Athearn HO 86873 SD45T-2, Southern Pacific (Speed Lettering) #9343

The SD45T-2 is a six-axle diesel electric locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division having a 20-cylinder 645-series diesel engine producing 3600 horsepower. Over 200 examples were produced between 1972 and 1975. This locomotive including the SD40T-2 were nick-named "Tunnel Motors" due to the rear cool air intake lowered to just above the walkway at the rear of the locomotive. This helped provide cooler air into the locomotive's radiator cooling system and ultimately reducing the chance of the engine overheating in tunnels.

SP FEATURES:
Nose headlight
Modified "L" window cab
Roof A/C and bell
Nathan P-3 Horn on long hood
Walkway mounted ditch lights
Large front plow
Large front anticlimber

As these units were ran hard in service since their initial debut, many were repainted into SP's then-new Speed Lettering scheme of the 1990s. By this time, the units had lost their SP lighting features in favor of the addition of front ditch lights. Other changes included moving the horn to the long hood and modifying the "L" cab windows.

SD45T-2 SERIES LOCOMOTIVE FEATURES:
Fine scale handrails
Photo-etched windshield wipers
Separately applied air tanks
LED Lighting
HTC truck sideframes
See-through cab windows
Welded electrical cabinet air filter box
All-wheel electrical pickup
See-through dynamic brake fans
Separately applied wire grab irons
Rubber trainline and MU hoses with silver ends
Standard late Dash-2 cab with or without "L" window per prototype
See-through radiator grilles with new rear truck gearbox specific for the tunnel motor
Speed recorder attached to appropriate axle per prototype (except undecorated)
McHenry operating scale knuckle couplers
All-wheel drive with precision gears for smooth and quiet operation
5-pole motor with flywheels and multi-link drivetrain for trouble-free operation
Chassis accepts Genesis motor retro fit kit for an even higher performance motor
DCC Ready 21-pin NEM Quick Plug technology
Nickel plated, blackened machined wheels
Wheels with RP25 contours operate on all popular brands of track
Highly-detailed, injection molded body
Minimum radius: 18" - Recommended radius: 22"