear ditch lights (if equipped) do not illuminate.

*** Class lights illuminate in white color only in DC operation. Access and change the colors with an appropriately programmed ESU decoder while operating using DCC.

**** “PowerPack” feature is only compatible with appropriately programmed ESU decoders operating on a DCC layout.

PRODUCT VIDEOS

PROTOTYPE HISTORY

In January 1972, the Electro-Motive Division (EMD) of General Motors introduced the first production models of a locomotive design that would prove legendary: the SD40-2. As the flagship of the revolutionary “Dash-2” series, the SD40-2 was developed to improve upon its predecessor, the SD40, by incorporating state-of-the-art electrical and mechanical refinements that enhanced reliability, ease of maintenance, and operational efficiency.

The SD40-2 retained the same sixteen-cylinder, 3,000-horsepower 645E3 turbocharged prime mover as the SD40, ensuring continuity in power and performance. However, the most significant upgrade was the introduction of a modular, solid-state electrical system. This innovation replaced the complex and often troublesome relays of earlier models with removable electronic “cards” housed in a high-voltage cabinet. The modular design simplified troubleshooting, reduced downtime for repairs, and ultimately made the locomotive far more user-friendly for railroad maintenance crews.

Externally, the SD40-2’s most noticeable difference was the adoption of new HT-C three-axle trucks instead of the Flexi-coil Type C trucks used on the SD40. The HT-C trucks provided superior adhesion, which was critical for maintaining traction under heavy loads and improving overall efficiency. However, their longer wheelbase required an increase in the SD40-2’s frame length, resulting in an overall length of 68 feet, 10 inches over the couplers. This extension contributed to the SD40-2’s most recognizable feature: its long walkway “porches” at both ends of the locomotive, which became a defining characteristic of the design.

Additional external refinements further distinguished the SD40-2 from its predecessor. These included longer battery box compartments, a rear overhang on the cab roof, and a drip rail above the front cab door, each of which enhanced operational convenience and durability.

The SD40-2 quickly became one of EMD’s most successful locomotives, with over 3,900 units produced for North American railroads between 1972 and July 1984. Its combination of reliability, ease of maintenance, and adaptability made it a favorite among Class I railroads, regional carriers, and shortline operators alike. Railroads across the United States, Canada, and Mexico employed SD40-2s in a wide range of services, from heavy mainline freight hauling to local switching and work train assignments.

Beyond North America, EMD also developed variants for export, including models for use in South America, Africa, and Australia, where they were adapted to meet specific local operational needs. These locomotives continued to showcase the SD40-2’s reputation for resilience in a variety of environments, from extreme cold to rugged mountain terrain.

Despite the advent of newer, more powerful locomotives in the 1990s and 2000s, the SD40-2 has remained a staple on U.S. rails. Many original units continue to operate today, either with their original owners or on the secondhand market with regional and shortline railroads. Recognizing the enduring value of the SD40-2, Class I railroads such as CSX, Norfolk Southern, and Union Pacific have undertaken extensive rebuild programs to modernize their fleets. These rebuilds often include upgraded control systems, improved emissions compliance, and enhanced fuel efficiency measures, ensuring that the SD40-2 will remain in service well into the future.

With its perfect blend of reliability, versatility, and longevity, the SD40-2 stands as one of the most successful and beloved locomotives in railroad history. Its continued presence on the rails today is a testament to its enduring design and the impact it has had on freight railroading over the past half-century.

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