Built by EMD from November of 1972 through June of 1979, the SD38-2 was essentially the six-axle version of the smaller GP38-2 that featured numerous electronic upgrades. Unfortunately, a total of only 90 units were manufactured. Although sales were less than anticipated, the SD38-2 proved to be a reliable workhorse with many of these locomotives remaining in hump yard or local service today.
The Rivet Counter™ series SD38-2 is the definitive HO Scale model of EMD’s unique non-turbocharged six-axle locomotive. Our model combines smooth operating performance with unparalleled railroad, road number, and era-specific details™. Not to mention, Rivet Counter models come equipped with industry-leading LED lighting features right out of the box.
Road Number Specific ScaleTrains
- New roadname
- New paint scheme
- Era: Late 1970s-Early 1980s
- Series 6650 to 6659, built January 1975
- Fully-assembled
- Multiple road numbers
- Directional LED-illuminated headlights
- LED-illuminated ground lights on both sides of locomotive*
- LED-Illuminated rectangular walkway lights mounted between front and rear sanding valve doors and round walkway light, aft of raised walkway duct*
- LED-illuminated front and rear tricolor flush-mounted with raised gasket class lights***
- Operating LED-illuminated Federal Signal 372 rotary beacon* *
- Printed number boards with separately controlled backlit LED-illumination*
- Front and rear full width multiple unit (MU) hose catch tray
- 3-hose multiple unit (MU) hose clusters with silver gladhands
- Semi-scale coupler buffer equipped with durable metal semi-scale Type E knuckle couplers
- Front and rear straight uncoupling levers with loop handles
- Notched pilot faces with high angled lifting slots
- Deck mounted multiple unit (MU) receptacles
- "Tall" stepwells with see-through steps
- Front and rear early small deck extension
- Handrail set with inward facing end rail mounting brackets and chain
- Front and rear standard drop steps
- Scale sectioned treadplate detail on walkways
- 81” low short hood with ratchet handbrake and straight chain guard
- Bolted battery box doors with narrow louvers
- Early cab sub-base doors with early hinges
- Standard EMD headlight in number board housing
- Dash 2 cab with 11-bolt (top and bottom) window panels
- Rear cab side vent on right side
- Detailed cab interior with separate floor, rear wall, seats, and standard AAR control stand
- Sliding cab side windows
- Mirrors
- Tall clear wind wings mounted fore and aft of cab side window on left side of cab
- 3-panel all-weather window mounted on right cab side
- Standard EMD sunshade with long sunshade track on left side only
- Lost-wax brass cast Leslie Supertyfon RS-3L-R horn on number board housing
- Large Sinclair Excalibur “ice skate” antenna (communications) mounted on cab roof
- Accurate hood door and long hood detail
- Early “stand-off” ECAFB
- Intermediate inertial air intake grills with top drip rail
- Dual flush exhaust stacks
- Non-dynamic brake housing with batten strip
- Square Paper Air Filter (PAF) housing
- “Chicken-wire” radiator intake grilles
- See-through standard 48” radiator fan housings with fan blades visible inside
- Curved radiator fan grab iron
- Underbody frame rail with separate plumbing and traction motor cables
- Detailed HT-C trucks with Hyatt bearing caps, early center axle snubbers, sanding lines and brackets, and D-77 traction motor and air duct details, triple clasp brake shoes, and third brake cylinder
- Rust-color painted wheelsets
- Dimensionally accurate truck centers
- Aeroquip speed recorder mounted to 3rd axle on left front
- Rearward facing handbrake chain mount for HT-C trucks
- Tall jacking pads with holes (early)
- Sill-mount EFCO
- Nose-mounted “gong” bell
- Graham-White (Salem) brand 824-170 and 818-170 primary and secondary centrifugal air filters (accordion-style)
- 4,000-gallon fuel tank with fuel fillers, vertical gauges, round gauges in tank sides and vertical breather pipe
- Factory-applied wire grab irons, wire lift rings, windshield wipers, trainline hoses with silver gladhands, sand hatch covers, and more
- Motor with 5-pole skew wound armature
- Dual flywheels
- All-wheel drive
- All-wheel electrical pick-up
- Printing and lettering legible even under magnification
- Paint colors match Tru-Color Paint colors:
- TCP-109 C&NW Green
- TCP-353 C&NW Yellow
- Operates on Code 70, 83 and 100 rail
- Packaging safely stores model
- Minimum radius: 18”
- Recommended radius: 22”
DCC & sound equipped locomotives also feature:
- ESU LokSound 5 DCC & Sound decoder with “Full Throttle”
- Two (2) cube-type speakers
- Non-turbocharged EMD 16 Cylinder 645E3 prime mover
- ESU designed “PowerPak” with two super capacitors***
- Operates on both DC and DCC layouts
**** “PowerPack” feature only compatible with appropriately programmed ESU decoders operating on a DCC layout
Description
Built by EMD from November of 1972 through June of 1979, the SD38-2 was essentially the six-axle version of the smaller GP38-2 that featured numerous electronic upgrades. Unfortunately, a total of only 90 units were manufactured. Although sales were less than anticipated, the SD38-2 proved to be a reliable workhorse with many of these locomotives remaining in hump yard or local service today.
The Rivet Counter™ series SD38-2 is the definitive HO Scale model of EMD’s unique non-turbocharged six-axle locomotive. Our model combines smooth operating performance with unparalleled railroad, road number, and era-specific details™. Not to mention, Rivet Counter models come equipped with industry-leading LED lighting features right out of the box.
Road Number Specific ScaleTrains
- New roadname
- New paint scheme
- Era: Late 1970s-Early 1980s
- Series 6650 to 6659, built January 1975
- Fully-assembled
- Multiple road numbers
- Directional LED-illuminated headlights
- LED-illuminated ground lights on both sides of locomotive*
- LED-Illuminated rectangular walkway lights mounted between front and rear sanding valve doors and round walkway light, aft of raised walkway duct*
- LED-illuminated front and rear tricolor flush-mounted with raised gasket class lights***
- Operating LED-illuminated Federal Signal 372 rotary beacon* *
- Printed number boards with separately controlled backlit LED-illumination*
- Front and rear full width multiple unit (MU) hose catch tray
- 3-hose multiple unit (MU) hose clusters with silver gladhands
- Semi-scale coupler buffer equipped with durable metal semi-scale Type E knuckle couplers
- Front and rear straight uncoupling levers with loop handles
- Notched pilot faces with high angled lifting slots
- Deck mounted multiple unit (MU) receptacles
- "Tall" stepwells with see-through steps
- Front and rear early small deck extension
- Handrail set with inward facing end rail mounting brackets and chain
- Front and rear standard drop steps
- Scale sectioned treadplate detail on walkways
- 81” low short hood with ratchet handbrake and straight chain guard
- Bolted battery box doors with narrow louvers
- Early cab sub-base doors with early hinges
- Standard EMD headlight in number board housing
- Dash 2 cab with 11-bolt (top and bottom) window panels
- Rear cab side vent on right side
- Detailed cab interior with separate floor, rear wall, seats, and standard AAR control stand
- Sliding cab side windows
- Mirrors
- Tall clear wind wings mounted fore and aft of cab side window on left side of cab
- 3-panel all-weather window mounted on right cab side
- Standard EMD sunshade with long sunshade track on left side only
- Lost-wax brass cast Leslie Supertyfon RS-3L-R horn on number board housing
- Large Sinclair Excalibur “ice skate” antenna (communications) mounted on cab roof
- Accurate hood door and long hood detail
- Early “stand-off” ECAFB
- Intermediate inertial air intake grills with top drip rail
- Dual flush exhaust stacks
- Non-dynamic brake housing with batten strip
- Square Paper Air Filter (PAF) housing
- “Chicken-wire” radiator intake grilles
- See-through standard 48” radiator fan housings with fan blades visible inside
- Curved radiator fan grab iron
- Underbody frame rail with separate plumbing and traction motor cables
- Detailed HT-C trucks with Hyatt bearing caps, early center axle snubbers, sanding lines and brackets, and D-77 traction motor and air duct details, triple clasp brake shoes, and third brake cylinder
- Rust-color painted wheelsets
- Dimensionally accurate truck centers
- Aeroquip speed recorder mounted to 3rd axle on left front
- Rearward facing handbrake chain mount for HT-C trucks
- Tall jacking pads with holes (early)
- Sill-mount EFCO
- Nose-mounted “gong” bell
- Graham-White (Salem) brand 824-170 and 818-170 primary and secondary centrifugal air filters (accordion-style)
- 4,000-gallon fuel tank with fuel fillers, vertical gauges, round gauges in tank sides and vertical breather pipe
- Factory-applied wire grab irons, wire lift rings, windshield wipers, trainline hoses with silver gladhands, sand hatch covers, and more
- Motor with 5-pole skew wound armature
- Dual flywheels
- All-wheel drive
- All-wheel electrical pick-up
- Printing and lettering legible even under magnification
- Paint colors match Tru-Color Paint colors:
- TCP-109 C&NW Green
- TCP-353 C&NW Yellow
- Operates on Code 70, 83 and 100 rail
- Packaging safely stores model
- Minimum radius: 18”
- Recommended radius: 22”
DCC & sound equipped locomotives also feature:
- ESU LokSound 5 DCC & Sound decoder with “Full Throttle”
- Two (2) cube-type speakers
- Non-turbocharged EMD 16 Cylinder 645E3 prime mover
- ESU designed “PowerPak” with two super capacitors***
- Operates on both DC and DCC layouts
**** “PowerPack” feature only compatible with appropriately programmed ESU decoders operating on a DCC layout