Athearn HO 71497 SD39, Atchison Topeka And Santa Fe #1568

In 1966, EMD updated its locomotive catalog with entirely new models, all powered by the new 645 diesel engine. The SD39 had 2,300 hp from a turbocharged V12. The SD39 had the smallest prime mover of the SD locomotives in the EMD catalog. 54 were built for American railroads.

In the mid-1980s Santa Fe decided to upgrade and extend the lives of their original SD39 fleet. Beginning in 1985 these units were re-manufactured by the San Bernardino CA Shops and reclassified as SD39u’s. They were renumbered into the 1556-1575 number class and were designated as heavy switchers. The upgrades included updated wiring, new controls for hump service, and completely rebuilt engines. They were assigned to Barstow CA and Argentine KS yards, but could be found roaming the system. They were mated to rebuilt six-axle slugs for hump service. Our models include the specific details such as, relocated nose headlight, tall cab-mounted horn, antenna with stand, and front/rear slug MU boxes. Since Santa Fe was known for changing out air conditioners, we included both Prime and Vapor versions.

ROAD NUMBER FEATURES:
Tall mounted cab horn, rear brake wheel, Sinclair antenna with stand, no plows, nose mounted headlight, special ATSF-style slug MU boxes on each end. Both Prime and Vapor AC’s included in poly bag.

FEATURES:
Separately applied air tanks
Coupler cut levers
Rubber MU hoses
Photo-etch stainless steel windshield wipers
Fine scale handrails
Non-sound version features 21-pin NEM DCC plug
See-through dynamic brake and radiator fans
Curved radiator fan grab iron
Exhaust stack
Frame-mounted bell (unless noted)
Detailed 4,000 gallon fuel tank (unless different capacity is noted)
Flexicoil-C trucks with high or low brake cylinders (per prototype)
McHenry scale knuckle spring couplers
See-through cab windows
Bi-directional LED lighting
All-wheel drive with precision gears for smooth and quiet operation
All-wheel electrical pickup
5-pole motor with flywheels and multi-link drivetrain for trouble-free operation
Wheels with RP25 contours operate on all popular brands of track
Painted and printed for realistic decoration
Highly-detailed, injection molded body
Minimum radius: 18″
Recommended radius: 22″

PRIMED FOR GRIME MODELS FEATURE:
Duplicated look and feel of “In Service” equipment
Faded base colors matched to the prototype
Perfect starting point for adding grime and rust