PRE-ORDER: Athearn 3746 - EMD SD40-2 (DC Silent) Grand Trunk Western (GTW) 5933 'Ex-MP' - HO Scale

Pre-Order Due Date:  Oct 31 2026

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Pre-Order FAQ - Applies to all pre-orders

The price shown is the total price. A deposit of 5% of the total price will be required at the time of pre-order. Add the item to cart to pay 5% down. When multiple pre-orders are placed at the same time, each pre-order will be invoiced as it arrives. Similarly, if pre-orders from different orders, placed at different times, arrive at the same time, they will all be paid for and shipped together.

Only billing address is entered when placing the pre-order, as in-store pickup or shipping method and address are entered only when the items are ready to ship. To ensure safety and security, note that we never store payment information. Payment is entered again by the customer at time of arrival, with any method we offer, which can be different from the method used to place the 5% deposit.

Any 5% deposit will not be refunded if the customer chooses to cancel a pre-order or doesn't make full payment when it arrives. Exceptions can be made if and only if the manufacturer, wholesaler, shipper, or us, cause any extenuating circumstances that lead us to being unable to fulfill the pre-order. These cases are extremely rare and we take great strives to assure that any pre-order placed under our 5% deposit strategy will be fulfilled fully.

Note that the estimated arrival date found near the 'add to cart' button is just that, an estimate given by either the manufacturer, or when the manufacturer does not give a date, estimated by our staff based on prior experience with that manufacturer and their release timeline. We are not responsible for manufacturers delaying releases.

Please note that pre-orders placed before the 'Pre-Order Due Date', found at the top of the description on each pre-order's product page, ensure that we reserve the desired quantities through the manufacturer before they confirm each production batch or 'run' size. Pre-orders placed after the due date are allocated strictly from extra inventory only, and therefore may or may not be available at the desired quantities or road numbers. Pre-order items that no longer have any extra inventory to reserve are shown as 'Out of stock'. To ensure you secure what pre-order items you need, place your pre-orders before their due date. Pre-orders will be accepted after their due date until extra inventory is sold out.

When your pre-orders arrive, you will receive an email requesting payment that will contain all arrived items and deduct the 5% deposit already paid. This email will bring you to checkout, where you can spend or earn points and pay with any payment method we offer. If you believe your pre-order has arrived but did not receive any email, please check your spam folder and contact us. You can always check the status of your current pre-orders by navigating to the 'Preorder Status' page which is found at the bottom of the home page. Once there, enter your email address or phone number and any order number of any pre-orders you have placed. You can also pay for any arrived pre-orders from this page. We ask that any pre-orders that have arrived are paid within 2 weeks of receiving notification of arrival. Thank you.

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Product Specific Information:

LIRC FEATURES:
• Firecracker and small Sinclair antennas
• Cab A/C
• Operating front and rear ditch lights
• Leslie S3L horn on long hood
• Late production with front anticlimber, corrugated grills, exhaust silencer

A former UP SD40-2, LIRC 3001 was unveiled in 2018 wearing special graphics which pay homage to U.S. military members and aid in veteran recruitment. Featuring silhouettes of soldiers from multiple eras and theatres, the unit is used in regular service across the LIRC in Kentucky and Indiana.

NYSW FEATURES:

NYSW 3018 is a former SOU SD40-2 which has had its nose chopped down. The unit wears standard NYSW yellow paint and is a common sight along the line. NYSW 3024 wears a special silver-and-maroon scheme inspired by the classis Susquehanna Alco RS1 and S2 locos. It rolled out of the paint shop in April of 2023.

ROAD NUMBER SPECIFIC FEATURES:
• #3018: Former SOU, Medium flat-top plow
• #3024: Former BN, Cab A/C, EMD standard style plow

BN FEATURES:

After years of standardization, BN began to experiment with new locomotive paint schemes in the 1980s. The Tiger Stripe scheme was an attempt to improve grade crossing visibility; the later “White Face” scheme was an outgrowth of this idea. Several SD40-2 units received this scheme before the BNSF merger. BN 1876 was originally the road’s Bicentennial 1976, but was damaged in a grade crossing accident shortly after. Another unit was quickly numbered as the BN 1976 (2nd), so this unit was repaired and renumbered to 1876 to honor the centennial of the 1876 Battle of Little Bighorn.
ROAD NUMBER SPECIFIC FEATURES:
• #7000, #7060, #7123: Corrugated Grills, RS3L horn on long hood, Large and small Firecracker antennas, Cab A/C, EMD standard style plow, Operating front ditch lights
• #1876: Early production with wire-grid radiators, no anticlimbers, RS3L horn on cab, Operating Western-Cullen beacon, EMD standard style plow, Large Firecracker antenna, Separate etched plates of Custer and Sitting Bull

INRD FEATURES:
• Corrugated grills
• Nathan M-3 horn
• Operating front and rear ditch lights
• EMD standard plow
• Large and small Sinclair antennas

The Indiana Rail Road supports transportation, industrial development, and intermodal operations in its namesake state. It has connections all of the other US Class 1 railroads. The road operates a small fleet of SD40-2 locos which were originally bought by the BN. They are usually found running in pairs on some of the heavier local freights on the system.
ROAD NUMBER SPECIFIC FEATURES:
• #4002: Special artwork honors First Responders
• #4005: Special artwork honors Veterans
• #4005: Standard paint

ICE FEATURES:
• Different city names per unit • Snoot nose; former UP
• Corrugated grills • Large angled snowplow
• P-3 horn and large Firecracker antenna on cab
• Correct darker blue and yellow colors as were in use by the ICE
during this time

The Iowa, Chicago and Eastern Railroad was a 1,400 mile line based in Davenport, Iowa, and commenced operations in 2002. Formerly owned by Cedar American Rail Holdings, the line was combined with the Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad under CP ownership in 2008. The road operated using a fleet of SD40-2s which were painted in colors similar to the DME.
ROAD NUMBER SPECIFIC FEATURES:
• #6439: “City of Calmer”
• #6440: “City of Jackson”
• #6456: “City of Kansas City"

CEFX FEATURES:
• Ex-BN • Wire grid radiators
• Operating front ditch lights • Cab A/C
• Larger and small Firecracker antennas
• RS3L horn on long hood
• EMD standard plow

CIT group is one of the largest locomotive leasing companies. They have offered a variety of motive power, from end-cab switchers to SD80MACs. Their large fleet of SD40-2s are popular with many railroads and could be seen across North America.

MILW FEATURES:
• Early production with wire-grid radiators, no anticlimbers
• Operating Western-Cullen beacon
• Sinclair or whip type antenna
• Cut levers with straight or looped handles
• 3200 gallon fuel tank

The Milwaukee Road was a repeat EMD customer up until its demise. Along with a large group of 4-axle units and specialized branch line power, the road rostered many SD40-2 locos, which were primarily assigned from Chicago to the Pacific Northwest. One unit, #156, was painted in special colors for the nation’s 1976 Bicentennial.

GTW FEATURES:
• Ex-MP • Wire grid radiators
• Firecracker and whip antennas • No dynamic brakes
• K3 horn on long hood • All-weather windows
• EMD standard plow
• Operating front and rear ditch lights

Acquired from Helm Financial in 1990, GTW’s small SD40-2 fleet was an extension of their earlier SD40s. All were originally built in 1975 for the MP. They continued in service for many years before being repainted into CN colors.

SOU FEATURES:
• Corrugated radiators • P5 horn on each end
• Bell mounted on long hood • Firecracker antenna
• Large angled snowplows on each end
• Cab vent

As with all contemporary SOU road units, their fleet of SD40-2s were built with high noses. Alphabet characters placed after the road number were used as a computer check digit to prevent identification errors.

EMDX FEATURES:
• Ex-MILW • Wire-grid radiators
• 3200 gallon fuel tank • Large angled plow
• Operating Prime Stratolight beacon

Several former MILW SD40-2s ended up in the EMD lease fleet. They had previously been patched by Soo and gained the nickname of “Bandits”.

All Road Names

SOUND-EQUIPPED MODELS ALSO FEATURE
• Onboard DCC decoder with SoundTraxx Econami sound
• Single cube speaker for optimal sound quality
• Sound units operate in both DC and DCC
• Engine, horn, and bell sounds work in DC
• Some functions are limited in DC
• All functions NMRA compatible in DCC mode
• Effect lighting (if applicable) using F5 and/or F6
• Excellent low-speed operation
• 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
The SD40-2 was introduced in January 1972 as part of EMD’s Dash 2 series, responding to competing products from GE and ALCO. Reliability and versatility of the 3,000-horsepower SD40-2 made it the best-selling model in EMD’s history and the standard of the industry for several decades after its introduction. The SD40-2 was an improvement over the SD40, with modular electronic control systems similar to those of the experimental SD45X and DDA40X. The last SD40-2 delivered to a United States railroad was built in July 1984, with production continuing for railroads in Canada until 1988.

SD40-2 LOCOMOTIVE FEATURES:
• Flexible rubber MU hoses for durability
• Flexible rubber trainline hose
• See-through cab windows
• Coupler cut levers
• Wire grab irons
• Exhaust stack
• See-through dynamic brake and radiator fans
• Frame mounted bell (unless noted)
• Detailed fuel tank with fuel fillers, fuel gauges, & breather pipes
• Separately applied air tanks
• Fine-scale Celcon handrails for scale appearance
• Photo-etched stainless steel windshield wipers
• LED Illuminated front and rear headlights, ditch lights, and beacons (where applicable to the prototype)
• DCC-ready Non-sound version features 21-pin NEM DCC plug
• McHenry® operating scale knuckle couplers
• All-wheel drive with precision gears for smooth & quiet operation
• All-wheel electrical pickup provides reliable current flow
• 5-pole motor with precision-machined flywheels and multi-link drive train for trouble free operation
• Wheels with RP25 contours operate on all popular brands of track
• Heavy die-cast frame for greater traction and more pulling power
• Scaled from prototype resources including drawings, field measurements, photographs, and more
• Accurately –painted and –printed paint schemes
• Packaging securely holds model for safe storage
• Fully-assembled and ready-to-run
• Minimum radius: 18” Recommended radius 22”