The SD70ACe is Electro-Motive Diesel's hope for the future. While designed to meet the Environmental Protection Agency's Tier-2 emissions requirements that took effect on January 1, 2005, this replacement for the SD70MAC also seems to have a higher purpose: to recapture the lead in North American locomotive sales that EMD lost to General Electric in 1987.
Under the hood beats a third-generation model 710 diesel with 4300 horsepower; only slight modifications were needed to make the model 710 meet new emission standards. With 5000 such motors in service worldwide and a reputation for dependability, EMD reasoned that shop crews would prefer familiar technology.
Other than the prime mover, however, virtually every element of the SD70ACe has been rethought to create a 21st-century locomotive. Ergonomics were a prime consideration. The engine's angular nose offers the crew far better visibility than most other locomotives, and the cab is comfortable for engineers of almost any size. Digital screens provide a range of information on what is happening both inside the locomotive and out on the road. The cab easily accommodates a crew of three - an important factor in a modern world without cabooses. And there is, of course, a cup holder for the engineer.
In its heyday, the New York Central System, along with its rival the Pennsylvania Railroad, dominated rail transportation in the Northeast and the upper Midwest. While the Pennsy fought its way westward over the Appalachian Mountains, the Central took an easier route, up the Hudson River Valley and along the shores of the Great Lakes. Its overnight Pullman services were advertised as “The Water Level Route — You Can Sleep.”
For more than half a century, the New York Central was home to perhaps the most famous passenger train in the world, the Twentieth Century Limited. Every afternoon a red carpet was unfurled in New York’s Grand Central Terminal, welcoming passengers aboard the overnight service to Chicago — and giving rise to the expression “red carpet treatment.” For shippers, the Central’s Pacemaker freight service promised the same level of attention to their needs.
While the New York Central is long gone — having disappeared first into the Penn Central, then Conrail, and then Norfolk Southern and CSX — one NYC locomotive remains in revenue service today. Painted in the lightning stripe scheme worn by the diesels pulling the Twentieth Century Limited, SD70ACe diesel No. 1066 is part of Norfolk Southern’s Heritage fleet, honoring 20 “fallen flag” railroads that are today part of the NS system. Our RailKing Imperial model of No. 1066 is offered with matching cars in a variety of historic NYC paint schmes.
The RailKing Imperial SD70ACe is accurately decorated in modern motive power paint schemes. Our near-scale model is a full 17" in length, yet operates comfortably on O-31 curves. Under the hood of the Proto-Sound 3.0 version is the same sound and control system found in our more expensive Premier model of this locomotive - complete with sounds recorded from an actual Union Pacific SD70ACe. Additional Imperial features include operating diesel exhaust smoke and flashing ditch lights. If you're looking for realism and a lot of fun at a RailKing price, it doesn't get any better than this!
Did you know?
IntelliTrain, an option on the SD70ACe, uses cellular and GPS technology to allow a railroad's maintenance department to monitor operating conditions and problems as they occur out on the road - making diagnosis and repair considerably easier.
