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HO Scale EMD SD70MAC Locomotive
NEW! You can now get your SD70MAC with independently motorized fans at multiple speeds!
Introducing Rapido’s fan-equipped SD70MAC! This model features three independently motorized radiator fans that operate at three speeds: off, half speed, and full speed. The fans automatically adjust to simulated engine temperature and workload, speeding up as cooling demands increase and slowing down as they decrease.
The fans activate with engine start (F8), with options to disable automatic operation or control fan speeds manually.
The operating fans are an optional upgrade tier to your SD70MAC. These have their own item numbers separate from the normal DCC/Sound versions. Please note, they will not work in DC mode.
If you would like to upgrade your direct order to the new operating fan tier, please fill out the form by clicking here. For all orders made through your local hobby shop, please reach out to them.
Please note these are pre-production samples subject to revision.
Introducing the all-new Rapido EMD SD70MAC in HO and N scale!
Rapido’s model has been designed from the ground up to create a wide array of phase variations on the SD70MAC, including late production units for CSX and Alaska Railroad, Metra’s unique SD70MACH, and a variety of rebuilds.
The SD70MAC was a groundbreaking locomotive, as it truly ushered in a new era of power policies and orders. It was the first production AC traction freight locomotive in North America, with Burlington Northern receiving its first 9400 series units in late 1993. The key difference with AC traction motors is their higher durability compared to DC traction motors. AC motors do not burn out at low speeds from overheating, though they cost more than DC motors. For some railroads in the 1990s, this was a clear advantage. BN had a booming volume of Powder River unit coal trains moving to powerplants, facing long, tough grades along the way. Colorado’s Joint Line is one, with a 40+ mile 1-1.5% continuous grade. BN was using sets of 5 DC SD40-2s and C30-7s as head end power to get up that grade, and the train had to stay above 10mph or more to prevent burnout on the DC traction motors. With AC traction motors on SD70MACs, BN only needed three units on the head end, and they could grind away at any speed to conquer the grade. For BN, the cost advantage on this heavy haul traffic was huge, so the SD70MAC orders continued into the BNSF era. Ultimately, BNSF rostered 795 SD70MACs, far more than any other railroad. At present, much of the fleet is in storage, but the remaining active units are an interesting mixture of patched executive schemes and rebuilt SD70MACs.
CSX was the next largest buyer of SD70MACs, as it was also the other primary railroad to adopt AC power in the 1990s. Several modest batches of middle-production units were ordered in the late '90s. After a pause of a few years, CSX then came back for another 75 units in 2003 and 55 more units in 2004. Both orders combined were numbered 4700-4830. All CSX units have always been stencilled as “SD70AC” on CSX, regardless of order group or rebuild status.
These later CSX orders were unlike any SD70MACs that came before, as EMD was now manufacturing to Tier-1 emission standards for the engine and cooling system. That in turn had changed their styling and design on SD70Ms and SD70MACs. All of CSX’s later SD70MACs came with flared rear radiators and a hood that replaced round corners with angled bevels on all edges. Additionally, CSX requested the Eco-Trans Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) to be included, which rearranged the equipment doors and vents in the long hood under the radiators.While BNSF has many units in storage, CSX has taken a much different approach: a majority of its SD70MAC fleet has been rebuilt, which CSX still calls SD70ACs. These rebuilt units can be found system wide leading all types of trains, including high-priority intermodal trains, defying the perception that SD70MACs are just for hauling coal.
Several other railroads have also rebuilt SD70MACs, all in a similar manner. The original Siemens electrical gear is replaced by newer Mitsubishi equipment similar to that found in the SD70ACe line. For some rebuilds, like CSX and KCS, the new equipment requires more height under the dynamic brake grid, so that in turn is raised up and no longer flush with the roof. KCS rebuilds have a complicated history, but several still are in CPKC mainline service in attractive Belle paint.
Far more KCS units have been much stranger: the Metra SD70MACH. The units are no longer C-C, but B1-1B, as the inward axle facing the fuel tank on each truck no longer has a traction motor. The hood retains the original rounded corners of the KCS cores, but the rear section is Tier-1 style, with flared radiators and squared corners. The walkways have extra protection, and at the front and rear there are stainless steel buffer plates for coupling to passenger car diaphragms. Finally, there is the Metra lighting package: a nose headlight, nose marker lights for pushing, a high LED gyralight, and an emergency beacon on the cab. Metra ordered 15 units from Progress Rail that first arrived in 2022, and has since exercised the options for 42 total units (24 are on the property and in service.)
Metra’s SD70MACHs are not the first passenger-capable SD70MACs, though; that title belongs to the Alaska Railroad’s late-model SD70MACs. Alaska Railroad had a fleet of sixteen typical mid-production SD70MACs for freight service, but did not have a good solution for powering its bustling seasonal passenger service. The solution was to take the CSX’s Tier 1 SD70MAC design, which had rearranged the rear of the hood to add an auxiliary power unit, and use that space to add HEP for the first time. The first 8 units arrived in 2004, and an additional 4 arrived in 2007 as the last SD70MACs manufactured. The twelve unit fleet is essential to Alaska Railroad’s operations, because the passenger schedule is dramatically higher than freight in summer, but very low in winter. Every major passenger train features the SD70MACs as power, but they also freely mix into freight service as needed. This makes them the only true mainline freight and passenger locomotives in North America.
The HO Scale SD70MAC Locomotives Features:
Check out our N Scale SD70MAC page!
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Effective October 1, 2025
Factory Direct Hobbies has a 30-day return policy, which means you have 30 days after your item has shipped to request a return.
To be eligible for a return, your item must be in the same condition that you received it and in its original packaging. All manuals, parts, and accessories must be included.
To start a return, visit our Returns Center. If your return is approved, we'll email you instructions on how and where to send your package. Items sent back to us without first requesting a return will not be accepted and will be returned to sender.
This applies to incorrect scale, color, size, or duplicate orders:
Returns of loose track, small components, O scale items, and special-order items incur a 15% restocking fee. Return shipping is deducted whether you choose store credit or a refund.
Please inspect your order upon receipt and contact us immediately if the item is defective, damaged, or if you receive the wrong item, so we can evaluate the issue and make it right.
The fastest way to ensure you get what you want is to return the item you have and place a new order for the replacement on our website. Please note that we cannot process manual exchanges over the phone.
We will notify you once we’ve received and inspected your return, and let you know if the refund was approved.
Orders placed before this date follow the previous return policy.
If you have questions about a return or warranty, please contact our support team and include your order number so we can assist you quickly.
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Recently, our suppliers have made a major policy change and are no longer accepting product returns for non-paying end customers. After much consideration, we unfortunately must also change our policies to align with the realities our suppliers have created.
As our preorder offerings have grown, we’ve found that a large percentage of preorder reservations are canceled or left unpaid without notice. We pay our suppliers for every preorder item that arrives at our warehouse, so when a customer does not pay for their item, we are left no choice but to absorb that cost. We have tried our best to cope with the effects of this change; however, after more than a year of trying, we have found we cannot continue to do so.
We understand that this is an unwelcome change, and no one wants to pay earlier than necessary. However, this is unavoidable in order for us to be able to continue to offer the wide variety of preorder options you’re used to getting from Factory Direct Hobbies. We must now ask that customers pay a 10% good-faith down payment toward the price of their item. This non-refundable good-faith payment is applied to the price of the product, and the balance (plus shipping and any applicable taxes) will be invoiced approximately 30-45 days before the item is slated to arrive at our warehouse.
We thank you for your patience and understanding. If you have questions or would like further clarification, feel free to contact us through the gold chat bubble.
The good-faith down payment is not refundable if you choose to cancel your preorder or do not pay your invoice.
However, if a manufacturer cancels a project for which you have made a down payment, you will receive a refund for your down payment.
Yes. We know that paying ahead of time can be unnerving when delivery dates are distant, and not every project makes it to the production line. Rest assured that, in the event the manufacturer cancels your preorder project, you will be refunded your 10% down payment.
Hobbies should be fun, not stressful!
The manufacturing process involves many different moving parts, and this complexity often renders production timelines unpredictable. Therefore, some level of unpredictability in timing is inherent to preordering hobby products. Down payments are not refundable in cases of routine manufacturing, delivery, or other short-term delays.
However, we know it can be frustrating when a project gets delayed for many months. In the event a project is delayed more than 6 months beyond the delivery window originally estimated by the manufacturer, we will handle refunds of down payments on a case-by-case basis.
Friendly Reminder: Should you choose to cancel a preorder, it will no longer be reserved for you; in the event the item becomes available on our website, all customers will have equal access to purchase the item.
Nope! The policy is not retroactive: if you already made a preorder reservation before this policy update, you do not owe a down payment for that reservation. However, any future preorders you make will require the 10% good-faith down payment.
We make every effort to keep our website updated with information that reflects manufacturers' current estimated delivery schedules. To find the estimated delivery month of an item, you can visit our Preorder Section and use the filters to narrow down your selection.
However, we encourage you to directly visit the manufacturer's site for the most current delivery dates.
Approximately 30-45 days before your preorder items land at the warehouse, we'll email your invoice to you to pay in full. At this point, you'll be able to provide your shipping address and select your preferred shipping method.
Your item will be reserved for 7 days, beginning when your invoice is sent. After 7 days, your preorder will be canceled.
Recently, our suppliers have made a major policy change and are no longer accepting product returns for non-paying end customers. We have tried our best to absorb the effects of this change; however, after more than a year of trying, we have found we cannot continue to do so. After much consideration, we unfortunately must also change our policies to align with the realities our suppliers have created.
As a result, we must now ask that customers pay in full prior to the supplier finalizing shipment to FDH, about 30-45 days ahead of product arrival. This gives us the time we need to cancel with our suppliers any unpaid orders prior to shipment.
We understand that this is an unwelcome change and no one wants to pay earlier than necessary. However, this is unavoidable in order for us to be able to continue to offer the wide variety of preorder options you’re used to getting from Factory Direct Hobbies.
One silver lining is that this change will result in preorder items getting to your door even faster, as all payment processing will be well out of the way and the usual several day wait after product has arrived will be eliminated. We thank you for your patience and understanding. If you have questions or would like further clarification, feel free to contact us through the gold chat bubble.
Manufacturing schedules can sometimes be unpredictable. In the event your preorder item does not arrive at our warehouse within 60 days of your invoice payment, then you will have the option to cancel your preorder and receive a refund OR you may elect to continue waiting for the item.
Friendly Reminder: Should you choose to cancel a preorder, it will no longer be reserved for you; in the event the item becomes available on our website, all customers will have equal access to purchase the item.
We know life happens, and missing out on a great item can be a drag!
We're here to help; just contact us via the gold chat bubble and we'll do all we can to work with you!
If you have an account with factorydirecthobbies.com, you can view all your preorders, as well as your active orders. Login to your account, and select the “My orders” option. All your preorders and active orders will be listed along with the current status of each order. If you have further questions about your order, please feel free to reach out to us through the gold chat bubble.
Although we try to keep our preorder arrival estimates as accurate as possible, we encourage you to visit each manufacturer’s website to find the most up-to-date delivery information.
For instance, with Athearn and Walthers, you can enter the part number into their websites and navigate to the item. Most of the time, the delivery date will be listed there. Broadway Limited has a published delivery schedule, as does Rapido.
Yes. Rewards can be used on both your 10% good-faith down payment and on the balance of your preorder at invoicing time.
Yes! Preorders are awarded reward dollars at the same 5% rate. You'll receive your reward within several days of paying the balance of your preorder invoice.
If we still haven't answered your question, please click the gold messaging bubble in the bottom right of our site, and we'll help in any way we can!
Great service and awesome product.
Really nice roll well on the track good detail bought 3
Highly detailed, fine printing, accurate colors and styling.
Keep up the good work guys
I have waited a long time for this locomotive. And I am not disappointed. To be fair. With four very short stroke pest in cylinders, the sounds a little bit funny compared to a long stroke cylinder.. the horn reminds me of a cruise ship. Lol. The detail, the lighting and all the sounds. I do love and very happy that I purchased this locomotive. I would recommend this to anybody who really loves steam engines.
Kato unitrack is 1 of best track plan you can setup in short time
This is a great model kit. It went together well and turned out great. I print soldiers for dioramas and the tanks are useful for displaying these pieces. There were a few places where the instructions could have been a little more clear but that’s not a big deal. This one looks great in the diorama!
I love the engine and the details are very good. The only issue is the brass stack on top is bent. It was that way in the box.
Your shipping is great.
