Pan-Am Railways SD45R- 3
3. Comparison of the blower duct lengths on Proto
2000 SD45s
.
,
and
Choosing a model to start
Modelers have a choice of SD45 models to start with. Recently
they have been produced in HO scale by Athearn, Bachmann,
Kato, LifeLike Proto 2000, and Walthers Proto. In my opinion
the LifeLike Proto 2000 model has the best shell detail; while
out of production they are frequently available at train shows
or on eBay. The Proto 2000 model does have an oddball gear
ratio which makes it run faster than other models, but this is
3
4
easily fixed if you are running DCC. The same model is currently
available from Walthers Proto with a more standard gear ratio
and optional DCC sound.
An undecorated model is the best starting point, but unfor-
tunately they are hard to find. An advantage to starting with
a Proto 2000 model is the paint can be removed without any
harsh chemicals or hard work. The Proto 2000 model was
made with two different-length blower ducts on the conduc-
tor’s side as seen in [3]. While I started with a model having a
long blower duct, I highly recommend finding a model with the
shorter version as seen on the Santa Fe unit.
Getting started
I built MEC 610 as a contest-quality model; it is up to you how
much modification and detailing you want to do on your model.
My starting point was the Seaboard System unit shown in [4].
4. Proto 2000 SD45 before disassembly.
MRH-Oct 2014
