Union Pacific

Union Pacific is well-known for introducing a variety of heritage and commemorative paint schemes on its fleet.

One of the most recent additions, the UP 1616, commemorates America’s revered 16th president and wears a scheme based on UP 119, one of the locos present during the driving of the Golden Spike.

Unveiled in 2021, UP 1979 is a tribute to the road’s various Employee Resource Groups and represents equality, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace.

UP 4292 was recently repainted into the road’s new corporate scheme, with a return to the red lettering on the hood, along with smaller American flags on the nose.

 

UP FEATURES:

• Different phase details depending on prototype

 

ROAD NUMBER SPECIFIC FEATURES:

• #1616 Special Abraham Lincoln scheme
• #1979 Special “We are One” scheme
• #4292 Painted into UP’s new scheme with small flags on nose and red lettering on hood

 

Union Pacific

As they approach (and pass) their 25-year birthdays, the Union Pacific SD70M fleet is starting to show its age. Replacement equipment doors and trucks, faded and chipped paint, and burned-off striping on the engine room doors are all typical features of the class today. Athearn have offered several different variations so that modelers can recreate the modern-day appearance of these hard-working units

 

UP FEATURES:

• 4-panel flared radiators
• Front ditch lights
• Standard EMD plow
• Jacking pads with AEI tags
• Units with nose “wings” feature prototypical off-center placement of wings

 

ROAD NUMBER SPECIFIC FEATURES:

• #3790 PTC antennas, faded paint, “chipped” paint on cab roof, “replacement” off-color equipment doors, “burned” engine room door striping, “replacement” glossy UP grey trucks
• #3801 PTC antennas, “replacement” off-color equipment doors, “burned” engine room door striping, “chipped” cab number decals•
• #3828 Standard antennas, “replacement” off-color equipment doors

 

Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range Railway

Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range was known for operating a fleet of heavy-duty six-axle EMD locomotives to haul iron ore and taconite. In 2002, they sought to bolster the SD40-3 fleet with some examples of EMD’s latest model, the SD70M. Built to UP specs to save on production time, they proudly displayed the road’s Arrowhead logos while hauling heavy unit trains in Minnesota and Wisconsin.*

*Alternate history timeline. Some facets have been altered.

 

DMIR FEATURES:

• Based on UP 37XX series with Phase I cab and 4-panel flared radiators
• “Can” and Sinclair antennas
• Front ditch lights
• Leslie RS5T horn

 

SD-75M

BNSF Railway

Starting in the early 2000s, the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railway began repainting their former Santa Fe SD75Ms in the new Heritage II scheme. The locomotives had long, productive lives on the railroad in all types of mainline service, from unit coal trains to intermodal service out west, and have only recently begun to be retired. Some units have been refurbished and painted in the new “H4” scheme.

BNSF FEATURES:

• SD75M body with turbo bulge
• Different horn types per prototype
• Large & small Sinclair antennas
• Spare knuckles on rear pilot
• HTCR trucks
• Salem air filters

 

ROAD NUMBER SPECIFIC FEATURES:

• #8256 Faded Heritage II paint
• #8267 Faded Heritage II paint
• #256 Fresh “H4” paint
• #266 Fresh “H4” paint

 

 

PROTOTYPE AND BACKGROUND INFO:

Continuing upon the successful SD60-series, in 1992 EMD debuted the next step in locomotive evolution with the SD70-series. While outwardly similar at first glance to the SD60M, the D.C.-drive SD70M featured several external design refinements from the predecessor model. Battery boxes were relocated to the left-hand side walkway immediately behind the cab, a large, boxy forward traction motor blower housing replaced the angular version used on SD60s, the raised walkway duct on the left hand walkway was eliminated, and an intake for the rear traction motor blower on the left hand side of the carbody, directly under the rear radiator intake grill, was added.

Internally, the SD70 boasted improvements as well; a 16-710GB prime mover, rated at 4,000hp, was coupled to a new alternator design, the AR20. New D70TR traction motors were standard, and controlling all of this power and locomotive function was EMD’s new EM2000 microprocessor, which boasted more memory, twice the processing speed, and improved locomotive self-diagnostic capabilities compared to the processor suite used in the SD60. Even more revolutionary was the inclusion of EMD’s patented “Radial” truck design, the HTC-R. This design, which made its debut under EMD Demo SD60 #3, replaced the venerable HT-C truck, and is unique in its ability to shift, or “steer”, the wheelsets laterally through curves, resulting in greatly reduced wheelset and track wear, and coupled with the new D70TR traction motors and EM2000 microprocessor, greatly improved adhesion.

Continuing with previous practice, EMD built a set of Demonstrator SD70Ms, EMD 7000-7002, all equipped with the North American safety- cab (hence the “M” in their model designation), and decked out in an attractive gray, silver, and burgundy paint scheme. These units traveled all over North America, showing off the latest technology from EMD. Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe railroad requested a 4300 horsepower version resulting in the SD75M. As production continued, EMD incorporated their new “Whisper Cab” design resulting in the SD75I. The updated cab SD75I was purchased by Santa Fe successor Burlington Northern and Santa Fe, Canadian National, and the Ontario Northland.

 

SD70 SERIES LOCOMOTIVE FEATURES:

• DCC-ready features Quick Plug plug-and-play technology with 21-pin NEM connector
• Coupler cut levers
• Flexible rubber MU hoses for durability
• Windshield wipers
• Lift rings
• Wire grab irons
• Flexible rubber trainline hose
• See-through cab windows and full cab interior
• Walkway tread
• Fine-scale Celcon handrails for scale appearance
• Detailed fuel tank with fuel fillers, fuel gauges, & breather pipes
• Sander lines
• Speed recorder unless noted
• EMD HTCR trucks, early with hidden bearings, or late with exposed bearings per prototype
• McHenry scale knuckle couplers - Kadee compatible
• Genesis driveline with 5-pole skew wound motor, precision machined flywheels, and multi-link drivetrain
• All-wheel drive with precision gears for smooth & quiet operation
• All-wheel electrical pickup provides reliable current flow
• Wheels with RP25 contours operate on all popular brands of track
• Heavy die-cast frame for greater traction and more pulling power
• Scaled from prototype resources including drawings, field measurements, photographs, and more
• Accurately painted and printed paint schemes
• Packaging securely holds model for safe storage
• Minimum radius: 18” — Recommended radius: 22”

 

SOUND-EQUIPPED MODELS ALSO FEATURE

• Onboard DCC decoder with SoundTraxx Tsunami2 sound
• Dual cube speakers for optimal sound quality
• Sound units operate in both DC and DCC
• Full DCC functions available when operated in DCC mode
• All functions NMRA compatible in DCC mode
• Precision slow speed control
• Program a multiple unit (MU) lashup with lead unit only horn, bell, and lights
• Many functions can be altered via Configuration Value (CV) changes
• CV chart included in the box

 

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

 

LEGENDARY LIVERIES

What are Legendary Liveries? An Athearn exclusive, they are the ultimate answer to “What if?” Featuring some of the most popular railroad paint schemes of all time, these models are perfect for collecting, proto-freelancing, or just plain fun! Whether company proposed paint schemes, canceled locomotive orders, or alternate takes on history, Legendary Liveries are fun and unique additions to any roster. Enjoy these items, and answer the ultimate railroad question of: “What if?”

 

 

Order Due Date: August 31, 2026

Anticipated Delivery Date: December 2027

 

Looking for more Athearn EMD (Electro-Motive Division) SD-70 Diesel Locomotives? Click here!

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