These intermodal double-stack freight trains are the hottest traffic in railroading today. Intermodal containers are loaded at factories that make products from toys to refrigerators and shipped to customers halfway around the world by boat, train, and truck. Shipments are door-to-door, with containers packed and unpacked only once, no matter how many forms of transportation they take. This makes intermodal transport safer, cheaper, and less damage-prone than older forms of freight shipment. While container sizes are standard the world over, the United States is one of the few countries that can handle extra-height double-stack trains.
At the head of these double-stack freights is the Electro-Motive Diesel SD70ACe, EMD's most modern and "greenest" locomotive. Its 16-cylinder, 4300 horsepower motor was designed to meet the Environmental Protection Agency's Tier-2 emissions requirements that took effect in 2005, and this engine delivers 10 percent more horsepower with 50 percent less emissions than its predecessor. In addition to the diesel motor, virtually every element of the SD70ACe has been re-thought to create a 21st century locomotive.
Our superbly detailed, top-of-the-line RailKing Imperial model of this modern freight mover features a full range of locomotive sounds recorded from an actual SD70ACe diesel. Outfitted with twin powerful flywheel-equipped motors, all-metal wheels and gears, and our revolutionary Proto-Speed ControlTM, our SD70ACe will haul long freights at any speed from a crawl to full throttle. These modern freight sets include three detailed intermodal flat cars with double-stack loads, and model the Norfolk Southern Railroad's service east of the Mississippi. The trailing car even includes an operating end of train device!
